I had never really thought about it this way. I knew the stories but had not put them together in a pattern. But recently I read that repeatedly in the story of Jesus, the people who are closest to him erect barriers around him to keep others out. They push the children Read More...
By Dr. Paul Tucker, Co-Director of Music On June 3, at 5:30 a.m., I, along with 50 singers from the University of Kansas, flew to Los Angeles International airport for a week of rehearsals and a live concert/recording with my twin brother’s orchestra from the University of California, Irvine. Frankly, I was Read More...
Rev. Joe Walker, Minister of Congregational Care “Ah, things slow down over the summer months, right?” Well, maybe a little, but… Our newly elected Deacons and Youth Elders and Deacons are being welcomed into their particular Circles of Care community assignments. They are receiving orientation on how we as a church maintain Read More...
“Who loves you Judah?” the father asked his 20 month old son as he tucked him into his crib. “G-ma, Poppy, Granny... and Ella,” Judah exclaimed with glee as he remembered the face of his six- year-old cousin Ella, whom he had met only four hours earlier that day at the family Read More...
I am on a plane to Detroit. It is time for the bi- annual Ehman family reunion. We have now swelled to 39 folks including my husband's three sisters, their spouses and all their kids and grandkids. The favorite family activities are coffee drinking and morning walks. But there will also be Read More...
By Anne Haraughty, Ministries Coordinator In about five weeks, a group of adventurers from Country Club Christian Church will be traveling to Estes Park, Colorado, for Christian Community Camp, led by Dr. Mike Graves and facilitated by April Booth and Rachel Clement. Some have been attending Community Camp for decades while others Read More...
Rev. Corey Meyer, Director of Mission Partnerships For over two decades, Bridging the Gap has been dreaming of programs to encourage Kansas City to think creatively about ways to promote environmental sustainability. During this year’s Easter season, you heard it from our worship leaders, read it in The Christian, and saw the Read More...
It’s the time of year when folks publish lists called “Great Beach Reads.” I’ve never quite figured out what a beach read is. But I always think, if it’s not good enough to read at home, then I don’t want to waste my time on the beach reading it! However, I do Read More...
Today as I write, our high school mission team sits exhausted and exhilarated on a plane home from Ecuador. Watching their posts on Instagram and Facebook this week I was carried back to memories of my first international mission trip to Guatemala when the scales fell from my eyes and I recognized Read More...
“At arrival of gratitude, theology slid away like a heavy coat.” -Leif Enger, Virgil Wander I love three things about this quote. First, I love that gratitude arrives. It’s hard to force gratitude. You can practice politeness and teach folks to say “thank you” but the deep awareness that life is a Read More...
Last week, thousands gathered both in person and online for the funeral of Christian author and speaker Rachel Held Evans, who died unexpectedly at the age of 37. Evans spent most of her life in Tennessee, where she was raised as a conservative Evangelical. In her twenties, she began to question things Read More...
Faith is both taught and caught.We learn the stories of Jesus and the moral principles that set us on a road called faith. And we occasionally experience "something more" that grips us with a deeper kind of knowing. Millions of pilgrims travel to the holy land each year in search of that Read More...
If only there was only some way to capture the tone of voice when a four-year-old blurted out, “It’s so beautiful!” The shock, excitement and reverence this little guy shared as he stopped to take in a huge, bright yellow dandelion was truly contagious. One would think we were in the presence Read More...
The early morning walk along the Mediterranean Sea and the mosaics in the floor of the 5th century synagogue were stunning. But the image that stands out in my mind after our first full day in Israel is the “tel.” Tel means mound and we visited Tel Megiddo where 25 different cities Read More...
This year our Easter Offering raised over $18,000! Thank you to everyone for your generous gifts and commitment to promoting sustainable and responsible practices for our environment. It is our dream that with our donations Bridging the Gap here in Kansas City can continue to its mission to connect environment, economy, and Read More...
