Second in a series of articles by recently appointed elders discussing their path to the eldership.
     During my childhood in Australia, my family regularly attended services and Sunday School at the local Methodist church. My dad even served as a trustee for a while, though as a kid, I had no clue what that job actually involved! Or if it related at all to being an elder.
     After I was baptized, I didn't really have examples of church elders to look up to. Over time, as we worked toward establishing an eldership in our congregation, I began teaching a series of classes on the topic and invited visiting speakers to share their own insights whenever possible.
     That learning process was important for my understanding of the eldership. However, my very first look at what it means to be a shepherd came from my Uncle Doug. He ran a sheep station back home, and I used to spend weeks of my school holidays out on his property. Watching him care for those sheep left a lasting impression on me.
     I still remember him rounding them up for treatment so they'd stay healthy and safe from injury. Once, he waded right into a mud hole to pull out a stuck sheep, brought it back home, cleaned it up, and gently rubbed its legs until the circulation returned. Another time, while driving across the property, I spotted a sheep lying on the ground and ran to alert Uncle Doug—he raced back immediately to get the animal safely on its feet.
     When it was time to load the sheep onto trucks, he didn't hesitate to jump right into the middle of the “mob,” grab a struggling sheep, and even give it mouth-to-nose resuscitation! And during droughts, we had to keep diesel engines running non-stop to pump underground water into the troughs, which meant making refueling trips at all hours of the day and night. I actually got assigned the 3:00 A.M. shift when I was visiting!
     Looking back, even before I became an adult Christian, those moments with my uncle showed me a good deal of what shepherding is about: genuine care, deep compassion, quick action, and a readiness to jump right in whenever help is needed.
     When we placed our membership at College Church in 1999, I finally got to see elders in action and observe all the different ways they lovingly cared for the congregation.
     Connecting all these experiences together grew a desire in my heart to serve as a shepherd myself. I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful that God has guided me to this role in His perfect timing.

     AI is all over the news, with defenders and detractors arguing in sometimes existential terms about its benefits and dangers.
     The rest of us, including Christians, busy trying to live the lives God has granted us, may be unsure of what the fuss is about, or whether we should care.
     We should care. The “capability of computer systems and algorithms to imitate human intelligence” is a big deal. Like all technology, it has power to make our lives better or worse, to do good or evil, depending on how it’s used.
     For some time now AI has been imitating human mental processes for good. In fields like medicine, business and government, its rapid gathering and analysis of data has yielded greater efficiency and helped people. Even non-tech citizens use AI tools to search the Internet for information, or solve practical everyday problems.
     What about the bad? I can’t address the big questions about AI, like “Are billionaire tech giants gaining too much power?” But in our daily lives, the “bad” usually shows up as misinformation or malicious content on social media. Less obvious but also dangerous is the addictive power algorithms can exert over users.
     As I navigate my own involvement with AI, here are three “principles,” borrowed from sources I trust, for thinking about and using AI “in a Christian way” [click here],
I relate to AI as a tool only.
Though it simulates certain human mental tasks, AI is not a person. Though it offers bogus “omniscience,” it certainly is not God. In fact, Samuel James says it fits the definition of an idol—created in the image of living things, but not alive. Yet for centuries idolaters have been fooled into substituting things for the living God (Ps. 115:4-8). Research suggests that many users of AI do interact with bots as if they are somehow “alive.” I’ll use AI for information or to help spread the Gospel, but won’t farm out my faith to an LLM just because it talks to me.
I consider how technology is shaping me.
It is tempting to “idolize” an entity that saves our workforce so much precious time. Yet those workers, enticed by recreational uses of AI, spend hours consuming or creating content that ranges from informative, to amusing, to destructive. The effect of time spent like this is not neutral. At best, it is mind-numbing. At worst, it can be soul-changing, crowding out the fruit of the Spirit. Speed and usefulness can’t be my only calculations in using this tool. I don’t want to lose my thoughtfulness and understanding down some OpenAI rabbit hole.
My mantra: Information is not wisdom; interaction with bots is not community.
AI offers information, but wisdom involves more than quick answers. It begins in “fear of the Lord” (Prov. 1:7), requires lived experience, and depends on a “renewed mind” that learns by working through difficult decisions (Rom. 12:2). Keyboard clicks cannot replace that process. Further, wisdom flourishes best in community. As a disciple of Jesus, in addition to scripture and the indwelling Spirit, I have wise Christians walking along side me, ready to listen and offer counsel.
     These principles ultimately derive, of course, from the God of all wisdom and knowledge. Going forward, that should make us feel better about Christians and AI. To quote out of context the title of an old Marvin Gaye song, when it comes to seeking a higher power for answers, “Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing.”

In the town of Iten, 60 young athletes, among thousands of runners gathered to train at the world famous HATC, listen as two men teach from the Bible. One is Don Hood, a College Church elder and Harding track coach. The other is Jacob Rotich, a Kenyan runner whose talent brought him track stardom at Harding. Now a professor at HU, Jacob is back home to help. For the third time, with Don and a team of HU students, he leads a short term church-strengthening effort. The group teaches athletes and local students how to stay on the path Jesus set for them. Veteran coach Don admires Jacob for running the good race.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Ps. 24:1).

