It is time for those with special needs to
dress up and enjoy their Prom. 
They will be joined by some of our
High School students who want to help
make this a special evening.

The first thing to do is get dressed up.
Come pick out a dress before the dance at
Thru the Roof house on
April 20
9 AM - 12 PM
831 Sycamore Rd.
Across from the CHCC Worship Center

For more information, contact:
Heather Wimsett
621-5471

to volunteer contact:

Molly Karling

614-420-2704

You never know when it is coming, but for some odd reason it always does. Again, there really isn't a justification for the name, but we can tell you that it began even before Randy Gariss arrived over 30 years ago. The CHCC ATD is just one week away and it promises to bring the fun and laughter our whole church family needs.
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What to Expect
Each year is a little different (with staff like ours everything is different), but you can expect things like crowd games that have everyone cheering, video clips that will make you laugh and have Randy turning red, and a whole lot of comedy.

This year our special guests are Slap Happy Comedy from Minnesota. They will be bringing their humor through stand-up and improvisation. Click on their image to link to their webpage and get a sample of what we can expect.

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Tickets
Tickets are $5 per person with a meal or $1 for just the show. The meal tickets need to be purchased by this Sunday, February 10, for us to place the orders with the restaurants giving them time to prepare. Stop by the sign-up station in the atrium on Sunday to purchase your tickets.

1 - Charlie's Chicken - 3 Chicken Chunks, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Roll & Drink
2 - Billy Sims - Chopped Brisket Sandwich, Chips, Pickle & Drink
3 - Papa John's - Pepperoni Pizza & Drink
4 - Papa John's - Cheese Pizza & Drink
5 - Quizno's - Classic Italian Sandwich, Chips, Cookie & Drink
6 - Quizno's - Turkey Ranch & Swiss Sandwich, Chips, Cookie & Drink
7 - Quizno's - Dinner Salad (Chicken, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese) & Drink 

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Volunteers Needed
Each year this large event, which usually brings in over 1,500 people, is pulled off by many volunteers who help either before the show or after. Many have already signed up, but we are still in need of some more...

1 - Serving the Meal: We need volunteers to work with each of the four restaurants making sure everyone gets their meals and their drinks. These volunteers would work from 4:25 until 6:00 PM.

2 - Cleaning the Worship Center: After the show we need volunteers to stick around and clean up the floors, hallways, and bathrooms in and around the Worship Center. This usually takes about 1 hour depending on how many volunteers we get.

If you would like to volunteer in either of these capacities, please stop by the sign-up station on Sunday or email Trena Lieb,    tlieb@chcchurch.org.

Work Trip
Plans are being made for a work trip to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. We have sent a representative to scout out the situation, communicating with three sister congregations to find out what is actually needed. We hope to provide helpful insight from our recent experience. We plan to take a team of ten people in a van pulling supplies, tentatively on November 24-30. If you would like to be a part of the team, please contact Robb Robinson in the church office at 624-6915 x256.

Financial Donations
We are also collecting financial donations to help with the East Coast relief efforts. Donations will go to cover the trip as well as needs that arise on site at these partnering churches. Some of the donations will be used to purchase items from neighboring cities and distributed to those in need.

To donate, please make checks payable to “College Heights”
with “East Coast” in the memo line,
or pay online at chcchurch.org.
Envelopes will also be available at the Information Center for those with cash.

Overflow - Voices in Action
2012 Choir Challenge
November 9, 2012 - 7:00 PM
College Heights Christian Church

with performances by guest recording artist
Cody James

Overflow features six high-energy area choirs competing for the rights to be called the best.  All proceeds from the evening will benefit Watered Gardens, a Gospel Rescue Mission working to help people in our community overcome poverty.  In addition to providing substance abuse recovery support and employment opportunities, Watered Gardens operates a men's shelter, which houses 40 area men every night, and they are currently building a women's shelter.  They serve more than 12,000 area people every year, connecting one neighbor's needs with another neighbor's skill.

Tickets are on sale at College Heights on Sunday morning, or click below to purchase online.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

December 6        From India
There are a lot of things you can buy for $300 dollars. The Xbox, the Flat Screen, the Blu-Ray, The Smart Phone with some pretty neat features... But if I had $300 and with that amount of money could take a sweet child like this, the one with the cleft palette. And instead give them the gift of some pretty neat features... Like the child who had the surgery earlier this year... Well, it just seems more of what I want to do. I squatted down today in a full waiting room as families crowded in and held their children out to me. Some to show me how beautiful and healthy their child now is. Others, they wanted me to see how badly their son or daughter needed the $300 surgery to repair the hideous, gaping hole in the middle of this beautiful little body. Your One Less Gift is making a difference, one that comes with some pretty neat features! Thanks for letting me be there on your behalf.


