Check out this video for more info about small group times and topics, and how to sign up:

Late this afternoon a homeless man appeared at our office door. He'd been drinking and was a tad belligerent. He wanted to spend the night in our church. I recommended Room at the Inn (RATI) instead. RATI is a homeless shelter that rotates between various CoMO churches from December through March. I walked him over to our sister church that's hosting RATI this week. We will host RATI February 10-17. Along the way the man ranted about sleeping in one place, then another, and being turned out early every morning. I gathered he'd had more experience with RATI than he initially let on. "What's the use in keeping me alive overnight only to kill me the next day? Jesus died for nothing!" he said. P

Sunday's sermon title is "All You Need Is Love." I'll be preaching from 1 Corinthians 13. We'll consider how old hurts and resentments can crowd out love. We'll have the chance to symbolically give up our list of grievances by means of our "holy paper shredder!" Check out the video for more details:

After Sunday's worship service, a number of you told me that you wished you'd had pen and paper to write down my list of scriptures to memorize and my list of questions to ask yourself as you read the Bible. Click here to access my sermon manuscript. Hope that helps!

The February, 2019 issue of Rural Missouri magazine contains an article by Jo Ann Trogdon detailing the legend that Abraham Lincoln once visited Columbia. One story goes that the future President tried to attend the 1840 Whig Party State Convention in Rocheport, but his steamboat ran aground. Instead he called on the future First Lady, Mary Todd, at the home of her uncle David, a Columbia resident. A variation of the story maintains that Lincoln made it to the convention, but upon meeting Mary, lost interest in politics for a while. Katherine Helms' The True Story of Mary: Wife of Lincoln claimed that while the grounded steamship prevented Lincoln from attending the convention, he "did not f

Bring your own Bible to church this Sunday! We're going to talk about how and why to read the Bible. (If you don't have a Bible, that's OK. Just bring yourself!) Details in the video:

Sunday's themes are baptism and giving thanks for Rev. Kathie Jackson's ministry. More details in the video:

Both worship services have been canceled today, but we're gathering via YouTube for prayers at 11:00 AM CST. Join us:

The Insight Timer app contains an almost endless supply of guided meditations to choose from. Mostly I use the app as a timer for silent meditation, but I do scroll through the guided meditations. Occasionally I listen to ones that pique my interest. Today I noticed one whose preview said something like, "Trust the universe." I wonder what that statement meant. Maybe "universe" is a non-religious, non-churchy name for the great and awesome mysteries that surround us. Really, I don't know. I should have paid a little more attention to it. I can't find it on the app now. The universe is indeed a vast mystery, more than capable of provoking a great deal of awe, but it's a finite mystery. Scient

“The thing you have to do is make people feel their own emotions.” Bob Dylan, 2012 Hi folks! In this installment we will be looking at the role of a worship leader as an emotional shepherd and our role as emotional beings in relation to the liturgy of music and worship. Now, I know you may be thinking that giving a title like “emotional shepherd” to a worship leader may seem a bit vain, or egotistical. I felt that way at first after reading this chapter in Zac Hicks book, The Worship Pastor. However, after reading through the chapter it became clear that this title does not seek to elevate the rank of a worship leader, but to clue in that leader on what is already going on in the worship ser

This Sunday we will celebrate Epiphany with our annual Epiphany Breakfast, beginning at 9:30am! After we enjoy breakfast we will hear about the Love Sisters Project. A new non-profit started by a family in our community. Worship will take place at 11am in the Sanctuary, where we will take up a special offering for the Love Sisters Project. Join us!