The men of Knights of Columbus Council #796 serve the Lenten meal in February 2020.
The first Friday of the Lenten season is February 19, however because of frigid weather conditions, the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry will not start until February 26.
New this year because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the annual fish fry has planned a drive-through pickup of the food served.
Because of the pandemic, all the workers will be wearing masks and gloves to serve the meals.
But as in the past, it will be at 702 Holbrook, at Kennedy Gym, which is a part of Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church.
The fish fry in 2016.
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s organization, that has a “great tradition of fish fry’s nationwide,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said.
On Friday, Feb. 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. the first meal will be served through the drive-through set up, and continue each Friday until the end of March. Easter is April 4 in 2021.
The meal had to be simplified this year because it is a drive-through, McCoy said.
“Meal #1 will be catfish, french fries and coleslaw, Meal #2 is catfish, cod, fries, and coleslaw and Meal #3 is baked cod with fries and coleslaw,” McCoy said.
There will be no home-made desserts this year that have been provided by the ladies of the parish in past Lenten fish fry meals.
A row of homemade desserts lines tables at the Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry in February 2020 at Kennedy Gym.
Logistically, it would not work, McCoy said, since the drive-through was new this year.
The annual Lenten fish fry is also a community event where lots of conversations happen between attendees, McCoy said.
“We look forward to going back to sit down dining” in the future, he said.
Students from Saint Martin’s Academy are from left to right, Jack Duffy from Nebraska, Kenny Ritson from New Jersey, Deneys Lategan from South Africa. Submitted photo.
Saint Martin’s Academy joins a growing list of community organizations and churches that are contributing to the success of Feeding Families in His Name.
Feeding Families in His Name started Ten years ago on May 11, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church serving a free weekly meal to the community in the Fellowship Hall to about forty people.
The meal currently serves an average of three hundred meals a week. Only to-go meals have been served since the first of March 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Each year the number of people who volunteer for the project has grown until now it encompasses more of the community.
The Bourbon County Network which includes United Methodist Churches of Fulton, Hammond, Uniontown, Redfield, Hiatville, West Liberty and St. John’s congregations have all supported Feeding Families.
Community Christian Church cooks and serves the Wednesday every other month; a small group of the Nazarene Church cooks and serves every third Wednesday; a group from First Presbyterian Church cooks and serves every fourth Wednesday; and Pioneer Kiwanis cooks and serves the fifth Wednesday of the month. Many volunteers bake desserts for the meal every week.
Feeding Families in His Name is supported by private donations from churches and individuals, commodities from USDA through the Kansas Department of Children and Families, and a grant from the Fort Scott Community Foundation.
Submitted by Jean Tucker, Coordinator of Feeding Families in His Name.
Submitted by Pastor Kevin Moyers, Rinehart Christian Church
Mask wearing in 2020 has been quite a topic of discussion. President-elect Joe Biden says “Wear a mask.” Dr. Anthony Fauci says, “Wear a mask.” Did you know that the Bible addresses the subject of mask-wearing?
You might be interested in knowing that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for wearing a mask.
Now before anyone gets all “up in the air” about what I just said, maybe you should keep on reading this article. Please don’t go away and tell folks the preacher at Rinehart is saying something that I’m really not saying at all.
Fifteen times in the book of Matthew Jesus addresses the subject of “mask-wearing.” He addressed it once in Mark’s gospel, and four times in Luke’s gospel. Add all that up and you have 20 scripture references that address mask-wearing, and everyone of them is cautioning us against wearing a mask.
Did you know the word “hypocrite” in the NT means “stage-actor?” Let me quote to you from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Greek Words as it defines the word “hypocrite”: “Pretender; it was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to speak in large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of the voice.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines “hypocrite” this way: “an actor; stage-player; pretender; a dissembler.”
Jesus took this word from the Greek and Roman theater and used it in such a way that people understood perfectly what He was getting at. A hypocrite was someone pretending to be what they were not. They were “stage-acting” in a spiritual sense. In the case of the Pharisees, they were portraying themselves as spiritual-minded men, when really they were not spiritual at all. They were just putting on a show. They sounded spiritual on the outside, and maybe they “dressed like they were spiritual,” but in reality, they were not spiritual at all. They were wearing a mask.
Jesus had strong words of condemnation for those who were hypocritical “mask-wearers.” Check out some of these scriptures: Matthew 6:;2,5,16; 7:5; 22:18; 23:15,23,25,27,29; 24:51; Mark 7:6; Luke 12:56; 13:15. It appears that those who act like they’re a Christian, but really they are not, are in for a terrible awakening.
