Numerous volunteers came together Jan. 12 to begin construction on a house for Nathan Adams and his daughter, Lyndsay, who are part of the Christian Church in the Wildwood, Weeki Wachee, Fla.
“Nathan and Lyndsay are dear friends of mine,” Tom Rogers, a retired construction professional who is also part of the church, told the Hernando Sun. “This is a labor of love involving some very special people.”
Rogers has spearheaded building the home. He is a representative of Fuller Center for Housing Nature Coast, a covenant partner of the Fuller Center for Housing, a Christian housing ministry that has constructed more than 6,000 homes for people in need since 2005.
Volunteers on that opening weekend included Nathan and Lyndsay Adams, people from the church and community, and even passersby. The Fuller Center Bike Adventure Group even pedaled in from Georgia to help.
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News Briefs
Last week, 1801 Media Inc. released the second episode of The Senior Pastor Podcast, a new show hosted by four giants in the Restoration Movement—Bob Russell, Don Wilson, Ken Idleman, and Scott Rawlings.
Matt Rawlings came up with the idea for the podcast after multiple discussions with younger preachers who are seeking guidance and mature pastors who have decades of experience. He thought, Why not start a podcast where retired pastors can guide the next generation in what has and hasn’t worked in the past?
Russell, Wilson, Idleman, and Scott Rawlings have well over 140 years in combined ministry experience. In the first two episodes, the panel discuss Christian colleges: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Senior Pastor Podcast is available via most podcast apps and directories.
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RiverTree Christian Church’s campus in Canal Fulton, Ohio, has combined with the former High Point Church to become Orchard Hill Church, which will remain part of the RiverTree family of churches. The new congregation had its first service Sunday at the former home of High Point in Clinton, Ohio.
RiverTree brings about 120 members to the new congregation, with High Point adding fewer than 100, according to an article in The Independent.
In December, RiverTree/Canal Fulton sold the building it had met in since 2016.
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Milligan University’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program will provide free, IRS-certified tax return preparation to local citizens again this year. The program will take place at the Tennessee university’s Derthick Hall from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Feb. 25, March 18, and April 1. Appointments are required and can be scheduled at www.milligan.edu/vita.
Milligan’s VITA program provides the same fast refunds as paid preparers offer. Over the years, student volunteers have completed hundreds of returns.
Student preparers are supervised by faculty, train extensively, and are certified by the Internal Revenue Service.
Eligibility requirements are listed at Milligan’s website. The program is sponsored by Bank of Tennessee.
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Bobby Ross Jr. shared an editorial in the Christian Chronicle last week on “Who’s to Blame for the Preacher Shortage?” He answered that question in two words: “We Are.”
Ross shared some key results from a survey of noninstrumental Church of Christ ministers which asked them to cite reasons for the preacher shortage.
“Perhaps the biggest factor—and the saddest—relates to the lack of respect afforded preachers in our fellowship,” Ross wrote. “We don’t honor them or hold them in high regard.”
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The National Gathering of RENEW.org will take place April 25-26 at Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis. Three additional speakers—Jeff Faull, Jim Putman, and Dr. Orpheus J. Heyward—have been added to a lineup that already included David Young, Shondankeh Johnson, Anthony Walker, and Aaron Brockett, among others. The theme is “Resilient: Standing Firm in a Hostile World.” For regular attendees, this marks a change in date and location from past gatherings. More information and registration access is available here.
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