This little girl's father repeated the same phrase over and over. He wanted to say to you "God bless you! God bless you! And thank you, thank you!" Your gift was why they were here today. She is scheduled for this February. The room was full of children... and full of longing... and full of hope. All with a few tears, mine were part of them.

College Heights Christian Church will be taking up a "One Less Gift" offering this Christmas season. It will be from those of us who want to give one less gift to ourselves, but instead to make a real difference in the lives of the most poor and the most forgotten. Where I have been the last few days, and what I have seen has given new life to the phrase "We must live more simply in order that others may simply live!" I am incapable of telling you how deeply that truth grips me. Maybe you feel it too?

December 5       News From India

If you gave to last year's "One Less Gift" campaign you need to look at this man and hear exactly what he is saying. Today I was standing in a village of 500 FAMILIES of the "untouchables" caste. Extreme poverty and extreme hardship is a way of life. The money you gave was being used to drill a water well... at the moment we were standing there the drill hit water. This man ran over and clung to my hands saying "Thank you, thank you, thank you for this mercy! Now our daughters, our daughter-in-laws, our wives, our mothers do not have to walk an hour to the water. You have saved them and given us all dignity by your mercy. You have given our daughters their lives back. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" You realize, don't you, that I was standing there in your place. And together we were standing there for the sake of Christ. The town is unreached with the hope of Christ for the moment...but not for long.

December 4      News From India   (from Randy's cell phone)

Just came from one of the most amazing children's homes I have ever seen. I am still processing it...and will be for a long time. It is deep in India, started by a tribal preacher who was burdened by the homeless children. Took in 14 children to his tiny home, now there are 475. No electricity, no beds, their "barn" is their school classroom and sleeping quarters. 12 tribal preachers and their wives look after them. Mother Teresa kind of impact. This Christmas we all can do "one less gift" to join in what God is doing here. Unbelievable.

Anyone who says that "all religions are alike" has not seen the real world. It is incredibly clear that your view of God dramatically alters how you treat the powerless. A wrong view of God within a culture will break your heart for the children.

November 16    A Blog From Israel  #2

Don't know if you have been watching the news but we are in part of what is going on over here. But probably not from the political tension you might have thought. We went into Jordan, a very safe and stable country on the east side of the Jordan River. The night before we get there the government had a three hour nation-wide broadcast announcing the end of fuel subsides (driving, cooking, and heating fuels). Everything jumped 15 to 50 %. There were many protests and some severe violence. Police stations and banks were attacked, roads shut down, and a general uncertainty across the country. We had a small peaceful demonstration blocking the street outside our hotel; 40 to 50 riot police in full gear and defensive lines with the protesters in their face. The event was mostly chants and bravado, but the tension on the street was pretty high. (Armored military vehicles with mounted machine guns do make the landscape less tranquil!)

Because of this turmoil there were many roads not available for travel. Our driver, tour guide, and the policeman assigned to us, took us by back roads from the border crossing to the back entry of the hotel. During the night the U.S. Consulate had letters delivered to us telling us two things. 1. Don't do any “nonessential travel in Jordan”; stay put. 2. Due to the war having escalated in Israel (This was the day the Palestinian Hamas leader had been killed in the Gaza area) we were requested not to come back into Israel thru the West Bank Area (which is about the only way we had to come back). The West Bank is Arab and according to the consulates letter “ready to explode”. So we waited. We did not go to Petra, one of wonders of the ancient world, it would have taken us thru some of the most violent areas. We did see one great Roman site prior to the night of violence...it was incredible. Did go one morning to Mt Nebo and it was far better than we expected. Mt. Nebo is the place where Moses stood and looked across the Jordan at the land of promise. And it is the mountain on which God himself buried him. It was a terrific experience. (On that short trip we saw where debris had been thrown and fires had been set at intersections and a government monument was scorched) But for most of our trip to Jordan we mainly sat in a very safe and nice hotel and we waited.

An hour ago we got back into Jerusalem. It took 6 hours to get thru the security at the border crossing. We did come thru the West Bank and all was quiet. Both countries expect Friday evening into Monday to be the most uncertain. But we are safe and well here. It is 3:30pm as I write this, at 1:30 am we will take a bus to Tel Aviv and fly out at 5:30am. We are supposed to be in Tulsa around 10:00 pm.

