If you have news to share in the weekly church email newsletter, please notify 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 Worship Online and for the Wednesday Evening Prayer Circle Online!

IN THIS ISSUE:

SPECIAL REQUEST FOR HONDURAS

SHIRLEY BLACKMAN’S CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE ON VIDEO

WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR FALL NOW AVAILABLE

AUTUMN HISTORIC SITES LECTURE SERIES

THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

MISSION ROAD CONGREGATION ONLINE MEETINGS

NEXT FOOD PANTRY A WEEK FROM SATURDAY

NEXT ALL GOOD BOOKS CLUB NOVEL

MISSION ROAD BUSINESS MEETING AND PRIOR MINUTES

And More…

SPECIAL REQUEST FOR HONDURAS

Due to the recent torrential rains in La Boquita, Honduras, the back part of Saira Giron’s house is in danger of falling into the gully which was formed by those rains. Both Saira’s house and the HMA clinic are in danger of damage which could lead to the collapse of both the house and the clinic. The existing retaining wall has collapsed along with the dirt that was shoring up that wall. The rains and the collapse of the wall has put the house in a very precarious position. Saira and her family have lived in the house for 26 years

A strong retaining wall needs to be installed in order to prevent further erosion and prevent damage or collapse of her house as well as the HMA clinic. The installation of the new wall requires special machinery and manpower.

The estimated cost of repairs is 100,000 Lempiras, which is about $4,080. Saira has asked her bank for a loan but the loan request was denied because she is not considered to be permanently employed. She is not considered to be a permanent employee as her contract with HMA is for three years.

These pictures show what has happened to the old retaining wall behind Saira’s home/clinic.

The Health Ministries Association is providing a loan in the amount of $4,080.00 to Saira for the replacement of the retaining wall behind her home and HMA clinic. This loan will be repaid out of her salary in 2021 in four equal installments of $1,020.00.

As we prepare to raise money for Saira’s salary and the cost of her clinic supplies for next year, we invite anyone who is inspired to contribute to the Honduras project to do so. Checks can be made out to HMA and mailed to Paul Bennetts at 10926 S. Cottage Ln. Olathe, KS 66061 and he will forward them to the HMA office. Pledges for next year are also welcome. Contributions can either be designated to the “Honduras Nurse Program” or “Saira Home Repair Loan” in the memo line of your check.

SHIRLEY BLACKMAN’S CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE ON VIDEO

John Blackman has provided access to Shirley’s Celebration of Life Service online. You can access the service at: https://vimeo.com/458164031/da4e2f3bd7.

John also wants to thank everyone for their prayers and support over the past several months.

WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR FALL NOW AVAILABLE

The new Fall 2020 Worship Schedule is now available in DropBox. You can access it using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/y4pc8c8b

AUTUMN HISTORIC SITES LECTURE SERIES

Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation

Autumn Lecture Series – Church History without Boundaries

Thursday nights at 7 p.m. (Central Time)

Oct 1 – Nov 19, 2020

For a complete description of this on-line series and to register for a lecture or lectures, go to:

https://www.historicsitesfoundation.org/autumn-lecture-series.html

No fee to register. Donations are happily accepted.

October 1 Lecture:

“A Global Family": Strategies for Visualizing and Narrating Community of Christ’s Global History

with John-Charles Duffy

October 8 Lecture:

The Story of Community of Christ in India

with David Howlett

October 15 Lecture:

The Story of Community of Christ in Southeastern Nigeria

with Dima Hurlbut

October 22 Lecture:

Community of Christ History in the Holy Land

with Barbara Walden

October 29 Lecture:

Latter Day Saint British Isles Missions, 1837-1863

with Andrew Bolton

November 5 Lecture:

The Church Encounters Asia. Beginnings: Korea

with Steve Shields

November 12 Lecture:

1830s Latter Day Saint Missiology

with Seth Bryant

November 19 Lecture:

Bishop R.C. Evans of Canada: From the RLDS First Presidency to Schismatic Church Leader

with John Hamer

THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP

The Sunday, September 27, 2020, worship theme is “Thirst for the Lord” and will feature a message by Ron Millard. Larry Birkby will preside and serve as the worship planner. Clint Reine will provide the PowerPoint and host the Zoom meeting assisted by 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.