     At the end of his first Corinthian letter, the Apostle Paul says this about the loving attention of three Corinthian brothers in Christ: “They refreshed my spirit” (I Cor. 16:18). He speaks for all missionaries of all times, who share his gratitude because they share his need.
     For missionaries, the “Great Commission” can be a “great burden” as well as a privilege. Those who send them out must never forget that. For some things you need more than traditional committees. In 2023, College Church established a Missionary Care Ministry, under the supervision of John Reese and now consisting of seven teams of volunteers who minister to the emotional and spiritual welfare of our sponsored missionaries and their families.
      The methods for “refreshing spirits” are simple and familiar, grounded in New Testament doctrine, stated or implied everywhere in Paul’s letters, and practiced by the volunteers of the missionary care teams: communicate (encouragement, concern, support, love), give gifts (when appropriate and if you can), and visit when possible.
     Here is a story of one visit.
     Harding graduates Michael and Sarah Crouch returned to Searcy five years ago, placing membership at College Church. They soon reconnected with former classmate Eric and his wife, Rachel, sponsored missionaries in town preparing for a new work in Asia. The two couples, both with young children and common interests, quickly became friends. And early this year, with Eric and Rachel in Asia and Michael and Sarah leading their missionary care team, the Crouches traveled halfway around the world to spend 12 full days with them. What follows are highlights from their visit:
     “First, Eric and Rachel wanted a strong care team and helped plan it. So our team (mostly members of the Faithful Families Bible Class) is robust with well-defined goals. We’ve sent care packages, set up regular video calls, and helped with medical issues.”
     “It seemed inevitable that we would visit because their circumstances are difficult in many ways. They live very far away in a densely populated urban area. They are raising three children while sharing the gospel in a culture and language not their own, with few English-speaking friends for moral support. But they’ve developed friendships and have found much to love about the place.”
     “We hoped to relieve some of the pressure that comes with the particular demands of their life. We talked a lot, wife-to-wife in coffee shops—about children, school, and everything else—and rested in that way. The husbands went for long walks, with Eric explaining his work, his plans. The two men also took prayer walks. Sometimes Eric engaging with hospitable merchants and working Jesus into the conversation.”
     “We said ‘don’t cook for us’ and took them out to eat a lot. We did projects with them, the kind you save for visiting relatives. We painted their stairwell and the boys’ bedroom—covering little handprints on the walls. We helped organize the playroom. Edwin, Wally, and Enoch weren’t happy that our kids did not come—they were in the U.S. with Sarah’s parents—so to make it up to them, we played lots of board games, and were able to give them more focused attention.”
     “We were there for two Sundays, and Michael preached once. Their congregation of about 20 meets on the third floor of an apartment building, with heavy air traffic sometimes making it hard to hear. But they talk around the noise. We had tea after services, and the members were so hospitable. They make do!”
     “We came home more aware than ever of how ‘pampered’ we are as Christians in the U.S. It’s difficult to be a Christian there. We saw wonderfully dedicated people in that church, who do not have our access to our resources and who know they’re in an extremely small minority, yet have devoted their lives to Jesus. We are part of a global church.”
     “We also saw that Eric and Rachel have built a life there, one with stresses but also rewards. Our brief time with them strengthened our friendship and gave us a clearer understanding of their work. Now, when they email or text us about what’s happening, we can picture the people and places they describe. That new clarity has also made us better advocates for them back here in Searcy. We’re grateful we went.”

     At one point, Paul, our prime example of both missionary and missionary care promoter, “longed” to visit Roman Christians, in part so  “that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Rom. 1:11-12). That’s one way to describe the result of the Crouches’ visit with Eric and Rachel: mutual encouragement.
     But even Paul could not always visit; so he wrote letters; likewise, the bulk of missionary care comes through distant communication. As leader of Ellen Walker’s team, Alice Jewell’s chief role is to act as email liaison between Ellen and other team members. Janice Luna uses WhatsApp (and her own missionary experience) to “encourage and empathize” with Sujin Nelson. James Howard maintains regular correspondence with Billy Strachan in Scotland because human connection is especially important given the latter’s rather isolated situation. Missionary care is a manifold, evolving effort at College Church.
     This brief introduction to the ministry has saved until last the best method for “refreshing the spirit” of missionaries. Paul tells the Colossians that Epaphrus “is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12). He tells the Philippians, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now . . .” (Phil. 1:4-5).
     How encouraged Paul is by their support! His prayer rejoices in and cements the bond he feels. Prayer is the vital ingredient for all enterprises. The best way we can show our missionaries that we are their partners is to include the third, Senior Partner, in the process, to “wrestle” in prayer to God—for their work, yes, but also for their spiritual wellbeing.

     I was first asked to serve as an elder for the Northern Hills Church of Christ in western South Dakota around 2008. I was honored by the request, yet fearful of the responsibility, because it involved the challenge of dealing with people of all kinds in all sorts of tough situations. Needing guidance, I called the elder I knew best: my father.
     I grew up observing how important people were to Harold Hardison. He really did treat others as if they were made in the image of God. I learned from him what it meant to go the extra mile in order to help a person in need.  I cherish the childhood memory of dad handing all the money in his billfold to a hard luck school janitor, no questions asked.
     I witnessed his agony when he had to hold people accountable for not living the life God had planned for them. I also saw the support he received in difficult times from my mother, and, consequently, realized the importance of having a God-fearing wife beside me.
     The greatest influence from my father was his love of God’s Word.  It was his lodestar for living. I recall fondly a conversation I had with him when he was in his 80’s. He commented on how his love of reading God’s word had increased even at his elderly age.
     In South Dakota or Searcy, the biggest challenge in dealing with people is to help them see others and circumstances through the eyes of Jesus. Life is not all black and white, and God wants elders to be able to live in those gray areas as shepherds of the flock, calling on His wisdom to make decisions that will lead His sheep closer to Him. When you yield to His will in this role, the challenge becomes a blessing.
     At the end of that 2008 call to my father, after hearing him talk about being an elder, and recalling his steady example, I asked, “Why did you agree to serve?”  His response was simple: “Because they asked.”  He let me know that when my grandfather, and before him, my great-grandfather, were asked that same question, their answer had also been “because they asked.”
     So I agreed to serve then, and have done so now, appreciating the trust shown in me by College Church. I pray my service will honor the memory of my ancestors and give glory to the Father of all.

