ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SERVICES

• Bullock Temple Methodist Christian Episcopal Church, 1513 S. Park St., live services at 10 a.m. Sundays on btclr.org. (501) 375-1581.

• Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott Street, holds communion services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays (masks and social distancing required at the 10:30 a.m. service and as posted) and at 6 p.m. on Sunday ; and Compline at 7 p.m. on Sundays. The church holds a chapel service at 12:05 p.m. on Wednesdays and an online prayer service at 12:05 p.m. on Thursdays. Live streaming services are available at christchurchlr.org. (501) 375-2342.

• Eckankar presents “Spiritual Lessons From Living,” a video by Harold Klemp, at 11 a.m. Sunday, with discussion to follow at DoubleTree by Hilton, Seventh Floor DeGray Room, 4813 Central Ave., Hot Springs. (877) 401-0016.

• First Christian Church, 14411 Taylor Loop Road, will hold weekly in-person services, non-traditional at 10 a.m. and traditional at 11 a.m. on Sundays; and will have services at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays on Facebook at bit.ly/36N20nM and on YouTube at bit.ly/38VN35m. (501) 225-5656.

• First Lutheran Church, 314 E. Eighth St., holds in-person and live services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays on YouTube, with access code FLCLR1868. Lenten services at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. (501) 372-1023.

• First United Methodist Church, 723 Center St., live services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays on fumclr.org. (501) 372-2256.

• Grace Lutheran Church, 5124 Hillcrest Ave., services at 10 a.m. Sunday. The service will also stream live on YouTube at bit.ly/2G4O3bu. (501) 663-3631.

• Grace Presbyterian Church, 1010 Hogan Road, Conway, has Sunday school at 9:30 am followed by traditional worship services at 10:30 am; gracepresconway.org, (501) 504-6899.

• Highland Valley United Methodist Church, 15524 Chenal Parkway, celebrates at 11 a.m. Sunday on YouTube and hosts “The Journey” at 6 p.m. Wednesday on Facebook and YouTube; links are available at hvumc.org or at (501) 224-6047.

• Immanuel Baptist Church, 501 N. Shackleford Road, streams services live at 9 a.m. on ibclr.org and holds in-person services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. (501) 376-3071.

• Journey Church, 4511 E. 43rd St., North Little Rock, worships at 10:50 a.m. Sunday. The service streams live at tinyurl.com/2p9tuds6. More information at discoveryjourneychurch.com.

• Lakewood United Methodist Church, 2016 Topf Road, North Little Rock, broadcasts its Classic Traditional service live at 9am, Contemporary also at 9am and Modern at 11am on Sundays; links to services on expandthelight.org. (501) 753-6186.

• New Light Missionary Baptist Church, 3110 Battery St., offers limited in-person services and live streams on Facebook and YouTube at 10 a.m. Sunday; and holds a Bible study at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. (501) 375-4098.

• North Little Rock First United Methodist Church, 6701 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, offers in-person, live worship services at 11 a.m. Sunday, with links at nlrfumc.org.

• Park Hill Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 4400 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, is making its weekly worship services available on YouTube at 10 a.m. Sunday at bit.ly/37S7AGY. (501) 753-1109.

• Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1801 S. Indiana St., Pine Bluff, streams its worship services live at 10:45 a.m. Sundays on jokegrovepb.com. (870) 535-3056.

• Pulaski Heights Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 4724 Hillcrest Ave., has temporarily suspended in-person services due to the omicron variant, but is streaming them live at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. They can be viewed on Zoom at 822 3039 7833, passcode 794709. (501) 663-8149.

• Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 4823 Woodlawn Drive, has in-person services Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., which are streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. A service also airs at 10:30 a.m. on KATV. phumc.com/worship or (501) 664-3600.

• Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church, 4401 Woodlawn Drive, holds in-person services at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. They are streamed live and a recording of the service is available throughout the week at phpreslr.com. (501) 663-8361.

• St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 12415 Cantrell Road, has a communion service at 10 a.m. Sunday, broadcast live via Interactive Zoom. For the Zoom link, visit stmichaels-church.com. (501) 224-1442.

• The Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, holds services at 8:30 am, 9 am and 11 am on Sundays; the 11 a.m. service is broadcast live and posted later on the church’s website: secondpreslr.org. Lenten studies at noon Thursdays face-to-face in March or by Zoom at noon and 7 p.m. For link, contact [email protected] (501) 227-0000.

• Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 310 W. 17th St., holds Eucharistic services at 8:00 a.m. Sunday (Rite I) and 10:30 a.m. (Rite II), with Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. Masks and social distancing are recommended during service. More information available at trinitylittlerock.org.

• Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, 6400 Kavanaugh Blvd., resumed “in-person” services at 10:25 a.m. Sunday. More information at westoverhills.org.

The deadline for submission of religious calendars is 5 p.m. Monday for Saturday publication. Addresses are in Little Rock unless otherwise specified. Articles must have an address and telephone number and be open to the public. To submit a press release or update a listing, email the information to:

[email protected]

Graham is also the frontman of Alton-based three-piece electric rock band HOOKiE.

Here’s what else is happening in the area:

MONDAY MARCH 7

• 36th Annual Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey Chile Contest: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., Main Street United Methodist Church, 1400 Main St., Alton. Admission is $9 for chili, drink and dessert.

• Trent and Nanney: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fast Eddie’s Bon Air, 1530 E. 4th St., Alton.

• Smoke’n Aces Poker League Tournament: 6:30 pm to 10 pm, The Back Bar, 228 CN Main St., Edwardsville.

• Line dancing class: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tango Event Center, 212 E. Elm St., Alton.

• Urban Cha Cha Ballroom: 7:30-9:30 p.m., Tango Event Center, 212 E. Elm St. Alton.

• Alton Godfrey Rotary Club Meetings: 6:00 pm, Gentelin’s On Broadway, 122 E. Broadway, Alton.

• Al-Anon meeting: 7:30-8:45 p.m., Bridge Church, E. 12th St., Alton. For more information, call 618-463-2429 or visit SIAFG.org and District-18.org.

• For more information about Al-Anon meetings, call 618-463-2429 or visit SIAFG.org and District-18.org.

TUESDAY MARCH 8

• Lewis and Clark Board Meeting: 6:00 p.m., Lewis and Clark Community College, Ahlemeyer Atrium, 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey.

• Anthony Nanney and Co.: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fast Eddie’s Bon Air, 1530 E. 4th St., Alton.

• A Moonlight Concert: 7 p.m., Christian Community Church, 2345 Union School Road, Alton.

• The Graham Band: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Big Daddy’s Edwardsville, 132 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

• Chicago Stepping Classes: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tango Event Center, 212 E. Elm St., Alton.

• Xtreme Bar Bingo: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Alton Sports Tap, 3812 College Ave., Alton.

• Yoga at the Wildey: 7 to 8 p.m., The Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

• Camelot Cribbage Club: 6 p.m., Camelot Bowl, 801 Beltline Road, Collinsville. Takes place every Tuesday. For more information, call Phill at 618-288-7910.

• For more information on Al-Anon meetings, call 618-463-2429. To find more helpful meetings, visit SIAFG.org and District-18.org.

[email protected]

Editor’s note: Here are the church service changes submitted to the Tribune as a result of COVID-19. Contact your church to see if services not listed below are still taking place.

• Abundant Life Fellowship United Pentecostal Church International, 1040B Washington St., Meadville, has services Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and Bible study and fellowship services Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with Pastor Doug Long. More information: Dial (814) 333-1164.

• Atlantic Community Church, 3468 Atlantic Lake Road, has Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. More information: atlanticcommunitychurch.org Where Facebook.com/theatlanticcommunitychurch.

• Barton Road United Brethren Church, 20262 Barton Road, Meadville, has worship times on Sundays at 9.30am and 6pm, in accordance with current COVID-19 rules.

• Bethany United Methodist Church, 140 Wadsworth Ave., Meadville, has Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. Masks are optional; distancing precautions. More information: Contact Pastor Sarah Roncolato at (814) 724-6736.

• Bible Baptist Church, 11116 Livermore Road, Meadville, has a Sunday school at 10 a.m., a church service at 11 a.m. and a Wednesday service at 6 p.m.

• Blooming Valley United Methodist Church has services Sundays at 9 am.

• Meadville Calvary, 543 Randolph St., Sunday services at 9:30 a.m. You can also join live via facebook.com/cbcmeadville.

• Cambridge Springs Presbyterian Church, 338 S. Main St., Sunday worship at 11 a.m., with Sunday school at 10 a.m. Recommendations issued by the CDC and the State are followed. More information: Dial (814) 398-4249.

