The Knights of Columbus are continuing their fundraising efforts to help rebuild the Mary Queen of Angels Church.
The church suffered extensive damage on the evening of August 29, 2022 and will be rebuilt.
Mary Queen of Angels Church. November, 2022.
“No plans yet,” Mark McCoy, church member said. “We are in the conceptual phase. We are hoping to come to an accepted position on how to rebuild.”
Meanwhile the Knights of Columbus group at the church are having monthly meals in the Kennedy Gym, at 705 S. Holbrook as a fundraiser for the rebuilding of the church.
Founded on the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, in New Haven, Conn., and a group of parishioners, according to https://www.kofc.org/en/who-we-are/our-story/index.html Their intent is to bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled and needy members and their families.
This month, it is Friday, November 18, and the meal is homemade chicken noodle soup and cream of potato soup, with the desserts prepared by the Catholic women of the church.
Tea, coffee or water goes along with the meal, with a suggested free will donation of $7 per meal.
The meal is from 5-7 p.m.
“The community has been so supportive,” McCoy said. “All proceeds will go to the rebuild of the church.”
The Knights of Columbus Fish Fry March 2022. The set up will be the same for all the meal fundraisers. Submitted by Calvin Barr.
How old is the Earth? What are the facts about Dinosaurs? Has science proven Evolution to be true? Does science confirm the Bible?
Creation Experience Museum is coming to your area soon with answers to these questions. Come and hear Curtis and Sherry Baker share the truth about creation. You’ll be amazed to see how the scientific evidence matches the Bible’s claims.
These are issues that affect everyone. Evolution teaches us there is no need for a God and that science is all there is.
The Bible gives a very different picture of the nature of these things. In these presentations, you will learn how the scientific evidence, when properly understood, confirms the details of the Biblical account.
To find out more:
Date: Sunday, November 13th, 2022
Time: 10:50 am – Digging up the truth about Dinosaurs
Community Christian Church Trunk and Treat in the southeast parking lot from 5-6:30 p.m. on October 31. The church will have candy, snacks, hot dogs, and bottled water passed out from trunks.
“This is open to everyone,” Delynn Abati, communications administrator for the church said. “We will have a contingency plan if it rains and will post that to social media early in the day.”
Bronson Baptist Church has been in the Bronson community for 140 years.
The small congregation in western Bourbon County will celebrate the anniversaryChur this Sunday, Oct. 16 with a special music concert by Lloyd Houk at 9:45 a.m., followed by morning worship at 10:45 a.m. There will be a carry-in lunch following services.
The Bronson Baptist Church was chartered in 1882. At first the people met in a wood frame building that housed the congregation, then a brick building at 403 Randolph, across the street was built in 1925.
“My grandfather, Christian Frederick Ermel, was a brick layer that worked on it,” said Judy Wilson, whose family has attended the church for generations.
“My parents, Reta Mae and Buford Johnson, always attended the church,” Wilson said.
“I can remember some Sunday School teachers from way back, Cordie Volmer, and Ima Jean Sager,” she said. “The people I remember older than my parents generation is Glenn Entzminger, who was a leader of the church, always there for anything needed.”
Judy and husband Rex were married in the church.
And in recent years they had Reta Mae’s funeral there.
“Right now, not many attend the church, but if folks come they are going to hear the Word of God, for sure,” she said.
The church is an independent Baptist Church and the current pastor is Michael Miller.
“It was the preacher’s suggestion to have the 140th anniversary celebration,” Wilson said. “He thought it was worth celebrating.”
Fort Cinema,224 W 18th St, Fort Scott is the Family Life Assembly of God Church distribution site for free food.
Family Life Assembly of God, Fort Scott Campus, is hosting a free food distribution for the community from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fort Cinema parking lot, 224 W. 18th Street, on Saturday Oct. 1st.
Participants will have to be in a vehicle and come through the Fort Cinema parking lot, according to Pastor Grady Proffitt.
FLAG workers help distribute food in an earlier distribution. Submitted photos.
“We have resources to supply food and essential household items to 75 family units,” Proffitt said. “There will be a fruit and vegetable box, along with bread, and other foods and essential household items.”
Workers hand out food in a prior food distribution.
Convoy of Hope, Springfield, MO, is the sponsor source of this distribution.
Workers in a prior distribution. Submitted photos.
“Our mission is to help with essential needs of families in our community,” Proffitt said. “We are blessed to have many partnerships within our church, and we want to use those to the best of our abilities. Our church mission is to help people love God and love others. We choose to use what God gives us so others may be blessed.”
Fort Scott Family Life Assembly of God Church meets in Fort Cinema. Submitted photos.
The church has been established in Fort Scott for about one month, meeting in the Fort Cinema movie theater.
Fort Scott Family Life Assembly of God in worship. Submitted photos.
” We had 91 people attend our launch Sunday, and have been blessed since,” he said. “FLAG Church has been commissioned to plant a campus in Fort Scott. We aim to not steal or take away from other churches here in town, but add to the Church by reaching those who do not have a church home. We want to encourage others that already have a church home to keep going. There are many great churches in Fort Scott! We are excited to be a part of what God is already doing here in this community.”
