Central Christian Church of Mount Vernon, Ill., was disappointed when they had to postpone their annual Day of Service back in May due to the coronavirus. They gave it another try on Saturday, and more than 300 volunteers spread out across Jefferson County to put others first.
“We know that we grow best as people when we’re serving other people,” connections pastor Jared LeCrone told WSILTV.com. “This is a church family that has come together from this community to put back into the community.”
Serve Day activities included a neighborhood block party, free oil changes for anyone in need, a free lunch for first responders, free car washes for social workers, and free coffee for soccer fans. Additional volunteers from the church participated in a bed build for children in need, trash cleanup, home repairs, brush clearing and yard work, and several other projects.
“We just want to make sure that people are loved today,” LeCrone told the station. “Central Serve Day is just one day that hopefully brings about lots of projects throughout the year.”
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News Briefs
Compiled by Jim Nieman
A 14-year-old member of New Day Christian Church in Port Charlotte, Fla., died after falling about 75 feet at Laurel Fork Falls in South Carolina on Oct. 5.
Isaiah Oertel was traveling with a group from the Gator Wilderness Camp School, Punta Gorda, Fla., when the incident occurred, according to an article in the Greenville (S.C.) News. The private organization is “dedicated to sharing Christ’s unconditional love with families and their sons.”
Isaiah was the adopted son of Dennis and DeAnn Oertel. He is also survived by two sisters, Savanna and Breanna. A memorial service was conducted at New Day Christian Church on Sunday evening; a video of that service is posted at NDCC’s Facebook page.
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Summit Christian College, Gering, Neb., will host a ministry seminar with Christian Student Fellowship on Oct. 22-24. “Unleashing a Generation” will focus on matters that are foundational to college ministry, understanding the college campus as a mission field, how to build a healthy campus ministry, and the impact of college ministry in the local church. Participants can receive college credit. Cost is $10. CSF’s Justin Raulston will lead.
The seminar is available at Summit’s campus and on the Summit Bridge via Zoom. Learn more at www.summitcc.edu.
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A summer campaign by Lifeline Christian Mission raised just over $350,000 for the international ministry that focuses on children, planting churches, health and nutrition, and economic empowerment. The campaign was necessary due to the effects of COVID-19, which disrupted two main sources of Lifeline’s funding—meal packs and mission trips. Donations are still being accepted at lifeline.org.
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Great Lakes Christian College president Larry Carter, who had tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago, has been released from isolation and will return to the classroom on Thursday. No one else at GLCC tested positive.
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Tom and Linda Hutson—a retired couple who are members of Central Christian Church in Beloit, Wis.—were named “Volunteers of the Month” by the Beloit Daily News. The newspaper wrote an article detailing the Hutsons’ many activities.
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Milligan alumnus Del Harris (class of 1959)—a former NBA Coach of the Year who worked with seven teams over the course of a 37-year NBA career—was honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 2. Days later, he was named an inaugural member of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association’s Hall of Fame.
Harris also serves on the Dallas Christian College board of trustees.
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New Community Church of Elizabeth City, N.C., supplied individual care packages for students at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. Alumnus and NCC student pastor Dustin McCrea helped spearhead the drive.
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Women in Ministry of Hope International University will host two virtual seminars with Jennifer Garcia Bashaw. The first one (for women only) on Oct. 21 will be “The Privilege and Peril of Preaching as a Woman.” The second seminar (for women and men), on Nov. 9, is “Virgins, Witches, and Hot Wives: A Christian History of Scapegoating Women.” Learn more and register at HIU’s Facebook page.
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David Smith, a professor in Johnson University’s School of Bible and Theology, recently released a new book, The Epistles for All Christians. Learn more at Brill publishing’s website.
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Milligan University is closed today in recognition of World Mental Health Day and to reduce the stress and fatigue that COVID-19 has added to the fall semester. All undergraduate classes are canceled and university offices are closed.
“This day off is provided as a small way to say thank you to our students, faculty, and staff for their diligence in following safety protocols,” said Milligan president Bill Greer.
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First Principles Project, a partnership to “reground our approach to political life” and “renew our witness to America” has been launched by American Awakening, Christianity Today, and the National Association of Evangelicals.
FPP’s website contains articles and videos that offer instruction on Christian civic engagement.
“Even when we disagree on matters of policy and party, we should be united on the essential principles that shape our engagement in the public square,” FPP writes. “We should model the love of Jesus in all we do, no matter which politicians we support.”
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