Jesus wants us to be sincere in our faith, and real. He wants us to be true. Don’t be that person who is a “Sunday Christian,” but has nothing to do with Him through the week. Don’t be that person who sings praises on Sunday morning and curses your neighbor on Tuesday evening. “My brethren, these things ought not to be this way” (James 3:10).
May we all take off the masks and be what He wants us to be.
Now the other masks that you see people wearing in 2020 to protect them from the coronavirus, feel free to wear them if you want.
“Night to Shine”, a prom night for special needs people over 14 years old, is being formed by a team in the Fort Scott community.
“This night is celebrating people in our community (and area) that have special needs,” said Clayton Whitson, operations pastor at Faith Church. “It’s nationally sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Fort Scott Nazarene Church was approved to host earlier this year.”
Michele Hudiberg is also a contact person for the event.
“Normally, this is a huge prom night experience with red carpet, paparazzi, great food, etc,” he said. ” Due to COVID and the health of this at-risk population, the foundation has opted to do a virtual experience this year, but we hope to continue this exceptional event year after year.”
2. Invite Honored Guests: The event is open to anyone in SEK with special needs and over the age of 14. They will receive an “at home virtual experience kit” this year and will be on the list of invitees for years to come.
The new Family Life Center at First Southern Baptist Church is the building to the right.
Fort Scott First Southern Baptist Church is having a Holiday Bazaar and bake sale this Saturday, Nov. 14, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new Family Life Center, 1818 S. Main.
Handmade and Creative Crafts and homemade baked goods!
Ornaments Baked Goods
Unique Gifts Gift Baskets
Wood Creations
Breakfast – 7 TO 10:30 A.M.
Biscuits & Gravy, Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch – Soup & Sandwiches 10:30 – 4:00 P.M.
Kraut Soup Chicken Salad
Taco Soup Hot dogs
Chicken noodle Soup BBQ Sandwich
Dine in or Carry Out
For more Info:
Contact: Ida Ford 417-262-3948 or
Terri Williams 620-215-3202
Hope to See you there!!!!!!
Fort Scott Southern Baptist Church Holiday Bazaar is this Saturday, Nov. 14 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the new Family Life Center, 1818 S. Main
Handmade and Creative Crafts and homemade baked goods!
Fort Scott Nazarene to Host Night to Shine Prom for People with Special Needs
Sponsored by Tim Tebow Foundation
FORT SCOTT, KS, Fort Scott Nazarene announced today that they will serve as one of many churches around the world already registered to host Night to Shine 2021, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. This event will be hosted virtually, with partnerships through local churches across the globe simultaneously on Friday, February 12. Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love for people with special needs ages 14 and older.
For 2021, due to the global circumstances of COVID-19, the Foundation has chosen to provide Night to Shine as a virtual event in 2021. We feel that the best way to honor and love our guests is to forego in-person proms in order to keep them as safe as possible. We are incredibly disappointed that we are not able to celebrate each amazing king and queen in person this year, but we are committed to throwing one spectacular, safe, virtual celebration in their honor.
While this year’s event will be virtual, Fort Scott Nazarene and partners are anticipating hosting this event for years to come. This is just the beginning for Night to Shine in our community and surrounding areas AND we are looking for sponsors to ensure a high-quality, high-impact evening for our honored guests. If you are interested in sponsoring, please visit our website or email fsnighttoshine@gmail.com.
We are looking to connect with Honored Guests, their families, and caretakers to make this a great celebration. Registration is NOW OPEN for Honored Guests 14 and older and is required to attend the Virtual Night to Shine experience.
An event of this magnitude requires an army of volunteers to make it successful. The Night to Shine Steering Team is actively seeking people to help make this celebration a reality. Register to be a volunteer by using the provided link (you must be at least 16 years old to volunteer).
For additional information on the Night to Shine hosted by Fort Scott Nazarene, please visit our site or find us on Facebook. These will be the best sources of information as we approach Night to Shine.
ABOUT TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION The Tim Tebow Foundation exists to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. This mission is being fulfilled every day through outreach in the fields of Orphan Care + Prevention, Special Needs and Children with Profound Medical Needs. To learn more about how the Tim Tebow Foundation is serving children and sharing God’s love by fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves, visit www.timtebowfoundation.org.
First Baptist Church, Fort Scott. Submitted photo.
Ken Ansell,56, is the new pastor at First Baptist Church in Fort Scott and Cherry Grove Baptist Church, Garland.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church, Garland. Submitted photo.