Well, even as I am writing things are changing. The air raid sirens just went off in Jerusalem and we had a rocket hit the city. Yes, you could hear it. According to the news it would have been about four miles from us, so not close, but it is a sad sight to watch old men try to hurry down the street to safety and families rushing their small –beautiful children- into something secure. War is a tragedy to all families, Arab and Jewish families.

I will show you what I had written just before the siren went off and the Hamas rocket hit the city. Here is what I had just put down. “As to the Gaza issues they are 50 miles southwest of us and we, and the airport at Tel Aviv, are out of range of the Hamas rockets. One news broadcast said a small rocket hit an open field in a suburb of Tel Aviv, but the rockets are probably not much of a threat beyond 30 miles. We do feel safe”. That paragraph probably reflects the rumors and uncertainty of the whole country. No one knows what is about to happen. I do know this, Julie and I hurt for the world that these families live in. I think Jesus still weeps over Jerusalem…and Gaza City. There will be no peace until the Good News takes root in many hearts. May we pray and work for that.

Will be home tomorrow. God bless. Pray for us, we are praying for you
Randy and Julie

=========================
November 12     A Blog from Israel - #1

Today we are walking where Jesus walked. Julie and I are in the city of Nazareth, walking on the same ground and looking at the same scenery that Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and James would have called home. Your emotions, the ones deepest in your soul, will come to the surface here. Yes, it is commercialized, but even with the well meaning gaudiness, (and some not so well meaning) still the hilltops, valleys, wells, ancient roadbeds, and especially the Sea of Galilee remain essentially unchanged. There is a sense of standing on Holy Ground. This is where the greatest story we have ever know played itself out.

Yesterday we spent the entire day on the Sea of Galilee. It is quite a small lake and the events that happened here would have been known by all. No wonder Jesus was followed by such massive crowds...nothing could remain a secret in such an intimate setting. We sailed for an hour on the lake and then sat in a garden beside the place where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. I think it is the spot, the hills come together to make a natural amphitheater and it makes it a great deal of sense. Of course in itself, it is not the piece of ground that is holy, but something sacred does begin to happen in you. In the experience the sermon itself begins to feel even more tangible and real…and it makes a deeper claim on you. It is easy to picture the dialogue Jesus had with the crowd, to people just like us, who had a decision to make about surrendering their whole life to following him and the Kingdom. Just sitting there I got to make that same decision again.

We spent three days in Jerusalem. Too much to post in the short time available to me, but it is easy to tell you what impacted Julie and I the deepest; it was the rocks. They were the rock steps, the original steps that Jesus climbed the night he was taken to Caiaphas’s house, and they were in the courtyard, the original rock tiled courtyard, where Jesus was beaten and mocked in the Roman fortress. You can’t help but see your own feet on those same slabs of rock and see the death of Christ as he stood there for you. The crucifixion sites are so covered now that it is hard to picture what it must have looked like that day...but the rocks...they still cry out.

We have go, but thank you for the opportunity to do this on our sabbatical.

Pray for us, we are praying for you

Randy and Julie

==================================

Monday, Oct 8th
Reflections Off A Mountain

I haven’t written for a while, and the reason is simple.  I didn’t know how to say it, I still don’t know how. Even now as I sit here and type this out, I labor trying to say it right.

In this sabbatical period, the last month has been incredibly surprising…and wonderful.   It is what I want to do, but it is not what any of us expected.    It is not what the Elders or me or Julie, or any of my coaches thought would happen.   I have been for the last month a church chaplain.

You have to start with a universal truth; there are many inescapable blows and difficulties in life.   Oh to be sure life has its great joys, but it doesn’t matter which family or background you come from, you will still have to deal with dark nights of the soul.   Those oppressive dark nights with their fears, worries, anger, and discouragement, they attempt to claw their way deep inside of us and once there to begin to squeeze all hope and life out of the soul.  These difficult times have many causes.  Sometimes it is because of our own weaknesses and failures, at other times it is because of the weakness and failures of those we love.  Sometimes it will be finances, or job, or health, or death, or cruelty of others.   Were it not for the God who loves us we would, as Jeremiah said, “all be consumed”.