The church mission is led by four core beliefs: Salvation, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Divine Healing, and the Second Coming of Jesus, Pastor Proffitt said. To learn more about their beliefs: https://www.flagchurch.com/about.
“Within the pursuit of our mission, God has done many miraculous works throughout our gatherings,” Proffitt said. “Since the beginning of August, on Thursday nights, we have seen five physical healings on those in attendance. We seek to gather, connect, and pray for more of God’s miraculous signs and wonders just as He did in Acts 2. God is truly doing something amazing!”
The sermon is broadcast from the Pittsburg Family Life Assembly of God Church. Submitted photos.
Sunday morning service is from 10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. and includes live worship, corporate prayer, kids services, and a Gospel centered message.
A gathering at Common Ground Coffee Co.. Submitted photos.
They also host a Campus Gathering at Common Ground Coffee Co. every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pastor Grady Proffitt and wife, Jacque Proffitt. Submitted photos.
FLAG Fort Scott is led by Pastor Grady and and his wife, Jacque Proffitt.
“We moved to Fort Scott in June,” he said. “We have had seven years of ministry experience and are thankful we can be a part of this great community! FLAG Fort Scott is definitely a place you want to check out!”
Christopher Eshelman is pictured with his wife, Robin. Submitted photo.
Fort Scott’s First United Methodist has made plans to provide educational and social opportunities that bring older adults together for personal growth.
Shepherd’s Center is a program to counteract the negative effects of loneliness and isolation by connecting older adults to empowering programs that foster friendships, according to a press release from the church.
The program in Fort Scott will begin on Friday, October 14th, with a session from 11:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at Third and National Avenue.
This kickoff event is free to attend.
Pre-registration is required in order to receive a free lunch from Marsha’s Deli. One can preregister by calling or visiting the church, during office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon or visit www.firstumcfsks.org/shepherdscenteroffortscott to register online. The church phone number is 620.223.1950.
The Adventures in Learning program is the signature program of Shepherd’s Centers that supports personal growth and discovery with courses, cultural enrichment workshops, hobby, and recreational opportunities, according to the press release.
Subjects often cover a wide range of topics: computer and technology, finance, literature, music and art appreciation, world religion, “how-to,” politics, current events, historical events and figures, foreign languages, hobbies, and so much more. Most class instructors are retired older adults, with a number of special interests presented by community experts.
“We got enrolled in the Healthy Congregations program through our church conference and we were going through our assets and needs assessment processes here and we kept seeing loneliness, isolation as concerns… and unused space in our building as an asset,” Pastor Christopher Eshelman said. “It clicked. We made some contacts and found the Wichita, Topeka, and National organizations very helpful in getting us started here in Fort Scott.”
The inaugural Fort Scott event features keynote speaker Patty LaRoche with a presentation entitled “Aged to Perfection.”
Patty LaRoche. Submitted photo.
Afternoon sessions to choose from:
Cathy Werling will present on the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes and how it has inspired her.
Cathy Werling. Submitted photo.
Larry Shead will present on using technology to connect with family and friends.
Larry Shead. Submitted photo.
Ronda Hassig will be discussing her book “The Greatest Test of Courage.” Copies will be available for purchase.
In between these sessions, there will be snacks and plenty of time to connect with other attendees.
The event will close with Eshelman facilitating a discussion of future plans for our Shepherd’s Center / Adventures in Learning program.
“Your ideas for topics and presenters will be welcome as we shape this program to meet local needs and interests,” he said.
The next session will be March 10, 2023 and with a plan to offer three or four total events in 2023, then continuing to expand in years to come.
This program launch is being made possible by First UMC’s participation in the Great Plains UMC Conference’s Healthy Congregations program which provides grants to help churches identify needs and work to improve spiritual, physical, social, and emotional health in their congregations and communities.
”I served on staff at both East and West Heights United Methodist Churches in Wichita and both hosted similar Shepherd’s Center programs,” Eshelman said. “I wasn’t directly involved, but the energy in the building on the days of their sessions and the way the programs so clearly helped older adults both in the church and from the community as a whole, stay active and connected to one another really stuck with me. So many memories of smiling faces and great conversations.”
“We are delighted to offer this resource to the Fort Scott community and excited to see the program grow,” he said.
Shepherd’s Centers are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year after being founded in Kansas City in 1972.
“In the United States around 4,000 churches close each year and 2.7 million Christians become inactive,” said local Methodist pastor, Reverend Dr. Carl Ellis.
Ellis is executive director for the Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries, and lives in rural Hiattville, southwest of Fort Scott.
The academy received a $30,000 grant this year from the Guy and Ruby Casebourn Murphy Charitable Trust to continue training of lay pastors and develop innovative programs which support small membership churches.
This trust has supported the Academy’s ministries for over 20 years, beginning in 1999 when Ellis met Ruby Murphy and trustee Thomas Henderson, and the trust began supporting local church ministries.