The smiling folks above are our Greeters. As part of the Involvement Ministry, they strive to help us be what Jordan, in a recent sermon, called “A Welcoming Church.”
Our “greeters” matter. The ministry is much more than handing out bulletins or opening doors. It is hospitality. Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to “practice hospitality” (Rom. 12:13), including and especially to strangers (Heb. 13:2).
If we are the family of God, then our building is His home. Every person who enters should experience the warmth of a welcoming fellowship. A friendly smile and sincere greeting, or even directions to a classroom, can relieve someone’s anxiety.
Long before the opening prayer, guests may already be deciding whether or not this is a place where they feel noticed, or valued. The life and death of Jesus says loudly to each living soul, “You matter to me.” The group pictured above is our organized attempt to say exactly that to our visitors.
But you don’t have to be “official” to be part of this ministry, just ask Don Wood, dooropener at the north entrance, or Pam Green, stationed at the northeast auditorium entrance, both self-appointed and faithful greeters.
To them and others like them, I say, just keep doing what you already do: welcoming visitors in His name.

     Music is a gift from God. It connects people, cultivates learning, and is universal. It has been part of worship since the beginning. Countless chapters in the Bible are just people pouring their hearts out in song to God!
     Everyone experiences singing differently. Once when my cousins came to visit us from way up in Boston, they went to church with us. There we were in our pew and the congregation started to sing the first song of the service. My cousins turned to me, shell-shocked, and asked, “Where’s the choir?”
     I had never considered that my cousins, Presbyterians that they were, had grown up singing along with a choir! That was eye-opening for me: “Not everyone sings like we do?!” Then I really listened to all the voices, and how different those in Boston would sound. And how cool it was that we were both singing though we were so far away from each other! And how we had a song leader, and some places did not, and how on Sundays, all over the world, people were singing songs of worship!
     Music connects people, and nothing reminds me of that like the Youth Group. Our retreats, rallies, studies, and worships all have singing in common. And not just any singing–popcorn singing, where if there’s a song on your heart, all you have to do is be brave enough to start it, and–all of a sudden–everyone is singing! We sing standing up, sitting down, on cliffs, on floors, and even holding hands. It doesn’t matter where our youth group goes; we are singing!
     And it’s magical singing, filling me with peace. Sometimes someone will start a song I didn't even know I needed to hear! And the cool thing is, I don’t have to sound perfect or even hit all the right notes, because in all those other voices, you don’t hear the mistakes. You can sing without being ashamed or afraid!
     Music would never be possible without someone brave enough to lead it! When I think of song leading, I think of Lads to Leaders, and of Mrs. Kay [Gowen], who helped me learn how. She taught me where to put my hands and how to smile (not too big!), but she also taught me that music is something you share with others, because you want to!
     Mrs. Kay did not have to come to the building and teach me, but she did! Because she had a gift that she could share! (Mr. Reely’s help was also quite beneficial.) Now, when Mrs. Kay sees me in church, she hugs me and asks how my song leading is going!
     So music in the church is a pretty cool thing. It lights a spiritual fire in us! It connects us to others all over the world no matter how we sing. It helps us grow closer to God in its beauty and simplicity. It encourages teaching and learning from others.
     I am so grateful to be part of the music College Church makes and everything that comes with that!

When I was a kid, I never wanted to become a minister.
That is a surprising statement, but true. When I was born in Houston, Texas, my father was a youth minister. Sometime after my first birthday, our family moved to North Carolina so Dad could preach. Growing up as a preacher’s kid, you see behind the curtain. Of course, God moved in wonderful ways, but I had a front row seat for the burdens and sacrifices of ministry.
Yet as I entered high school, I began to feel that small nudge by God to consider ministry. As Jesus profoundly transformed my life, the one thing I knew was that I wanted to help others find this same transformation. I wrestled with this calling until my senior year, when I finally committed to come to Harding and earn a Bible degree.
My passion for disciple-making has only increased since I graduated from Harding and became the college minister here. As I have settled into this new role, I have been met with nothing but welcoming support. I am thankful to this church for the way it has received my wife, Hannah, and me. In July, my ministry consisted mostly of preparation for the fall semester. Since students have returned, I have been very excited to walk alongside so many as they seek to become disciples of Jesus.
I am grateful for my time as a student in our College Ministry and the example Grant gave me. I still remember the first Sunday I visited College Church and fell in love with the ministry. We intend to carry on the same mission I believed in as a student: to make disciples who make disciples.
Why? Because we know that one day “a great multitude . . . from every nation, tribe, people and language” will stand “before the throne and the Lamb,” worshiping God (Rev. 7:9-10). Since we know that’s where we are headed, we want as many people as possible to come with us. Therefore, we live on mission— helping those who are far from God find salvation and helping those in Christ to be mature believers.
A primary pathway to this kind of transformation is found in disciple-making groups. This simple scaffolding helps us grow into the kind of disciples we want to become.
As I begin this journey, I look back and chuckle at the kid who was so adamantly against becoming a minister. The more I step into this role, the more my passion for disciple-making increases, and I am thrilled to see what God will do as we learn to live our lives in light of eternity.

