Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman
Third City Christian Church in Grand Island, Neb., organized a large food-distribution effort to coincide with Memorial Day weekend. The church, along with a local food charity, gathered enough food to put two bags of groceries in 861 cars on Saturday. The idea was to give each family a picnic meal to go, according to the Grand Island Independent.
Nick Schonlau, small groups and care minister with the church, told Fox Nebraska the church was able to raise more than $15,000 to help its community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money made the food giveaway possible. โWe knew we were going to get all types of people today, and our heart is to help anyone no matter what their need is,โ he said.
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First Christian Church in Decatur, Ill., held a โDrive Thru Graduation Open Houseโ for its high school and college graduates. The church invited its members to drive through the church parking lot to honk and wave at the churchโs graduates from a safe distance. The event was another way to honor students who have been deprived of in-person graduation ceremonies and parties because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event also was one of several ways the church is trying to connect with its youth in these unusual times. Thomas Hagan, young adult pastor for FCC, told the Herald & Review newspaper the church has been holding Zoom meetings with its students, both for Bible study and social support.
โWe have Zoom meetings every day of the week,โ Hagan said. โWe meet at 7 a.m. and we talk about what are your spiritual plans for the day and what are your productivity plans for the day, because weโve found that a lot of people [said] itโs hard to have a good rhythm of life.โ
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Johnson Universityโs annual โSenior Saints in the Smokiesโ eventโin its traditional formโhas been canceled due to COVID-19, but an online version will be livestreamed June 1-5 and recorded sessions will remain available on Johnsonโs website the remainder of the summer. Learn more at https://johnsonu.edu/seniorsaints/.
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Another quick reminder that on Monday, June 1, Milligan College in Tennessee will officially become Milligan University.
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The 20th Global Gathering of the World Convention is just over a year away. The convention is set for June 3-6, 2021, in Warsaw, Poland.
The World Convention is a quadrennial gathering of Christians who have a common heritage in the Stone-Campbell tradition, which includes a cappella churches of Christ, the Christian churches/churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Learn more at www.worldconvention.org.
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