The Academy has trained over 400 lay persons from 15 different states to serve small membership churches in leadership roles and has held continuing education classes to teach pastoral care skills such as how to plan and lead a funeral for the first time and how to help people dealing with grief. The Academy has also led workshops on church growth in Kansas, Missouri, and Texas.
The Guy and Ruby Casebourn Murphy Charitable Trust has announced The Academy will receive a gift of $75,000 in 2024, he said.
“The Academy plans to invest this gift to perpetuate Guy and Ruby’s values and belief in helping others,” Ellis said. “The grant will help expand ministries and strengthen small membership churches to help their communities.”
The Academy began in 1999 when Ellis taught the first lay pastor’s class with 22 students. It was incorporated in 2015.
The current board of directors has 12 members from Kansas, Nebraska, and Ohio. The board met in June 2022 to refine the mission and vision and start strategic planning for future benefits for the small membership church including scholarships for lay people to participate, and training on all aspects of pastoral care.
The Board is working with the help of consultant Rev. George Cooper from Florida and is developing a 5-10 year plan for helping small membership churches grow and thrive.
Ellis understands the need for strong community-based churches to reach the under-served rural and urban areas in the United States and throughout the world.
“Small membership churches are able, with God’s love, to help bridge the divide between those of differing opinions, give support to those dealing with mental illness, and help those dealing with poverty, as they live out Christ’s call to discipleship,” Ellis said.
Ellis “sees the work as a call from God,” he said.
The small membership church is where he was welcomed into the family of God and experienced God’s love, forgiveness, and grace, he said.
“Without small membership churches many people would feel lost,” says Ellis, “because small membership churches are a place where children of all ages discover they are part of God’s loving community.”
The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries will be hosting focus groups for small membership churches this fall asking three questions: What are the strengths of small membership churches; What are the challenges small membership churches face; and What programs can The Academy offer to help the small membership church meet future needs and challenges.
Joel Crippen, 61, began serving the congregation of First Southern Baptist Church in Fort Scott in July as pastor.
Crippen earned a degree from Southern Indiana Baptist College and a general Bible diploma from Bethany Bible College, Dothan, Alabama. “I’ve also attended lots of conferences and seminars,” he said.
He started preaching with six years of youth ministry at Osage City Baptist Church (Kansas), then pastored the same church for 15 years. He also helped plant a church in Linden, KS, called Mercy Baptist Church.
He and his wife, Donna, have four daughers and 17 grandchildren. They have one daughter at home who is a freshman at Fort Scott High School.
Donna and Joel Crippen. Submitted photo.
The Crippens have fostered 100 children in 10 years, he said.
“That was a big part of our ministry,” he said.
Donna has been a postal worker for 27 years and is stationed in Waverly, KS. “She has put in for a transfer to a local post office, and has been driving back and forth on the weekends,” Crippen said.
For Crippen, he most enjoys helping people spiritually.
“Jesus reached out,” he said. “I like getting to know people and talking about Jesus. I’m a people person.”
A challenge for him is coming into a new community and getting to know people, he said. “It’s a huge undertaking.”
His personal vision is “reaching the next generation for Christ,” he said.
The church is located at 1818 Main Street and can be reached at 620.223.2986.
Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m. followed by worship at 10:50 a.m.
There are about 60 people in Sunday morning services, he said.
There is also an evening Bible Study at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition there is a women’s Bible study at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and a Trail Blazers Youth Program at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday for ages 3 years through 12th grade.
Inside structure damage from the fire. Courtesy of Shane Walker.
The Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church fire took place Monday August 29 about 9:10 p.m. and destroyed the roof, the majority of the pews, the floor and all heating, ventilation and air-conditioning in the church, according to spokesman Mark McCoy.
“Some of the stained-glass windows were damaged,” he said.
The pipe organ was destroyed.”
However the statutes, the main crucifix and the altar used for saying Mass, were saved, he said.
Church is being held in Kennedy Gym until the building is rebuilt.
“We are consulting with construction experts to evaluate our options, no decision either way has been made yet,” McCoy said.
Parishioners have begun fundraisers to help with the rebuild/reconstruction of the church.
Fundraisers
Spaghetti Dinner by Knights of Columbus
“We encourage the people of our parish family and the community to come enjoy food prepared by our brother Knights and at the same time support our fundraiser,” Calvin Barr said on his Facebook page.
A spaghetti and meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, dessert and drink meal will be offered for a free-will donation this Friday, Sept. 16 from 5-7 p.m. in Kennedy Gym, 604 S. Holbrook.
Hand Made Rosary To Be Auctioned for Fire Rebuild
Jana Walker is putting up for auction a rosary that she made. It can be viewed on her Facebook page.
Jana Walker is having a fundraiser for the church building fund. Submitted.
“I made the rosary,” Walker said. “People are welcome to share the Facebook post, although, they must click on my original post. I circled the example in red. Once they are on the original post they can comment with their bid.”
Submitted photo.
Mary Queen of Angels Church fire on August 29. Submitted by Stephen Toal.