_{Note: This is a revised version of an article that appeared in the bulletin on August 16, 2026.}
     
     On Sunday, June 21st at College Church, as LJ Valentine closed his Bible and walked from the lectern, having just read the morning scripture, Kay Cutler exclaimed to her husband, David, “Wow! LJ has grown up since we saw him last! He did a great job!”
     The young man did not hear her praise—no one there did—because when she said it, she and David were in Brookings, South Dakota, watching on television.
     So LJ, other members—meet the Cutlers, your brother and sister in Christ.
     Products of the upper Midwest, David and Kay met when she was in college and were married. When they moved to Brookings in 1997, Kay had a Ph. D. in Child Development and Family Relationships. She began teaching at South Dakota State University. David worked in construction. They joined the tiny Brookings Church of Christ, where for two decades they were active in several ministries.
     Then, in 2020, came the double whammy of the pandemic and Kay’s multiple autoimmune issues, eventually resulting in their decision to worship online. With no streaming at Brookings, they searched until they found College Church.
     Since then, they have been faithful online participants each Sunday. They sing with us, partake of the supper with us, and pray with us. After worship, David (B.A. in Bible, HU) leads a study that has, they feel, strengthened their relationship.
     Even at a distance, the couple experiences a sense of fellowship. They can name dozens of our members, rejoice in births and baptisms, and savor every announced potluck, to the point of sharing this running joke: “Think we can make it to Searcy for that?” Her online contact with College Church led Kay to volunteer as a WBS teacher, and her fellowship now extends to her students in the U.S. and other countries.
     Though physically absent from services, when Kay and David were asked by a couple of members for ideas to aid their home congregation, they readily agreed. With a handful of like-minded souls, they reached out to College Church and our Domestic Missions Committee for advice. They researched church growth material and surrounding local congregations. They consulted with Heritage 21, a brotherhood organization dedicated to helping small churches, and with the Kite Center for Ministry at York University. They also explored fundraising possibilities, and David developed several options for renovation of the building.
     The Brookings church does face numerical and financial challenges, with current attendance typically 15 to 20. But for more than 50 years it has been a spiritually sound congregation serving generations of Christians from the region around Brookings and its college community.
     The last five years have been rough for the Cutlers. While wrestling with the church situation, they grappled with how to keep Kay safe when potentially everything in any given environment could be a health threat, thanks to her autoimmune disorders. By the grace of God, expert doctors, understanding colleagues and students—and her husband’s unfailing support—Kay made it through the worst. Though complete recovery is elusive, she has improved.
     There’s joy in that. For David, now retired, there’s joy in caring for their home, gardening, and serving as an alderman. For Kay, joy in ongoing projects related to child development.
     In fact, she realizes that this “joy in children” is a through-line for both her and David. For 23 years she directed SDSU’s lab school, with David involved as “Mr. Fix-It” and construction engineer for kid-related activities. The two of them collaborated on a project for the Children’s Museum of South Dakota: a tile mosaic, created by children, that now adorns an art-studio wall. Lately, Kay has been making doll furniture, one of those “Grandma” things she likes to do for young kids.
     They both obviously love children, wanted their own, yet have no living offspring. Cal was stillborn in 2002. In the years surrounding that death, Kay had four miscarriages. Only in 2023 did the Cutlers learn that all five were victims of Thyroid Peroxidase, associated with one of Kay’s ongoing immune disorders.
     Yes, the Cutlers find joy in LJ’s coming-of-age and in the other L2L boys they’ve seen up front. As their Brookings family struggles, they find solace and hope in their remote fellowship with us.
     They want to visit one day, and when they do, David, a song leader himself, might want to talk church hymns with counterparts here. As for Kay, she yearns to know more about the L2L girls and women of the congregation: “The first thing I want to do is to meet all of them!”
     The pleasure will be all ours.

Behind every budget number, there is a beautiful story of God’s love. A story of ministry—people using their God-given talents to serve others, to be salt and light for His glory. Those of us on the budget committee are humbled to witness your generosity that enables our support of such stories.  
For over two decades, I’ve been privileged to lead the committee. As I step away from that role, I am excited to welcome Chris Mitchell as the ministry’s new leader. May Chris be as blessed as I have been.
Here are a few reflections on my tenure:
First, when asked to get involved in a ministry that fits your talents, do it. My father, David, had used his business background in leading the budget process for 20+ years. When he asked (told) me to take over, I could not have foreseen how quickly my 20 years would pass as I was blessed to use my professional experience to meet the challenges of this work. May each of you find your place to serve.
Second, this church demonstrates cheerful giving and service to others (2 Cor 9:7-8). The committee witnesses your generous support of the operating budget, the building campaign, Great Commission Sunday, and numerous short-term campaigns. Such generosity is contagious and has spread over the years.
Third, the budget process is a team effort. Ministry leaders prepare their budgets; the office staff does its share. And members of the budget committee meet several times each summer to pray, review, deliberate and recommend budgets.
From this constellation of helpers, let me mention two people who have meant a lot to me. Janice Barton, our church accountant, is incredibly talented and carries the bulk of the work. My father has served on this committee for at least 50 years, and it has been a blessing to lean on him for guidance.
The budget process is difficult for the team, especially when we have to deny good requests. But when this happens, we work with patient and understanding ministry leaders who trust us to make the right choices.
Finally, God is faithful. We don’t give so that God will bless us financially. We don’t give looking for a return on investment or a tax break. We give because God called us to be first-fruit givers, not left-over givers, with the faith that He will provide for our daily needs. I have seen this trust in action over the years, in the budget process and in building campaigns. I’ve seen people make a large pledge without knowing where the money would come from. They had faith in God because he was first faithful to them.        
May God continue to teach us this lesson as He grows our faith in all areas of the Christian life.