He is called to the churches to preach, counsel, equip, teach, servant-lead, and shepherd, he said.
Ansell has been in the full-time ministry for 20 years, serving at churches in Hereford, Waxahachie, Rockdale and Linden, Texas.
His hometown is Rockdale, Texas.
Ansell is married to his high school sweetheart, Jennifer and they have four adult children.
His tie to this area is his family.
Ansell’s parents were born in Iola and they still have family there and in Oswego, he said.
Why did you pursue this career?
“The ministry is kind of a second career,” Answll said. “God called me to the ministry after a successful career in business and a not so successful career in farming (ha).”
“God put southeast Kansas on our hearts and Jennifer saw the two churches we serve were looking for a pastor on the Baylor-Truett Seminary website and here we are,” he said.
In his spare time, he plays tennis, golf, likes to fly fish, run, and “I like to spend time with Jennifer and drink coffee,” he said.
Jennifer and Ken Ancell. Submitted photo.
About The Churches
First Baptist Church and Cherry Grove Baptist Church formed Cherry Grove/First Baptist Ministry Coalition in 2017 to meet the needs of both churches as they were seeking a new pastor at that time, according to information sent by Rita Tiegreen and Glenda Lalman, members of First Baptist.
Pastor Ken Ansell is the pastor for both churches.
“We are excited to have our new pastor,” Tiegreen said. “Pastor Ken Ansell began his ministry with us on October 19th. We are blessed to have him and his wife, Jennifer here with us.”
First Baptist Church is currently holding the following open services using safety guidelines:
11 AM Sunday worship service
11 AM Sunday Children’s Church
6:30 PM Wednesday night Youth Group
The church is hoping to open up our Sunday School very soon, according to Tiegreen and Lalman.
The office hours are limited at this time.
” If someone needs to contact the church office, they may call 620-223-3080 and leave a message if there is no answer,” they said. “We will get back to you as soon as possible.”
First Baptist Church will once again be a drop-off center for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes this year.
Collection Week is November 16-23.
The hours are:
Monday – Wednesday (16th-18th) 3 PM – 6 PM
Thursday-Friday (19th-20th) 4 PM – 6 PM
Saturday (21st) 10 AM – Noon
Sunday (22nd) 2 PM – 4 PM
Monday (23rd) 8 AM – 10 AM
If questions, call 620-223-3080 and leave a message.
The church’s community outreach program is still active as they reach out to various organizations to supply needed items, the two said.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church is located at Hwy. 69 south and Calvary Road.
Rinehart Christian Church will have a corn maze in October. This an areal view of the maze. Submitted photo.
Rinehart Christian Church will be offering their Corn Maze event again this year the first four Saturdays of October (3, 10, 17, & 24) from 11 AM-4 PM. This is an event for the whole family to enjoy together with activities including the maze, hayrides, a corn pit, lawn games, pumpkin painting, duck races, and fire pits. Admission to this event is completely free, with a hot dog lunch included from 11 AM- 1 PM.
We have a heart for families, and that is what drives this event. We want to provide an opportunity for families in our community to enjoy time together. We believe serving families is one of the best ways we can serve God.
To make this event as safe as possible, we have moved every event outside this year.
Rinehart Christian Church is located at 9443 S 900 Rd in Richards, MO.
Here are directions from Fort Scott: Take 69 Hwy. north to the Hammond exit. Then go east two miles on Soldier Rd. The road turns to the north; follow the blacktop (245th St.) to the stop sign (Valley Road); then go east. This becomes Hwy. D in Missouri. Continue on Hwy. D through Stotesbury to 900 Rd. Go South 0.5 miles to the church.
The Community is invited to the Fort Scott Aglow Lighthouse monthly gathering at 6:30 p.m., Thursday September 3rd in the conference room of Rodeway Inn, 101 State Street.
This is an interdenominational ministry opportunity for women, men and youth to worship, pray, fellowship and grow in unity. We desire to propel the Kingdom forward through the elevation of the knowledge of God. The goal of Aglow International is: Every nation touched, every heart changed.
The believers’ identity and authority in Christ will be our focus this week.
Our Lighthouse desires the body of Christ to come together to meet some needs in Bourbon County. We have been assisting the Fort Scott Youth Home with paint, cleaning, and repairs. We have planted a group garden. Other projects are in the planning stages. We plan to meet the needs of those that cannot speak for themselves. Another need for our area is to do more to protect the unborn. Committees are being formed. For more information contact Amanda Gilmore at (620) 215-0418 or Bob Reazin at (620) 363-0257.