So what do you do with those hurts?  The craving of the human heart is pretty simple “Does anyone have time to visit with me?”  It is impossible to overstate the value of a godly friend or caring companion.   Conversation is one of the essentials of life; anyone with one ounce of wisdom knows that sitting down and having an honest conversation with a friend is lifesaving.  No, it normally does make the problem go away, but those conversations reframe everything.  They not only reframe the situation…they reframe who we are in the midst of the problem.   And if it is a godly friend the conversation helps me sense the comfort of God.

I love the church, it is the place these friendships can be created.

For the last month it has been my privilege to sit with people.  The father who feels like he is failing his sons, the husband whose wife no longer wants the marriage, the college girl who needed a place to stay as she is experiencing her first year of real year of freedom and temptation.  It has been the young minister who feels like he is failing, the betrayed woman who doesn’t believe she can survive the abandonment, and there is the friend who is a drug addict.  She also moved in with us so that she might detox.   In the 13 years Julie and I have known her she has never been willing to even consider going through this life sober.   If there were no other reason for the sabbatical, maybe it was for her.  There have the high school kids who wanted to talk to someone besides family, it has been the family who stood at the door in tears… who do they tell, and what do they do with a child who has chosen to identify their life as gay.

In short, it reminds me again that while every church will have programs, and structures…all of which are very necessary (It is one vital way to teach and equip large groups of believers).   It is also true that in the leadership of the church there must be individuals who simply have time to listen.  There is the pressing need of Individuals who have carved enough freedom into their days that they can affirmatively answer the great cry of the heart in pain, “does anyone have time to visit with me?”    Great churches always have those informal chaplains, the sabbatical is helping me see through fresh eyes the need.

ON THE MOUNTAIN…
A week ago Julie and I came to Colorado.  A friend gave us a place to stay and in the 8 days we have been here we have hiked and read.  I brought close to 30 books and my Kindle… what a  great joy a book is.   We hike a few hours most days and we read. (Would hike every day, but Julie gets so tired of carrying me down off the mountain).   Have been reading Rodney Starks The Triumph of Christianity (yea), Following Jesus, by N.T. Wright (yea), Experiencing the Holy Spirit, by Andrew Murray (yea),  Acts of the Holy Spirit, by Lloyd Ogilvie (no, not so much),  The Great Omission, by Dallas Willard (yea),  Change Your Heart Change Your Life, by Gary Smalley (surprisingly good),  And Julie’s favorite book of the week, Speaking of Jesus, by Carl Medearis, (verily yea).

Pray for us, we are praying for you.

Randy and Julie

The election for our USA President and other political figures and laws is coming soon and our Salt & Light ministry would like everyone to be well prepared. 

Click on the following link to see descriptions and positions of all the candidates and issues coming up in the next election.

Please vote you values
November 6.
Click HERE for STATE details.

Sunday, October 28, 6:00 PM
College Heights Christian Church

Tickets
$10 Sides,  $15 Center,  $30 VIP with Backstage Pass

Tickets on sale at the following locations:
College Heights Receptionist, M-F, 8:30 - 4:30
Cash or Check Only

301 Maiden Lane
417-624-3800
Cash, Credit, or Debit

Doors Open at 5:15 PM
VIP Ticket Holders arrive at 5:00 PM

http://www.francescamusic.com

http://www.sidewalkprophets.com

 http://andycherry.com

(Click HERE for extra documents displayed
at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.)

In a last-chance effort to have a family vacation before our oldest daughter heads off to college, we recently traveled to Washington, DC and Virginia to explore some historical American sites. We visited the home of George Washington, the plantation of Benjamin Harrison, the historical cities of Jamestown and Williamsburg, most of the capital’s monuments celebrating our early political leaders, and several Smithsonian museums.

I grew up understanding that our nation’s forefathers established this country on Christian principles and, for the most part, was encouraged while on our travels to see this fact supported.

What caught my attention, though, was a little extra writing penned by the famed thinker, author, and president Thomas Jefferson. Apparently he took the concept of religious freedom far past what others, including God, intended. In his private writings, only now made public, he took it upon himself to reduce the Gospels of Christ down to a more streamlined edition excluding “the elements that he could not support through reason or that he believed were later embellishments, such as the miracles and the Resurrection.”

Jefferson was quick to eliminate the truths of God that he did not accept.

“Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.”        -Thomas Jefferson, 1787

God has definitely granted to each of us the ability to use rational thought, to discern the truth versus the lie, but Jefferson radically watered down the concept of faith and elevated his own intellect above even the words of God. The idea that the Bible is God-breathed and that absolute truth exists escaped Jefferson’s “reasoning” so that he considered the Gospel merely “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.” –Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, October 12, 1813

His conclusions have also eliminated the need of sharing the Gospel with others. “No man can conform his faith to the dictates of another. The life and essence of religion consists in the internal persuasion or belief of the mind.”       -Thomas Jefferson, 1776

My concern today is not for Thomas Jefferson, for I’m confident he now knows the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. My concern is for you and me…for our tendency to think more highly of our opinions than we ought, watering down the message of the Bible in order to make sense in our minds what is yet unclear.

It is my prayer for us all that…
     -when the meaning of certain Scripture is unclear in our understanding, we will seek godly wisdom to discern the Truth.
     -when public opinion or the lure of unmerited tolerance try to crowd out Truth, we will prayerfully search Scripture and not compromise.
     -when someone we esteem comes to any type of conclusion, we will have noble character like the Bereans who “examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

Let us hold firmly to the Word, study it daily, pray for understanding, and continually grow in our faith.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16).

=====================
The following paragraphs are taken from various displays at the Thomas Jefferson exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. College Heights Christian Church does NOT agree with the statements made by either Thomas Jefferson or the Smithsonian Museum.)

======================
Jefferson’s Bible
I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence, and believing he never claimed any other. –Thomas Jefferson, 1803

At seventy-seven years of age, Thomas Jefferson constructed his book by cutting excerpts from six printed volumes published in English, French, Latin, and Greek of the Gospels of the New Testament. He arranged them to tell a chronological and edited sotry of Jesus’ life, parables, and moral teaching. Left behind in the source material were those elements that he could not support through reason or that he believed were later embellishments, such as the miracles and the Resurrection.

The act of cutting and rearranging passages from the New Testament to create something fresh was an ambitious, even audacious initiative, but no an act of disrespect. Through this distillation Jefferson sought to clarify Jesus; teachings, which he believed provided “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.”

===========
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
Extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French and English

===========
Jefferson’s Bible
I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know. –Thomas Jefferson, 1819

The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, created by Thomas Jefferson in 1820, is an 84-page assemblage of passages from the first four books of the New Testament. It was the work of Jefferson’s own hands and a product of his extraordinary mind. It was a personal exercise in understanding Jesus’ moral teachings. The resulting work represented a meeting of Enlightenment thought and Christian tradition as imaged by one of the great thinkers of the Revolutionary Era.

Jefferson made no plans to publish his work; it was solely for his own reading and reflection. He knew that his beliefs would offend some religious authorities and be used against him by his political rivals.

The book remained privately held throughout his life. Its existence was only known to a few in his closest circle of friends. The book remained in his family until his great-granddaughter sold the volume to the Smithsonian Institution in 1895.

Over the years, the book’s condition became so fragile that it could no longer be safely handled or display. In 2011 the Museum completed a complex and challenging conservation project, which has made it possible to present the newly restored volume to scholars and the general public.

============
A Revolutionary Act

Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.
-Thomas Jefferson, 1787

To Jefferson, no tradition was so sacred as to escape reconsideration in the light of new discoveries and the progress of knowledge. Jefferson viewed the Gospels through the lens of Enlightenment, a flowering of scientific experiment and rational enquiry in the 18th century.

Reworking parts of the New Testament was an extension of his revolutionary spirit. Jefferson had challenged the authority of the monarchy, questioned the sovereignty of Parliament, and opposed aristocratic privilege in American society. He had drafted the Declaration of Independence, taken part in revising the laws of Virginia, and helped establish new legal principles and educational institutions. In religion as in politics, he imagined liberating contemporary minds from inherited misconceptions and superstitions.

================
We must reduce our volume to the simple evangelists, select, even from them, the very words only of Jesus…There will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.
-Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, October 12, 1813

================
A Private Endeavor

No man can conform his faith to the dictates of another. The life and essence of religion consists in the internal persuasion or belief of the mind.
-Thomas Jefferson, 1776

Jefferson insisted that religious beliefs were purely of personal and private concern. He grew up in a world where political rulers routinely established a single faith as the official orthodoxy. He promoted religious freedom in order to secure the rights of dissenting denominations and to protect individuals who belonged to no sect at all.