I was blessed to grow up in a family that loves to sing and worship. My sister’s beautiful voice, along with my dad and brother’s great range of harmony as bass and tenor, respectively, were normal around our home. We can still start harmonizing together spontaneously on songs we sang years ago and not miss a beat. They were an integral part of growing my love for worship.
Worship is an expression of joy, reverence, spiritual warfare, and thankfulness, all wrapped up in musical expressions of unity—for an audience of One. That’s why I want to be a “worship leader.”
Every time I lead singing at College Church, I can’t help but smile at our beautiful harmony flowing through the auditorium. I consider it Christian recreation to be on that stage and hear the heavenly sound of worship.  
I love leading a mixture of our classic hymnal songs and newer songs that have become part of congregational singing.
When I lead the well-known “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” my heart is drawn into worship because it reminds me of God's unchanging character. In a world where everything seems in flux, the Lord remains steadfast and merciful from generation to generation. As we sing of His "new mercies" each morning and confess that "all I have needed Thy hand hath provided," I'm reminded that His faithfulness is not seen only in life's greatest moments but also in His daily provision and sustaining grace. This beautiful hymn turns my eyes away from myself and back to my Father.
A newer song, “Living Hope,” captivates my heart because it proclaims the very center of the Gospel. It reminds me that Jesus is the divine exchange between a holy God and me. His death and resurrection accomplished what I could never achieve on my own: a saving relationship with the Father.
As the song builds to the triumph of the empty tomb, I'm reminded that my hope is not based on changing circumstances but on the living Christ, who conquered sin and death forever. Because He lives, my hope is alive. That truth fills my heart with gratitude, confidence, and awe, making worship not simply something I sing, but the natural response of a heart overwhelmed by the faithfulness, grace, and victory of Jesus Christ.
I desire to be a tender warrior for my Savior, and this doesn’t happen without worship being a vital part of my daily life.


*Second in a series begun by Tom Ritchie, with a third article, by Jordan Laing, to follow in September.

     Like the Cutlers of South Dakota, Clarence and Patty Wilson, long time members of College Church, worship online now.
     In 2017, while serving communion in the auditorium one Sunday, Clarence was overwhelmed with a sudden loss of strength. He could hardly stand or hold the trays. The episode led to a diagnosis of post-polio syndrome, an untreatable condition afflicting some childhood polio victims in later life, resulting in gradual weakening of muscle function. Water therapy and limited activity would delay but not stop the loss of mobility.
     Never one to say “woe is me,” Clarence continued his role as deacon, taking communion to shut-ins for as long as possible. It was not surprising that he carried on despite increasing weakness and fatigue. He had been knocked down before.
     Born in Honey Grove, Texas, Clarence graduated from Oklahoma Christian, got a Master’s in Theology from Harding grad school, and ended up in Nigeria, where he was missionary, government school teacher, and co-founder of the School of Biblical Studies. There he met Patty, a Harding nursing school grad on a mission trip, and soon married her. Clarence calls her the “perfect wife” for him, and the couple formed an effective team for the kingdom: she ministered to Nigerian bodies, Clarence to their souls. He says, “When we got married in 1991, we thought we’d spend the rest of our lives in Nigeria.” But a medical emergency in Patty’s family forced them to return to her home near Searcy in 1993.
     That was the first blow.
     Unable to find work in his academic expertise, he took a job in maintenance at Harding. “It was very disappointing,” Clarence remembers, but, undeterred, he worked his way up to a satisfying desk job in accounts payable. The third disappointment came when he saw that College Church, awash in experienced preachers and teachers, seemingly had no need for his expertise.
     It was Patty who opened a new door. Her work at a nursing home made her aware of elderly church members who could not attend worship. She suggested to Clarence that he could take the Lord’s Supper to them and others in that situation. Using a portable communion set bought by Patty, Clarence plunged into the ministry, and a few years later was made deacon in charge of it.
     Three knockdowns, no surrender. Because, as he says, “God was always there,” blessing him somehow. The post-polio syndrome was no different.              
     True, its onset in 2017 hastened his retirement and forced a largely homebound existence—but still no giving up. The Wilsons’ Sunday mornings are spent in front of the television, where they participate as fully as they can in the worship service. Then, instead of an afternoon of delivering communion, Clarence sits at his computer, discussing the sermon or other biblical topics with a host of Internet friends, many of whom take part because of him. Each Sunday he sends them a link to the livestream.
     But it’s not just Sunday. His online presence is a seven-day-a-week commitment. He has continued his role as World Bible School teacher and coordinator. Many of his other contacts are friends and colleagues from Nigeria, including a young pupil he baptized in 1983 who is now a grandfather seeking advice on church planting. Clarence qualifies as a technology nerd. He can talk religious software and databases all day, and his computer skills make him valuable to others around the world.
     Life online has helped the Wilsons come full circle. All those years ago, Clarence and Patty had been torn from a work and people they loved. Now, with his faithful partner nearby, he can point to his computer, which he likens to an office door through which fellow Christians and seekers may come for counsel, and say, “I consider myself a missionary to Nigeria, living in America.”

     Amid the clamor of 3,000 responses to the first gospel sermon (Acts 2), some man, or woman, became the first person there to “go down into the water” (Acts 8:38). Being “first” is unimportant, but being that single human soul coming out of the water as a new creature in Christ was momentous. It still is.
     Terry Herrera grew up in Judsonia and Searcy. Her parents divorced when she was five. When her father remarried, she became one of 12 children, with parents who were not Christians. The children rode church buses a few times for special events—the extent of Terry’s religious experience.
     As an adult she raised six children from two marriages, working when she could. During those years, she would get this feeling, “like God talking to you.” She tried various churches, including ours, but couldn’t stick with any. That voice never stopped, though. In 2025 she began volunteering at His House.
     That’s where Alan & Deb Hardison met Terry, folding clothes. They noticed her doing little extra things for clients, like watching their kids while they shopped: “I know how they feel,” Terry says, “because I came from that. There were times in my life when we had nothing.”
     Terry also came to Caring and Sharing, where she heard Alan lead devotionals. On March 26th of this year, while at His House, she asked him for a Bible study, because “he was a friendly man.”
     Joined by Deb, they went to the church building that day. The Hardisons talked about what sin is and what it does to us. They talked about Jesus as the Son of God, and about obeying the gospel.
     Terry said, “I need to be baptized.”
     With office staff as witnesses, Alan took Terry’s confession and baptized her. “It felt strange,” she says of the immersion; “like I was cleansed.” Afterwards there were hugs. “You are a new person in Christ,” Deb said. Alan asked her how she felt; Terry answered, “Happy!”
     Five months later the Hardisons and Terry still meet for a weekly study when possible. Terry attends worship and the Faith’s Foundation Bible class with her former husband, Ricardo. “People are nice, not stuck up.” She still works at His House, and, with Ricardo, also helps at several other food banks. Knowing the road may be rough, she says, “I don’t take life for granted anymore.”
     Someday, when we meet our Discipling3000 goal, Terry may be counted among that massive number. We know, however, that a “rejoicing in heaven” (Luke 15:7) will have greeted each baptism of each repentant soul along the way. Such is God’s measure of the worth of an individual life.

