We’re going to revert back to sending the newsletter early in the week so it can be mailed to some of our members without email and internet (and arrive before Wednesday Prayer Circle). If you have news to share, please share with Jonathan Bacon or Larry Birkby by Noon on Sunday each week.

Don’t forget to join us this week for the Sunday Morning Mission Road Chat Online and for the Wednesday Evening Prayer Circle Online (see below)!

IN THIS ISSUE:

JUNE 28 ZOOM WORSHIP SERVICE AVAILABLE

REOPENING THE MISSION ROAD CONGREGATION

JULY 6TH GATHERING

THE NEXT FOOD PANTRY DROP OFF DATE

MISSION ROAD CONGREGATION ONLINE MEETINGS

THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP

HOW TO JOIN THE ONLINE ZOOM MEETINGS

VIRTUAL REUNION AND SUMMER CAMP UPDATE

SUMMER 2020 WORSHIP SCHEDULE

And More…

JUNE 28 ZOOM WORSHIP SERVICE AVAILABLE

A video recording of the June 28, 2020 worship service (on Zoom) is now available for viewing at https://youtu.be/misywX30u20

REOPENING THE MISSION ROAD CONGREGATION

The World Church has developed guidelines for reopening the church buildings. You can review the guidelines at https://bit.ly/2V05xKa

The congregation’s leadership continues to review these guidelines as we prepare the building for gatherings. Please be aware that we anticipate continuing to meet using Zoom at least through Sunday, July 19 before we would return to the church building.

Based on the guidelines and to assure safety for all members, we will need to rethink the way we gather and fellowship. Most of us are in good health and safe, but we also know there are some that are more susceptible, and we want to keep everyone safe. When we do get back together for meetings at the church, we will only have a 10:30 AM worship service. There will be no singing to reduce the possible spread of the virus and the World Church recommends services be held to 45 minutes maximum.

We will also be meeting using social distancing and wearing masks. Greeters will keep a list of those in attendance with contact information should someone get sick so we can contact those in attendance that Sunday. There will be no breakfast, Sunday School, nursery, choir or bells for the foreseeable future. Once a service has concluded everyone will be encouraged to exit the building and visit outside (weather permitting) and to continue to maintain social distances.

We plan to survey the congregation very soon about some of the attendance options and will keep you posted.

JULY 6TH GATHERING

Let the community gather!! Join us around our pool for time to visit. We’ll be outdoors and be social distancing.

Monday, July 6, 2020 at 6:30pm

Bring your swimsuits, towels, snacks, and drinks for your family. If available and easy for you, bring your lawn chair.

Location: 9060 W 170th St., Stilwell, KS 66085 (take W. 167 St. exit off Hwy 69 South, turn right on W. 167 St, left on Antioch, right on W. 170 St. We are the last driveway on the right). RSVP and for more information contact: Caryn (cell) 913-980-2147 or Ron (cell) 816-803-6291.

THE NEXT FOOD PANTRY DROP OFF DATE

Every other week you are encouraged to drop off foodstuffs for the Central Avenue Center of Hope. The next drop-off will be on Saturday, July 11, 2020, from 10 AM to noon, there will be a large box outside the front entrance of the church for you to leave your donations.

Your contributions are especially important during the current pandemic. Robin Payne will pick up the contributions at Noon then Susan and Merrill Clark will deliver the items to the Center for Hope.

MISSION ROAD CONGREGATION ONLINE MEETINGS

The Mission Road Congregation will offer several meetings in the coming weeks online. Access details are the same for each session and are listed below.

7 PM Every Wednesday until the Social Distancing Guidelines relax and the quarantine ends – Prayer Circle.

9 AM Every Sunday until the Social Distancing Guidelines relax and the quarantine ends – Sunday Morning Mission Road Worship Online. More information on this Sunday’s worship is below.

7 PM July 16, 2020 – All Good Books group will have an online discussion of “The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy” by Rachel Joyce using Zoom.

THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP

The Sunday, July 5, 2020, worship theme is “Rest in Jesus” and will feature a message by Debbie Rushfelt. Robin Payne will preside. Robert Sindy will provide the PowerPoint and host the Zoom meeting with assistance from Kennetha Kuttler.