• Dean Sherman’s Channels for Jesus radio show from the Meadville area is at 9:45 am Sundays on WMGW 1490 AM, WTIV 1340 AM and WFRA 1450 AM.

• Church of Harmonial Fellowship meets Sunday at 11 am in the old Third District School Building, 230 Columbia Ave. More information: Call (814) 333-3733.

• Cochranton Presbyterian Church, corner of Smith and Pine Streets, has services at 9:30 am on Sundays.

• Community Bible Church, 37534 Route 408, between Townville and Hydetown, has Sunday worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday school at 10:10 a.m., Sunday breakfast at 9:00 a.m. and Bible study on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Services can be viewed at Streammedia.tvFacebook and Armstrong channels 23 and 100 Sunday at 7 p.m. and Wednesday at 9 a.m. More information: Rev. Rudolph G. Babcock at (814) 967-3628.

• Emmanuel Community Church, 30 Park Ave., closed until further notice due to the effects of a small but serious fire. Sunday worship will be held at the Presbyterian Church of the Redeemer, 16864 chemin du lac Conneaut, at 11 a.m. Certain precautions will be put in place; masks are optional.

• Epiphany of the Lord Parish will live stream Masses on its Facebook page. Saturday evening mass is at 4:30 p.m. Sunday Masses are at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. at St. Agatha, 353 Pine St.

• Faith Geneva United Methodist Church, 15439 Route 285, Conneaut Lake, has Sunday worship at 11 a.m. and Sunday school for children at 11:15 a.m. Masks and social distancing are required. Services are recorded and posted on the church’s Facebook page.

• Fallowfield United Methodist Church, 3993 Leach Road, Atlantic, is holding services Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Then join us on Facebook Live with Pastor Les Hutchins.

• Meadville First Baptist Church, 353 Chestnut St., has Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday school classes for all ages at 9:15 a.m. Services can be viewed on Armstrong Channels 23 and 100 at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month as well as Thursday noon. Services are also streamed live on the First Baptist Church of Meadville PA Facebook page. Babysitting and children’s activities are available.

• First Christian Church, 503 N. Main St., Meadville, has Bible school at 9 a.m. and Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Services can also be viewed at First Christian Church Meadville on YouTube. Robert McGuire is the new Prime Minister. More information: Dial (814) 336-3540.

• Meadville First Presbyterian Church holds Sunday services at 8:30 am and 10:00 am in the sanctuary. Services can also be viewed at meadvillefpc.org via livestream or on Armstrong Channel 23 the first and third Sunday of each month at 10 a.m. More information: Call (814) 333-2161.

• French Creek Community Church, 18320 Conneaut Lake Road, has Sunday services at 10 a.m., also available on the church’s Facebook page.

• Grace United Methodist Church has services on Sundays at 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.

• Hamlin Chapel United Methodist Church, 16460 Route 198, Saegertown, has Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45 a.m. Lenten services March 9 and April 6 at 11 a.m.; bring a lunch bag. Masks are optional; privileged distancing. More information: Contact Larry Miller at (814) 763-3920.

• Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church holds a Sunday service at 9:15 a.m. Fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask.

• Harmonsburg United Methodist Church, 14182 First St., holds worship and Sunday school for children at 9:30 am The church is handicapped accessible.

• Hartstown Presbyterian Church has services at 11:15 a.m. on Sundays and Sunday School at 10 a.m. and follows current CDC guidelines.

• High Street Community Church, 9517 Route 322, Conneaut Lake, has a Sunday worship service at 10 a.m. Masks and social distancing are observed. The church also offers a junior church for all children ages 4-12 during Sunday service. Follow Sunday evening services on the church’s Facebook page. More information: Call (814) 382-2874 or email [email protected].

• Linesville United Methodist Church holds Sunday worship at 11:00 am.

• Littles Corners United Methodist Church, 15382 Route 198, Meadville, has Sunday school at 10:30 a.m. and worship at 9:30 a.m. Lenten services March 2 and 23 at 11 a.m.; bring a lunch bag. Masks are optional. More information: Contact Larry Miller at (814) 763-3920.

• Milledgeville Christian Community Church has Sunday services at 11:30 am with Pastor Curt Brenizer. More information: Dial (814) 720-7548.

• Mumford Chapel United Methodist Church, 20115 Route 285, Cochranton, has Sunday worship at 9 a.m. and Sunday school for children at 9:30 a.m. Services are recorded and posted on the church’s Facebook page. ‘church. More information: Contact Pastor Joy Mumford at (814) 425-8171.