     The photograph of a “traditional” mission team often includes preachers, teachers and healthcare professionals. In contrast, our team to El Salvador was composed of parents and their children in search of opportunities for service and outreach.
     So it seemed a good omen when, at the airport, we were greeted with a huge sign that read, “El Salvador: Family Friendly.” The slogan actually describes an initiative to improve the health and safety of young children, evidenced by well-staffed health clinics.
     However, it was an orphanage and an island that captured our hearts.
     For three days, our team rocked the babies of single, teenage mothers, engaged winsome toddlers, and played pick-up soccer games with older residents that rivaled the intensity of World Cup finals. Our families left the orphanage, having affirmed and befriended those who headed back to their dormitories. Both groups parted with the hope of reunion.
     The final two days required transportation by boat. From a distance, the dense mangrove trees offered an illusion of paradise, but upon arrival, the island revealed an impoverished landscape. The comforts and conveniences we consider necessities were luxuries for those who lived there. That awareness triggered a wave of compassion and concern as powerful as the Pacific waves pounding the coast, but equally powerful was our encounter with a fisherman and his wife who graciously prepared lunch for their visiting strangers.
     Their insistence on a walking tour of the island revealed deep pride in their homeland, and their unrestrained laughter and sincere humility were as generous as the food at their table. The only empty chair at that table was reserved for Jesus, who was waiting to be invited.
     The question to be answered remains: “Did we make a difference?”
     The week in El Salvador was a season for planting. Relationships took root. Families from College Church of Christ began to clarify a vision for outreach, and that vision now belongs not only to parents but also to their children.
     We left with an open invitation to return, and we look forward to a trip in the near future, equipped to support young families and prepared to invite them to join the family of God.
                                                                             The Team to El Salvador

Most of what I know about leading songs I learned from my father, Andy T. Ritchie III.
He taught me how to beat a pattern, how to pitch and lead a song, and how to put
thought into the words and music. He, of course, was influenced by his father, Andy T.
Ritchie, Jr. This larger-than-life figure became an example both of us followed.
My grandfather believed that to lead a song in worship, you must understand and
interpret its meaning. After all, the songs we sing speak to one another and to God, and
should reflect the thoughts we want to express. Sometimes those thoughts are gentle,
like those of “Father of Mercies,” other times boisterous, like “A Mighty Fortress.” Song
leading is not just song starting; it requires thought.
The music needs to complement the poetry. When music fits well with the words, the
two become a single entity. Still, the music should not detract from the words.
Sometimes we are drawn to a song because of the music and not the message. If only
the melody draws us in, we risk pleasing ourselves rather than God in our worship.
By my final year in high school, my mentors had given me a solid foundation for song
leading, but experience taught me another valuable lesson.
At an out-of-town devotional, I was asked to lead “Years I spent in Vanity and Pride.”
I did not care for the song and would not have chosen it. But someone explained to me
that many of those present had come out of years in the drug culture and all manner of
depravity.
This song meant a great deal to them because it described their former lives and the
mercy they had received through Christ. It dawned on me that my choice of songs
should reflect the needs of the particular group that would be singing, not necessarily
songs that appealed to me.
We sing to worship, to praise or declare the worth of our God. We sing to speak to
one another words that teach and those that encourage. My grandfather suggested that
we study the objective of worship and select songs that will best reach that objective.
As leaders, let us teach and lead songs that take us out of spiritual poverty and into
deeper worship.

     In jail ministry, there is a hard-and-fast rule: focus only on spiritual needs of the people inside these walls. That rule has been broken twice in the past month.
     A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from Assistant Jail Chaplain Sampson Goodwin from Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church: “Jeff, we have a single mother with two kids whose house just burned down. They lost everything. Our church is working on housing, but is there any way that they could come to His House for help?” I said yes.
     Charles Underwood met the Mom and kids the next morning at His House. When I got there, they already had a bag full of sheets and towels, and the His-House Ladies were helping the children fill up bags with clothes and shoes while the Mom worked on her own bag. Food and household items would follow. When I said goodbye to the mother, she had tears in her eyes, and I could see a glimmer of hope.
     Sampson told me that the Mom was surprised and humbled that help had come so quickly and easily. He told her, “That’s what God’s people do,” then added; “surround your family with those kind of folks, who love you because Jesus loved them.”
     I am thankful that Sampson asked for help, and thankful for the beautiful way everyone at His House responded to the family’s needs.
     A week later, I got a call from a Sheriff’s Patrol Supervisor. She said, “Chaplain, I need some help and don’t have anyone else to call. A woman living out Pangburn way has called our dispatch 12 times in the last 24 hours, saying she doesn’t have any food, is wheelchair bound and nobody will help her. I have been to her place several times on domestic calls; she is in a tough spot. Could you possibly help?'
     Again, the good people at His House said “Yes!” The woman so appreciated the food, and my Deputy friend was thankful that we could help her with a difficult non-law enforcement problem.
     I’m humbled to see how God has worked through Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, the Jail Ministry, His House, and the White County Sheriff’s Department to help community members in need.
     My friend Sampson always says, “Glory be to God!” and I believe that about sums it up.