In accordance with this view of religion, Jefferson kept silent about his own beliefs in most public writings. When he ran for presidency, he refused to reply to opponents who attacked him as “anti-Christian” and “an infidel.” Yet he did discuss Christianity, the Bible, and moral philosophy with a small circle of friends. From the 1790’s he conversed and corresponded with Revolutionary Era colleagues, including Dr. Benjamin Rush and John Adams, and with English scientist and theologian Joseph Priestly. These men shared Jefferson’s desire to secure tolerance for religious dissent as well as to forge a moral compass for the new American republic. Out of such conversations emerged the project of extracting Jesus’ teachings from the New Testament to create this private volume.

=============

Zumba

7:00 - 8:30 PM

For other Wednesday night activities throughout the summer, check our calendar page.

http://www.chcchurch.org/calendar

          Outside the Wire, a social impact company that uses live theater to address pressing public health and social issues, will present two free dramatic readings from the Book of Job on Sunday, May 20 as a catalyst for audience discussions about the lasting impact of the tornado that devastated the city of Joplin last May.

          Job in Joplin will feature the award-winning actors Paul Giamatti (John Adams, Cinderella Man), Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket, The Lost World: Jurassic Park), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, Good Night, and Good Luck.) in dramatic readings from the Book of Job, followed by remarks by community panelists and facilitated audience discussions.

          For thousands of years, the Book of Job has been regarded as one of the most powerful texts in the Bible, and in the western world, to address the question of human suffering.

          It tells the story of Job, a righteous and prosperous man, who loses everything—his children, his crops, his livestock, his livelihood, and his health—after a great wind annihilates his home. When Job questions why he has been made to suffer, insisting on his innocence in the face of countless accusations made by friends and neighbors, God appears to him from within a whirlwind and rebukes him for presuming to understand his divine will. Job repents for his actions, and God, in turn, restores his health and prosperity, doubling his children, his livestock, and his crops.

          The performances are being made possible by a generous “Impact Fund” grant from the nonprofit organization PopTech, and will be hosted by College Heights Christian Church (from 3pm-5pm) and the Ozark Center (from 6pm-8pm at Memorial Middle School).

          These interactive events will aim to promote healing dialogue within the community of Joplin, fostering compassion, hope, understanding, and positive action.

          In honor of the more than 7,000 apartments and homes that were destroyed, the countless lives that were uprooted, and the 161 people who were lost in the tornado on May 22, 2011, Job in Joplin will endeavor to create a safe space for the community to come together to explore fundamental human questions left in the aftermath of the tornado. Questions such as:

How do we respond when bad things
 happen to good people?
How do disasters bring about
the best qualities in humanity?
How do individuals, families, neighbors, and communities
move on with their lives after being visited
with unimaginable destruction?

Join us for a special showing of
"Love Cost Everything."
A film about Christian persecution
created by Christ In Youth.

Wednesday, March 7
6:30 - 8:30 PM
CHCC Worship Center

Come back on Sunday morning to hear LIVE from Amani Mostafa, featured in the film, as she speaks more about her ministry of awareness to the travesties going on throughout the world to those who put their faith in Christ.

Again, come back Sunday afternoon from  4:00 - 6:00 PM to hear more from Amani, as well as Erik Epperson and MD Neely, the two men responsible for the film (who also attend College Heights).

CLICK TO WATCH TRAILER

Dave Ramsey's
Total Money Makeover
Simulcast

Coming to College Heights
Worship Center
Saturday, March 17, 2012
11:45 AM - 5:00 PM
$ 39 each

Click HERE to Register

Take Control of Your Money!

Discover Dave Ramsey's proven financial principles, all packaged into one action-packed experience! At these dynamic events, Dave will teach you how to win with money in an entertaining, educating and inspiring way. He has already helped millions of people take control of their money, and he can help you!

The most fun you will ever have talking about money!
TMMO Live is five hours full of powerful information from America's trusted source for financial straight-talk, Dave Ramsey. Along with thousands of other people, you will be entertained, educated and inspired.

The key to winning with money is having a game plan that is simple enough to live by, but smart enough to actually work! Through his radio and television shows, classes and books, Dave has helped millions of people learn the right steps to take control of their money and beat debt.
Now his best motivation and advice is packed into one afternoon!

You will learn how to:
Create a game plan to get out of debt § Make a plan for your money --that works!
Save money like never before
Invest with confidence
Plus more!

How would you like to join Randy & Julie Gariss
on a trip to the Holy Lands?

They will be visiting sites such as
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Sea of Galilee
next November 2012.

Click HERE for a detailed online brochure.