• Norrisville United Methodist Church has services on Sundays at 9 a.m.

• Open Door Baptist Church, 22062 Center Road, Venango, has Family Bible Hour on Sundays at 10 a.m., Morning Worship at 11 a.m., Evening Service at 6 p.m. and Wednesday “Gear Up!” Bible study at 7 p.m., with Pastor Norman Aabye.

• The Notre-Dame de Lourdes church in Cochranton offers a mass on Sundays at 8:00 a.m.

• Park Congregational Church in Meadville has Sunday services at 10:30 am on the upper level of the church.

• Conneaut Lake Presbyterian Church, 145 S. Fifth St., has services Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Call to hear the Sunday message at (602) 580-9207, pass code 4874448, or visit clpresby.org.

• Saegertown United Methodist Church, 620 Euclid Ave., holds Sunday services at 8 am, 9:30 am, and 11 am; Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.; and Grow Kids for K-6 and Youth Group 7-12 on Sundays at 6 p.m. More information: Visit saegertownumc.org or the church’s Facebook page.

• Stone United Methodist Church has in-person worship Sundays at 9 a.m. and broadcasts on Armstrong Channels 23 and 100 and facebook.com/stoneumc.orgwith reruns Thursdays at 10 a.m. on Armstrong.

• St. Anthony of Padua, Cambridge Springs, holds Mass today at 4.30pm and Sunday at 9.30am

• St. Bernadette, Saegertown, celebrates Mass at 8 am on Sundays.

• The Saint Hippolyte church in Frenchtown offers a mass on Sundays at 11 a.m.

• St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 25812 Mt. Pleasant Road, Cambridge Springs, has Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday school for children in grades 3-6 at 10:15 a.m. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. Social distancing is required.

• St. Paul’s Reformed Church, 1070 Park Ave., has services in the church building with a Bible study at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45 a.m. At our gathering, we are following all social distancing guidelines. Alternatively, you can join the live service via Zoom (contact us by email and we will provide you with the link). Additionally, services can be seen on the St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Meadville Facebook page and on Armstrong TV Channel 23 on the first (11 a.m.) and third (10:45 a.m.) Sunday of each month. More information: Call (814) 336-5188 or email [email protected].

• Trinity Lutheran Church, 649 Park Ave., holds Sunday services at 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. (also posted on the church’s Facebook page) and Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. The church is following CDC guidelines. More information: Dial (814) 336-2654.

• Trinity United Methodist Church, 240 N. Third St., Conneaut Lake, has Sunday school at 8:45 a.m., followed by worship at 10 a.m.; junior church with Bible lesson and crafts for kids during worship; and the meeting of young seniors immediately after worship.

• The Twelve Apostles Lutheran Church at Euclid Avenue and Erie Street in Saegertown holds services on Sundays at 10:15 am and posts them on Facebook. More information: Contact [email protected] or call (814) 763-5384.

• Meadville Unitarian Universalist Church, 346 Chestnut St., has services Sundays at 10:30 a.m. More information: Visit uumeadville.orgemail [email protected] or call (814) 724-4023.

• Guys Mills United Free Evangelical Church, 11534 Route 198, holds in-person services at 10 am on Sundays. Additionally, a live streaming service is available on guymillschurch.com. Bill Cox is the acting pastor.

• United Faith Fellowship Church of God, 561 State St., Meadville, has in-house services on Sundays at 10 a.m., with the Rev. Beverly Williams, acting pastor; children’s Sunday school, first and third Sundays at 10 a.m.; and Bible study, Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. More information: Call (814) 336-4124.

• Venango United Methodist Church, 21472 Church St., invites all to attend Sunday services at 9:30 am with Pastor Larry Peters officiating. The Services are also provided on Facebook Live.

Editor’s Note: Faith-based institutions in the area should send event submissions at least two weeks prior to the event to Kokomo Tribune Religion Calendar, 300 N. Union St., PO Box 9014, Kokomo, IN 46901, or email [email protected]. The deadline is Wednesday noon. Be sure to include your event details and the church’s address and phone number.

Morning Star Church

Sunday’s sermon at 10:30 a.m. will be “A New Thing,” an ongoing series.

The church meets at The Connection, located behind the main building at 2900 E. Markland Ave. There will also be learn and play time in The Connection gymnasium for children aged 6 months to fifth grade.

Services are in person or on Facebook. For more information, visit mscKokomo.com.