You’re invited to join us online starting at 8:45 AM for conversation and fellowship with the worship activities beginning at 9 AM. After the service, we’ll keep the Zoom session open for folks to fellowship. We hope you can join us (see the information later in this newsletter about how to join the Zoom session).

VIRTUAL REUNION AND SUMMER CAMP UPDATE

We are disappointed we will be unable to gather at reunions and youth camps this summer. However, there will be a Midlands Virtual Reunion beginning a 9 AM on Saturday, July 18 and concluding at noon on Sunday, July 19, 2020.

Current plans call for each congregation to join the Midlands Worship Service (part of the virtual reunion) beginning at 10:00 AM on July 19th. The schedule will be posted next week.

Link to Register and receive Zoom links: https://bit.ly/2AHAyvN

Link to Donate: https://bit.ly/31cpQrP

SUMMER 2020 WORSHIP SCHEDULE

The Summer 2020 Worship Schedule is now available online.

Here’s a better link for the Summer Worship Availability Form (than the one posted earlier): https://bit.ly/30Iva5Z

This is a one-page PDF file. Please review for any assignments you may have.

TIME TO REACH OUT

Many of our members live alone and during this “Stay at Home” period, they would enjoy a call from one of their church friends. Give your friends a call or if they have an iPhone or iPad, Facetime them.

VIRTUAL WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Join Mission Center Invitational Support Minister Craig Hidy for a worship service via Zoom – 6:30 on the 2nd & 4th Thursday evenings. Watch the Mission Center Facebook page for details and a link each week!

Seventy Craig Hidy’s weekly blog: www.emporiacofchrist.org/70craigblog

Other virtual ministry opportunities – including Bethel and Olathe – can be found at www.cofchrist.org/online-ministries.

In this time of need please continue your generous response via eTithing. It is safe and easy. Find more information at www.cofchrist.org/etithing.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS

Please remember that church expenses continue, even when we’re not meeting in the building. Mary Reichenbach, the Congregation’s Financial Officer has indicated that contributions can be mailed to her house (10223 Briar Dr., Overland Park, KS 66207) or the church (7842 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208), or you can sign up for eTithing on the World Church website https://www.cofchrist.org/etithing). Any of these options will enable you to continue your regular contributions.

If you use the eTithing site, select the United States link and then scroll down to Mission Road Community of Christ. When you click on that page, there will be an option in the upper right hand corner to ’sign up’ to create your account and enter either your bank account information for direct debit or a credit card to charge your contribution, or ’sign in’ if you have already set up your account. You may also choose a one-time contribution or a continuing contribution. Most of the contribution options on our tithing envelopes are available on the Mission Road eTithing page. If you have additional questions about electronic contributions, please contact Mary.

2020 CALENDAR

October

18 Midlands MC Conference

November

6–8 TWIST

TBD Seventy, High Priest, Bishop, Evangelist Gathering

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITHOUT EMAIL OR FACEBOOK ACCESS?

If you know someone in the congregation that does not have email and does not use Facebook, please let Jonathan Bacon know. We are trying to be sure everyone in the congregation has access to periodic news updates and information on congregational activities.

CONCERNING PRAYER REQUESTS

Please know that any member of the congregation can post prayer requests or share information about members and events on the Mission Road Members Only Facebook page. You do not need to send the information for approval to anyone. In fact, doing so may slow down the dissemination of your request. Be sure to include the person needing prayers and what situation has occurred (if you wish to share that information). If your post concerns an event or news item, be sure to include the basics in your posting (such as who, what, where and when).

For prayer requests, if you do not have access to Facebook, then please call Paul Bennetts our Congregational Pastoral Care Coordinator.

OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE VIA EMAIL

The email address for general church drafts of your Order of Worship and church business (Clint Reine) is mrcoc

The email address for CFO business (Mary Reichenbach) is mrcoccfo

IMPORTANT CONGREGATIONAL LINKS

The Mission Road Congregation hosts the following social media sites:

Congregational (public) website at www.mission-road.org

Facebook Page (public) at https://www.facebook.com/MissionRoad.CoC

Facebook Group (open only to congregational members) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MissionRoad/

The All Good Books discussion group website at https://allbooksclub.wordpress.com/

Visit and "like" each of these sites to keep up-to-date on congregational news.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS EMAIL

If you have news items and calendar additions or changes that need to be included in the congregational news email, please contact Larry Birkby. His email address and phone number are both in the Church Directory.