Talk with Carol Bowland in the church office for more informaiton.
417-624-6915   x301

You can also click HERE to see website of the tour group we will be using.

Kent Paris, is a Christian counselor who specializes in matters of same sex attraction, sexual identity, pornography, abuse, etc. He spent time working with College Heights February 23-26.
DVDs, CDs, and MP3's of his sessions are available in The Source, the church bookstore.

Topics Are...

"Sexual Abuse, Signs and Repercussions"

"The Challenge of Homosexuality"

"Teens and Porn / Homosexuality"

Plus 3 talks for...
Celebrate Recovery
High School Students
& College Age Students

In Concert at CHCC
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tickets are $5 at the church
$5.50 online

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE TICKETS

or buy yours on Sunday in the Atrium

or stop by the church office during business hours.

 *The major need right now is
Food & Cleaning Supplies.

We ARE accepting:
-pet supplies
-non-perishable food
-personal care items
-paper products
-baby goods
-household items
-cleaning supplies
-flashlights, batteries
-work gloves
-medical supplies

We are NOT accepting:
-water
-clothing
-toys
-bedding
-any item larger than will fit in an individual’s car

   (1) running a major Distribution Center and warehouse, and

   (2) organizing a Volunteer Marketplace where we connect the storm victims with volunteer skilled laborers.

================================
Distribution Center
We are a running a major distribution center in Joplin for those hit by the storm. It runs from 9 AM-7 PM, Monday through Saturday (but will be open this Sunday, June 12). The work involves receiving, sorting, and distributing non-perishable food, paper goods, and toiletries. We will not be distributing clothing. Jobs range from light to heavy work and may include everything from carrying boxes, sorting items, serving as a personal shopping assistant, fixing food for volunteers, etc.

In order to get help where it is truly needed, we are asking you to register with us so that we can plan for the numbers needed, avoid as much chaos as possible, and make this a well-oiled machine. We do request that you carefully consider when you are able to contribute your time and then honor your commitment.

After registering online, all volunteers can simply show up at the appropriate time at our facility (4311 East Newman Road, Joplin).

Parking lot attendants will direct you to the appropriate areas to park and enter the building.

You will be asked to register on-site before being assigned a task.

For simplicity, we have broken the day into three shifts. However, the specific times are flexible. There is no problem if you need to come an hour late or leave an hour early; just sign up with the understanding these represent approximate times. And feel free to sign up for both shifts to cover a whole day if you are so inclined.

We welcome you to sign up for multiple days/shifts, but ask you to carefully consider what is appropriate for you. We care very much about your well-being!

Only one person in a group needs to complete the online registration (Please avoid duplicate registrations). All individuals will need to sign in and register upon arrival on-site.

The only other thing we can say is THANK YOU! The response we have seen to this crisis is awe-inspiring! God bless you!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER

    Click HERE for "Release and Waiver of Liability" form

================================

Volunteer Marketplace - Updated 6-6-11

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE VOLUNTEER MARKETPLACE

This registration page is coming soon.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us at 417-624-6915.

FOOD FOR VOLUNTEERS
If you want to provide cooked food for the many volunteers that are working here, please contact Fanchion Ward at 417-529-4207 BEFORE you prepare anything. She is coordinating with many gracious people like yourself, and we do not want to have anything go to waste. We will have long-term needs in this area.

You can donate here on our website under “The Storm Fund.”
CLICK HERE

OR

You can send a check to “College Heights Christian Church”
and write “Storm Fund” in the memo line.
4311 E Newman Rd., Joplin, MO 64801.

OR

You can text STORM to 37284 where you will be able to specify a specific amount.

*No fees through our website.
**Small fee taken out of the donation if using Text.
***SMS service is available on most carriers. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Reply STOP to 37284 to STOP. Reply HELP to 37284 for HELP. Full terms: www.mgive.org/a

CHCC FAMILY MEMBER FORM

2727 McClelland Blvd., Joplin MO 64804 - Near St. John's Hospital

1301 S. Duquesne Road, Joplin MO 64804 - Duquesne Elementary

2201 W. 24th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Cecil Floyd Elementary

1323 E. 28th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Kelsey Norman Elementary

301 E. 19th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Emerson Elementary

2727 McClelland Blvd., Joplin MO 64804 - Near St. John's Hospital

1301 S. Duquesne Road, Joplin MO 64804 - Duquesne Elementary

2201 W. 24th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Cecil Floyd Elementary

1323 E. 28th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Kelsey Norman Elementary

301 E. 19th Street, Joplin MO 64804 - Emerson Elementary

Calvary Chapel
-No Clothing
-7th & Travis Acres 4899 E 7th
-782-2141
-8am to 5 pm