St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick Catholic Churches

The community is invited to a Lenten fry organized by Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays at Sainte Jeanne d’Arc Church, 3155 S. Dixon Road. The drive-in-only dinner will include Dan’s Fish and sides for $10.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic faith is invited to weekly information sessions at St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick Catholic Churches. On Mondays, sessions are held at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, 1204 N. Armstrong St. On Wednesdays, sessions are held on the ground floor patio at St. Joan of Arc, 3155 S. 200 West ( Dixon Road). Both sessions take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and dinner is offered. There is no cost and no commitment. For more information, contact Chad Grube at 765-626-7005 or [email protected].

New Beginnings Christian Community

“Opening the Door to Life’s Great Adventure” will be the theme at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Church, 1900 S. Berkley Road. It is based on Luke 9:28-36.

There will also be online worship on the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship YouTube channel, Facebook page or website, www.nbcf.us.

For more information or to request prayer, contact Pastor Jeff Russell at 765-776-0868.

Bon Air Church of the Nazarene

Bon Air Church of the Nazarene hosts a coffee club at 9 a.m. every Monday. “No pressure, just camaraderie.” The coffee club meets at the church, 2419 N. Locke St., Kokomo. Participants must enter through the northeast door. Call 765-438-0225 for more information.

Christ the King Anglican Church

Christ The King Anglican Church offers a ministry of prayer and pastoral conversation from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday mornings at Big Ben Coffee, 2130 W. Jefferson St., Kokomo. It’s free and without obligation. If you would like to pray but cannot be there at the time, contact Fr. Michael Henry at 765-513-7549 or email [email protected].

Worship is held at the church at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in Christ Lutheran Chapel, 3401 S. Dixon Road, Kokomo.

Curtisville Christian Church

At 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Minister James Snapp Jr. will deliver the “Look at the Fields” sermon from the Gospel of John. After the service, there will be Game Day, a time to eat, have fun and fellowship in the Fellowship Hall.

Curtisville Christian Church meets at 737 N. 600 East in eastern Tipton County. Visit the website at www.curtisvillecc.com to view current sermons and sermons from the past year. For more information, to request a prayer, or to request a Bible, call 765-623-4400.

First EPC Kokomo

The First Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 2000 W. Jefferson St. in Kokomo, invites the public to join them for their Lenten series titled “The Redeeming Love of Jesus.”

The church will have “Lattes and Lent” at Big Ben Coffee on Ash Wednesday, this Wednesday, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. After you get your drink of choice, the church will have a devotional for your personal use, and you can choose to take the sign of the cross.

First EPC Kokomo will also have an Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Everyone is welcome.

The church meets at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday in the sanctuary. Services are also on Facebook at First EPC Kokomo.

The church will also host its annual Women in Ministries Spring Sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 31 and April 1. The church will be accepting donations for sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 28.

First meeting of friends

The First Friends Gathering will be having a chicken or beef and noodle sale at 4 p.m. on March 12. The meal will be a drive-thru sale, with outside ordering and pick-up and no inside dining. Chicken/beef and noodles, mashed potatoes and green beans can be purchased in pints or pints. The sale is a fundraiser for the awareness committee. First Friends is located at 1801 W. Zartman Road, Kokomo.

Kokomo Zion United Methodist Church

Kokomo Zion presents “Songs of Love” with Matt Gerhard at 3 p.m. Sunday. Extend your Valentine’s Day—or catch up on a missed one—with a love song program. There will be love songs old and new, sacred and secular, featuring Matt on piano and organ. Kokomo Zion United Methodist Church is located at 5051 E. 400 North.

Kokomo Bell Festival

The annual Kokomo Handbell Festival will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 5 at Bible Baptist Church, 2635 S. Dixon Road. Seven local churches will participate, including First Christian, First Friends, First Evangelical Presbyterian, Grace United Methodist, Redeemer Lutheran and St. Luke’s United Methodist Churches.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/comehearusring.

Six Mondays of Lent 2022: Faith and Our Community

The First Friends of Kokomo Meeting, in conjunction with the Carver Community Center and the Howard County Supervisory Program, will offer a Lenten Series from 6-7 p.m. every Monday starting March 7.

Each session offers the opportunity to dialogue with leaders from several disciplines. The first topic of the March 7 session is “Victim Assistance/Probation”. The next topics, in order, are: treating substance use disorders, depression and suicide, bereavement, behavioral health/mental health, and effective grandfathering.