     This June the College Church of Christ Youth Group and a medical mission team from Searcy had the opportunity to serve alongside Misión Para Cristo (MPC) in Jinotega, Nicaragua. It was more than a simple mission trip; it was an experience of connection, labor, and spiritual growth that changed our understanding of service.
     The week provided multiple opportunities for serving. We supported the medical team in delivering healthcare and engaged in establishing a garden for a rural school. Much of our time was spent in physical labor, from moving rocks at construction sites to manufacturing concrete bricks.
     Beyond the manual work, we focused on relational ministries. We read with children through a mobile library, participated in "Pan y Palabra" (Bread and Word/Bible) by sharing meals and Scripture, and provided support at Casa Materna, a housing mission for young mothers. We also experienced the beauty of the region, including a hike up Peña de La Cruz, and were encouraged by the passionate, vibrant worship service with the MPC congregation.
     The best part of the service was interacting with the people of Jinotega. We reflected nightly on the overwhelming joy and laughter of their daily lives. Despite having few material possessions, they embodied contentment and friendliness that challenged our perspectives. This was highlighted by the excitement of the children at receiving our attention, energy and conversation.  No technology interfering, just happiness.
     We formed connections with those we were serving with. Though we were there to "give," we realized that we were actually "receiving” too. The passion and faith of the local believers gave us a sense of community and grace (especially with our Spanish).
     Perhaps the value of such missions lies not just in bricks laid or meals prepared, but also in the relationships and community built between cultures and believers. This journey was transformative for our family and I suspect the rest of the group.
     Our daughter Lilly reflected that “our week in Nicaragua was one of the best of my life. It was fulfilling and eye-opening to serve the people who live there every day.  Getting to know some of the local people and growing closer with our group was so fun and special. Every day I did something I’ve never done before—it was all just an amazing experience!”
     We return home thankful for the opportunity to serve and with a deepened appreciation for the universal nature of Christ’s love. Thank you for your prayers and financial support, which made this life-changing experience possible.

     Every Sunday morning, College Church member Heather Rollins, her youthful puppeteers, and puppets Jimmy, Susie, and Frizzy, team up to present entertaining but valuable spiritual lessons during Children’s Worship. How do they do it?
     Before going behind the scenes to find out, here’s some College Church puppet history. Former member Craig Russell created the names and personalities of the puppets in his scripts for Children’s Bible Hour on Sunday nights. In 2012, after the demise of Bible Hour, the scripts found a home in Children’s Worship, where the antics and lessons of Jimmy, Susie, and Frizzy live on (in sometimes updated form).
     Heather Rollins became involved in 2015 as coach of the puppeteers. She eventually became coordinator of the Lads-to-Leaders Year-Round Puppets program (YRPP). Children’s Worship presented the perfect opportunity for puppeteers to perform regularly and receive recognition from L2L. Last April, Elizabeth Crouch, Lincoln Green, Reed Green, Abby Guy, Easton Mitchell, Kage Mitchell, Katelyn Brooks, Jordan Laing, Maddie Rollins, LJ Valentine, and Claire Wang were all recognized for their work at the Lads-to-Leaders convention.
     Their success owes a lot to Heather’s behind-the-scenes preparation. She helps students who sign up for the YRPP, which rewards participants based on the number of puppet shows they are in during the year. Ten shows earns a bronze prize, 20, a silver, and 30 gets the gold.
     Each week, she records who performs in the show. The second-to-last week of each month, she sends an email asking YRPP parents to provide the dates of their child’s availability the following month. On Thursday of each week, she assesses all the data—available children, those who need to do a show, and how many parts are in the script—and assigns the puppeteers accordingly. Then she sends an email to the parents with the scripts and assigned roles. For good measure, she names an alternate and sends a reminder text on Sunday morning.
     Heather’s pre-Sunday organization blesses the puppeteers as much as the audience. Kage Mitchell likes puppets because it's a different way to tell people about Jesus. Like L.J. Valentine, Kage believes young kids sometimes connect better to a silly puppet than a speech. Humor is a big factor. Claire Wang loves hearing the audience laugh, and Lily Crouch thinks that young kids respond better to fun things. Easton Mitchell feels his puppets are an extension of his personality (the energetic Frizzy). Others, like Elizabeth Crouch, assume different personalities through puppets and thereby lose their nervousness.
     The puppet program has grown in numbers, and having puppeteers of up to seven years experience has improved the quality of shows. With experience comes opportunity for leadership. Heather has added the position of backstage manager, so that selected students have the responsibility of setting up shows. She hopes that one day she will be able to pass the puppet baton to some of them!
     It’s a blessing to have Heather and her charges do this behind-the-scenes work each week. If the smiles of the kids in Children’s Worship are any indication, the effort is well worth it.