Joplin Family Worship Center
-No Clothing
-5290 East 7th
-624-6134

Cornerstone
-YES Clothing
-4th & Forest 401 S. Forest Ave


McCauley Catholic School ???
-10th & Pearl
-624-9320

Crazy Debbie's Fireworks ???
-No Clothing
-Other Goods & Non-Perishables
-North Main near Babe's Restaurant
-623-3334 782-9925

Mt. Hope Church of Christ
-2830 Mt. Hope Road
-624-1795
-No Clothes

Central Christian Church
-No Clothing, water, or furniture
-Other Goods & Non-Perishable Foods
-410 Virginia
-781-5982

Hope Chest Thrift Store
-1651 W 7th Street, Suite 19
-626-2929
-No clothing

Grace Baptist Church
-32nd & Wall
-No Clothes, but everything else
-479-236-5803
Joplin Church of God ???
-14th & Michigan
-417-623-1661

Americorp
-No clothes

DAV
-YES taking clothes
-7th & Murphy Blvd

OR CONTACT 855-624-4261 and they will tell you where you can take your donations.

VOLUNTEERS - Tweaks & Changes !!!
There have been 3 major changes that you will want to read about: 
   (1) Distribution Center volunteer time changes with an additional time slot
   (2) Closing on Sundays starting June 19
   (3) Shifting to a Volunteer Marketplace for those who want to go into the city.

Please click HERE for more details.

FINANCIAL DONATIONS
Financial donations are needed even more than material donations. CLICK HERE


DONATIONS - Special Request
If you have donations to give to the survivors of the storm here in Joplin, College Heights Christian Church is a major distribution point and would love to assist you in distributing those items to those affected.

• If you are coming in a car, truck or van, you will drop your items off at the church.
  
• If you are a semi or box truck, we need you to contact Malcolm Hardy at 573-526-9364 to coordinate the timing of your delivery. When you arrive, you will be directed to our warehouse three miles east of our campus on Newman Road.

*If at all possible, donated items should be palletized
and wrapped in shrink wrap.  This is not mandatory, but extremely helpful.

              CLICK FOR ITEMS
   WE ARE / ARE NOT ACCEPTING

DISTRIBUTION – OPEN 9AM - 7PM Monday-Saturday
The people of Joplin, as well as caring people from all over our nation, have donated items to help the storm survivors with their basic needs. We have opened up our church as a Distribution Center and encourage you to come by and get what you need. We are asking that you bring something that will identify that you are indeed a victim of the storm.

     CLICK FOR A LIST OF ITEMS WE HAVE ON SITE

We ARE accepting:
   -cleaning supplies
   -cleaning cloths
   -paper towels
   -pet supplies
   -non-perishable food   
   -household items
   -flashlights, batteries
   -work gloves
   -medical supplies

We are NOT accepting:
   -water
   -clothing
   -toys
   -bedding
   -any item larger than will fit in an individual’s car

417-624-6915

The survey will begin Saturday, May 7, and end just a couple weeks later.

Click below to start the survey, then pass on this information to all your friends who call our church their church home.

What is Motive Matters?  What "color" are you?  This is an amazing new way of looking at yourself and others.  All who have attended these classes agree everyone needs to know this information.  So PLEASE - PLEASE plan on attending.  It is worth your time, very entertaining, and the time flies by.

April 10th & 17th
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
College Heights Christian Church
*Must register by April 6

HOW TO START
-go to www.motivematters.com
-Click on "Upcoming Events"
-Click "Register" under "College Heights Singles"
-Fill out the form and take their test

You must register and take their test online before you can attend.  When taking the test, try to answer the questions as best as you can remember when you were very young.  This is so you can understand your core personality that God gave you at birth.

The two dates are for Part 1 & Part 2, so please plan on attending both to understand the full presentation.

It is free to attend, but there will be a $20 charge if you want your full profile.  It explains your full color code personality based from the online test.  Also, there will be books, t-shirts, and other items available for purchase.

There will be food provided each evening, but, depending on how many people attend, you may be asked to pay $3 to $5 to help cover the cost.

The class will be held at College Heights Christian Church (4311 E Newman Rd, Joplin) in the Fellowship Hall.  Enter by the chapel entrance.