The presenters are, in order: Dustin Delong, Community Support Manager; Shane Beal, director of recovery services, Turning Point A System of Care; Jaime Lyon, Pastor, Friends of Russiaville Meeting; Tashawnna Summers, Founder/CEO, All Out The Blue Resource Foundation; Erik Auzins, drug addiction counsellor, Ascension Saint-Vincent.

Each session will be held at the Carver Community Center, 1030 N. Purdum St. in Kokomo. All sessions are free and refreshments will be served. All are encouraged to attend any or all of the topics in the series.

The Shawnee Ministerial Association (SMA) plans to bring back the community ecumenical worship series this year after the 2020 series was halted after two services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, due to the pandemic, plans for the series in 2021 have been canceled.

This year, SMA has scheduled eight churches from seven denominations to take over the series.

Worship is scheduled for noon each Thursday during Lent with a different church each week thereafter. A fraternal meal follows a short adoration. The meal is provided by the host church with donations accepted to help offset the cost of the meal.

Host church pastors plan to follow all safety precautions in effect at the time of the host regarding the COVID-19 status at that time.

“What will racial reconciliation look like in the church in the United States?

The questioner was a student at Duke Divinity School circa 2005. The stage was a large auditorium-style classroom, and the class was Preaching, a staple of the MDiv program I was in at the time. The teacher at the front was William “Bill” Turner, a black Baptist pastor-theologian. He was loved by the many mainline students who discovered him at Duke almost as much as by the Black Baptists who came to school in part because he was there.

In response to the question, Turner looked the student straight in the eye and said, “One thing it will look like is white people ready to sit under black preaching. You don’t see that very often.

His response, etched in my mind, has challenged and spurred my wife and me over the years. The invitation to submission is compelling to white Christians like me. I have to ask myself, Would I sit and learn the Word of God under the authority of a black pastor?

Of course I wouldthe answer arises in me. After all, I’m not racist.

I suspect that kind of response is one shared by many other white Christians. But my question is not abstract or “in principle”. As Dostoyevsky writes in The Karamazov brotherslove in dreams is easy compared to love in reality.

If I ask the question much more concretely, then, I must ask, Would I find myself listening to black people preach most Sundays for any appreciable amount of time?

Even after leaving Duke Divinity, my own answer to that question would most often have been no. But a few years ago, that changed.

My family and I had recently moved to Austin and moved into an east side neighborhood full of historic black churches. In this space, my wife and I felt the tug of Turner’s words. But we were not quick to submit to black preaching. My wife is Anglican so we had decided to contact the local Anglican congregation first which we had previously attended when we were in town for the holidays.

Yet we have talked a lot about the testimony of Turner and the black churches near us. And then one Sunday morning, after the Spirit moved my wife, she and I with our three children attended worship at Simpson United Methodist Church, a black congregation founded in 1880.

With Simpson, love is not abstract or principled. Anyone who walks through the front doors will hear the phrase “I love you for real!” – a refrain modeled by Pastor Robert Waddle. When we arrived they greeted us and brought us to their midst. We got up and sang. We sat on the love-worn wooden pews and listened to a sermon by Waddle, a wise, generous and larger-than-life man energetic to share the gospel.

After our first visit, we started going once a month. I preached here and there and met individually with Waddle, then a few months later he invited me to join the staff as a part-time pastor.

I never anticipated the chance to serve a black congregation. I needed to pray, I told him. I needed to reflect on my important apprehensions. What business had I, a white man with many privileges in his life, to have a place of authority in a black congregation?

White Christians in America have always been very happy to preach to Negroes and exercise all kinds of authority over them. No, Turner had said that racial reconciliation involved white people being willing to submit to black authority. I heard his words echo in my head, I felt the Holy Spirit pull me forward, and I knew this was my chance to do just that.

While serving under Waddle at Simpson, I came to two important beliefs. First, for too long I had ignored a community living alongside me in my hometown.

In his book The Christian Imaginary: Theology and Origins of Race, Willie James Jennings tells the story of his childhood encounter with two white missionaries. They came from the white congregation a few hundred yards down the street, entered the garden where Jennings was playing, then introduced themselves to his mother. One then went on to explain at length his church, his programs for children, and the good things he wanted to do for the neighborhood.

“My mom finally interrupted this future neighborhood missionary’s speech with the words, ‘I’m already a Christian, I believe in Jesus, and I attend New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where Reverend JV Williams is the pastor,'” writes Jennings.