By the way, you’re welcome to stay online and chat after the worship service and join the adult class online. You do not need to log out, you can simply chat with friends online or mute and stop your video and then start your video again when class begins at 10 AM.

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

The Mission Road Adult Sunday School Class will meet online using Zoom this coming Sunday. Class time will follow the Sunday morning worship starting at 10 AM.

The text for the class will be “Short Stories by Jesus” by Amy-Jill Levine and will include videos that correspond with some of the chapters. Jonathan Bacon will lead a discussion of Chapter 5 (“The Mustard Seed”) this coming Sunday.

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 – Prayer Circle.

9 AM Every Sunday – Sunday Morning Mission Road Worship Online. More information on this Sunday’s worship is below.

10 AM Every Sunday – Adult Sunday School Class studying “Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine.

NEXT FOOD PANTRY A WEEK FROM SATURDAY

The Mission Road Congregation continues to serve an important need by providing food stuffs, school supplies and new or gently used clothing for the Central Avenue Center of Hope. Please plan to drop supplies off at church on Saturday, October 3, 2020, between 10 AM and noon. There continues to be a special need for food, school supplies, personal hygiene items, and t-shirts.

NEXT ALL GOOD BOOKS CLUB NOVEL

The All Good Books group will discuss “The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn on Thursday, October 15, 2020, beginning at 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome and the same Zoom link will be used for the book club as is used for all Mission Road worship.

For more details, check out the book club’s website at https://allbooksclub.wordpress.com/

MISSION ROAD BUSINESS MEETING AND PRIOR MINUTES

We will hold the Mission Road fall business meeting on October 11, 2020. The meeting will be held on Zoom on our regular Zoom link. We’ll have morning worship at 9 AM, as usual, followed by the Congregational Business Meeting. No Adult Sunday school class will be held on the 11th.

Minutes from the last business meeting (October 13, 2019) are now available online at https://tinyurl.com/MissionRoadMinutes. Please review prior to the October 11, 2020 business meeting. The financial report (including expenditures through September 30, 2020) will be posted in early October.

MIDLANDS MISSION CENTER FALL CONFERENCE

The Mission Center Conference will be a special virtual gathering on Sunday, October 18, 2020 with a morning and afternoon session.

Morning Session: 10 AM – 12 PM (Noon)

The conference will consider World Church Priesthood calls and 2021 Mission Center Leadership followed by a mission center worship service with Apostle Janné Grover speaking.

Afternoon Session: 2 – 4:30 PM

After a break we will join back together for some pre-legislative informational sessions and then an official business meeting to consider budgets. More information will be provided.

NO MISSION ROAD ACTIVITIES ON OCTOBER 18, 2020

Due to the activities involved in the Midlands Mission Center Conference on Sunday, October 18, 2020, there will be no Mission Road worship service and no adult Sunday school class that morning. This will enable members of our congregation to fully participate in the MMC Conference.

VIRTUAL WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

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

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

Other virtual ministry opportunities 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.

MIDLANDS WEEKLY WORSHIP SERVICES

Bethel – 10:30 AM Sunday – Meeting ID: 204 886 967 Password: 8510

Lenexa – 11:00 AM Sunday – https://zoom.us/j/326620236

Mission Road

9:00 AM Sunday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8855297717

7:00 PM Wednesday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8855297717

Olathe – 10:00 AM Sunday

Subscribe to weekly email for link: www.olathecofchrist.org

The Highlands

10:30 AM Sunday: https://zoom.us/j/99900587892

6:30 – 7:15 PM Wednesday: https://zoom.us/j/95276706058

Shawnee Drive – 10:30 AM Sunday – https://zoom.us/j/644714834

University – 10:00 AM Sunday

Contact Jeff Mercer for the link: jeffdmercer

Webb Road – 10:00 AM Sunday

Contact for the GoogleMeet link: pastor

CURRENT CHURCH RE-OPENING STATUS

The World Church criteria for reopening congregations requires that COVID-19 cases should be stable or declining for three (3) weeks before face-to-face meetings are resumed. Johnson County, Kansas does not yet meet that criterion.

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

11 – Mission Road Business Meeting

18 – Midlands Mission Center 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.