The author goes on to say, “Experiences like these fueled a question that took on a hermeneutical force for me: why didn’t they know us? They should have known us very well.

During my time at Simpson’s, those two lines were reversed: “Why didn’t I know them?” I should have known them very well. I started to know people I should have known already. After all, I had grown up in The United Methodist Church in Austin, and my first pastoral appointment was at a white church on the same street as Simpson (yet miles away in spirit). A woman at church was even in my high school class.

In a sense, I was submitting not only to a black pastor, but also to a whole community and a stream of my own tradition that I had mostly ignored until then. I will always consider it a great grace to have been able to experience how different the same church calendar and the same scriptures seem to those of the Black Methodist tradition.

For example, and to state the obvious, the Exodus story matters differently – and, I dare say, more – in the American black church than in the white church. The late Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson identified God thus: “God is he who raised Jesus from the dead, having previously raised Israel out of Egypt. Jenson grasped how this parallel of liberation is absolutely essential to our recognition of the God revealed by the gospel.

The people of Simpson, then, by patiently teaching me to worship, pray and preach in their midst, showed me a dimension of our salvation in Christ that I doubt I could have otherwise appreciated. I will be eternally grateful to them.

Second, I was able to understand, in a limited but consistent way, the radical affirmation of our faith that all enmity is finally overcome in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2; Col. 1).

Even if it were possible, it would be undesirable to forget the wounds and the legacy of American racism. But at Simpson, I got a taste of how the death and resurrection of Christ makes a difference in the present. We don’t need to ignore the racism that still shapes our society to have hope or to come together in church. We can worship with those from whom we have historically been estranged because of sin. We can be a body—and still remember our worst sins—in the context of the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. And we can do this “until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

In the past, I had seen this truth in the abstract. I had believed the testimonies of others. But Simpson invited me to join the choir: God’s love in Jesus Christ is real.

Not everyone can do what I was lucky enough to do at Simpsons. But the takeaways are similar. Today, the task of predominantly white churches is to humbly begin (or continue) to know people and congregations we should already know well. For some, that means getting to know a nearby black or non-white congregation. For others, it may involve regularly going to a local black church and sitting down to preach.

The grace of God makes the church possible. Even now, in this “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4), or what Augustine called “the land of unlikeness,” Christ is resurrected. His resurrection promises that death has been destroyed and “that God be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Racial reconciliation imposes itself on us because, in the end, it is assured.

Clifton Stringer is a pastor and theologian in central Texas. Learn more about his writings at cliftonstringer.com.

COLLECTION FOR TORNADO VICTIMS

MADISON — In response to the recent tornado devastation in Kentucky, a committee of Madison residents has been formed to determine what is needed to help with relief efforts. The group has been told that the greatest need is money.

The group is working with the Madison Christian Ministerial Association and Chase Bank to raise money for the Kentucky Relief Fund. The goal is to have funds available by February 15.

Checks or money orders can be deposited at the Madison and Painesville branches of Chase Bank. Please note that cash will not be accepted for this effort. Please make checks and money orders payable to Madison Christian Ministerial Association.

If you would like to mail your donation, please mail it to MCMA, POBox 574, Madison, OH 44057. Please note that 100% of funds raised will go to those in need and are tax deductible.

It is expected that after this fundraising effort, the group intends to have a non-perishable collection of items needed for this need and will be delivered directly to Kentucky. Details will follow.

Committee members include Pastor John Germaine, Bill Robinson, Pete Baldwin, Dave Van Dusen, Pete and Dick Turkenburg.

CHILE SALE

CONNEAUT — The United Methodist Church of Kelloggsville, 4763 North Monroe Center Road, Conneaut, is holding a fundraiser to benefit the church.

The church will sell its “Famous Covered Bridge Chili”.

Sales are pre-order only through February 19. The price is $8 per litre. Meet at the church parking lot with payment/pickup on February 26 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Call JoAnn Richmond, 440-224-1380 or Jean Thompson, 440-858-2344. Leave a message with name, phone number and number of pints.

FREE MEAL

GENEVA – Park Street Christian Church, 97 Park Street, will host a free lunch on February 12 from noon to 2 p.m. or until the food runs out.

The menu will be turkey noodle soup or vegetable beef and grilled cheese with water or coffee and cake.

The church invites all to come and enjoy this free lunch.