1. The Education of Ted Lloyd
     A self-described “Kansas farm boy,” Ted Lloyd grew up in two “pretty traditional” country churches and was baptized at 16. However, he characterizes his spiritual condition during his teens as abysmal. He cared much more about sports than religion, so he went to Kansas State in hopes of playing major college basketball.
     Looking back on his situation then, Ted says, “There was very little in church pointed to young people. We were just kind of there and grew on our own. When I was at K-State, the local church had no outreach to college students. I might have done better if they had.”
     He left Manhattan after his sports dream died, his future uncertain. Finally, just to get the local preacher off his back, he agreed to visit Harding.
     He rode to Searcy with four HU students, and after an hour in the car with them, something drastic happened: “I don’t know what Harding’s going to look like,” he recalls thinking, “but I’m going there—because these kids have what I’ve been looking for.”
     Anyone who knows the history of this community knows the rest of the story. Once enrolled at Harding, Ted essentially never left Searcy, meeting his first wife Marcie in college and building a life and career at the academy, then the university. He became a Harding legend as a coach and beloved as a teacher. The star athlete whose faith was stunted as a teenager grew into a spiritual giant, a gentle paternal presence on campus for decades, touching the lives of athletes, other students and colleagues alike.
Continued online

     Four-and-a-half years ago, Rick Harper asked if I would serve as interim college minister for the 2022 spring semester. Little did I know that saying yes would impact my life forever.
     After building great relationships with students, Kayla and I didn’t want it to be over after just one spring. Once I finished football, I began full-time as college minister and have enjoyed every second. I have loved the hours spent at the Rock House talking and laughing with students and Trish Price, who has been a constant blessing to me and the heart of this ministry for many years now.
     My time here has taught me so much. I have grown as a culture-setter, vision-caster, and disciple-maker-maker. While I have invested in students, they have pushed me to grow probably more than I helped them. I look up to many of them as examples of how to love God and others well. Likewise, I am so grateful for the many elders, families, and members here who show Kayla and me how to be faithful in every stage of life.
     This role also challenged us to live on mission for God. That has been a focus here in Searcy, and it has also opened our eyes to opportunities worldwide. We have loved partnering with the Liras and Borbas at the Brazilian church in Southeast Florida for the past four years. God also used the College Ministry to open doors for our family’s next step in Honolulu, Hawaii, where we will work with the church of Christ at Pearl Harbor.
     We have continually cast a vision for our college ministry to be a training ground from which disciple-makers and church planters are sent throughout the world. Now it is our turn to embody that vision.
     At the same time, we remind students that the church is a global family, and we want to stay connected and help each other walk as lifelong disciples and disciple-makers. So, we don’t view this as goodbye; it’s more like a family extending around the globe.
     Looking back on our time here, we are filled with incredible gratitude for this church family. Looking forward, we are excited to see how God uses Johnny & Hannah Noble to help this college ministry flourish even more, as well as how He continues to write our family’s story and uses us for His glory around the world.

     After my shepherd resignation letter was read to this congregation, I had an opportunity to teach Sunday morning Auditorium class here at College Church. I chose to talk about the Seasons of Life (Ecclesiastes 3), a topic on my mind due to my retirement from teaching at Harding University and our plans to build a house and move to Mobile, Alabama.
     The College Church has been our home congregation for nearly ten years, and it has been a joy to reconnect with people we have known from other places, some from fifty years ago. Back then, I played club sports with Charles Ganus, learned math from Dr. Dean Priest, and sang with Dr. Bill Hollaway. As the seasons of life pass by, we accumulate friends and memories along the way, reminders of God’s blessings and harbingers of heaven’s sweet reunion.
     College students and young families face changing seasons of life, and here at the College Church we have had many opportunities to teach, mentor, and host some of them in class and in our home. I am grateful that as new members in a talented congregation we were quickly accepted into these ministries. Some of the most gratifying feedback we have received was from college students who regularly came to our home for Wednesday devotionals and from young couples who gathered at our home on Sunday evenings.
     The elders and ministers that I worked with at College Church have impressed me with their devotion and dedication. We gathered around families in trouble, discussed policies and spiritual issues, and engaged in strategic planning. When occasional differences of opinion arose, I saw respect and consideration for one another. We spent much time in prayer and dealt with some challenging issues, but it was always clear that God knew what He was doing when He designed the church and provided his authoritative word as our guide.
     There is always some loss as we move from one season of life to another. However, there are also opportunities to learn, to address new challenges, and to be grateful for God’s providence as we look back at our lives. In our senior years, we no longer have the health and strength of our youth, but we do have valuable experience to offer the generations that follow us. We will always be grateful for our opportunities and experiences here in Searcy, and we look forward to the next season of life.

“No amount of reading, writing, or memorization can give me what I truly want. What I desire is to please You—to speak in such a way that hearts are moved, souls are stirred, and minds are awakened; that someone might experience a connection between Heaven and Earth, reaching out to feel Your presence and come to know the One True God and Your Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit—because of something You have spoken through me.”

Call that thought my prayer for inspiration.
As it settles into my mind, a silence unlike any other overtakes me. I hear a windstorm—but God is not in the wind. I hear an earthquake—but God is not there. Then comes a still, small voice, and I know it is the Lord, giving me a message to write. Once I receive it, the work of creativity begins—but it is not my own. It is divine, as I open myself to be a channel for what He desires His children to hear.
To me, poetry is more than expression; it is communion with the Most High God—a sacred opportunity to write what my soul feels, stirred from the very throne of Heaven.
Having been diagnosed with a speech dysfluency at the age of four, I spent years in therapy learning to enunciate clearly—simply to express my thoughts without inviting ridicule. That experience cultivated deep introspection, as I often wrestled with thoughts that refused to form into words.
To know the richness of language, yet feel restrained in using it, can be disheartening. Yet on the other side of that struggle lies hope and resilience. Perhaps that is why I now carry such a deep appreciation for communication—because there was once a time when I could not fully express it.
If we believe that God is the author of Scripture—and that Scripture contains poetry—then it is not a stretch to conclude that poetry originates with Him. God uses it, weaving it into His Word as a means of expressing His love. In that sense, poetry becomes a way of connecting with God—a reminder that I am made in His image.
Poetry has a rightful place in worship, and it has deepened my relationship with Him. It calls me to think beyond the surface and seek deeper meaning. My poems are more than words that rhyme; they are the weaving together of Scripture—harmonizing sounds but also seeking harmony with the truth of the Gospel.

As he takes the next step in pursuit of a dream more than forty years in the making, David Anguish, an active member and Bible class teacher at College Church, is seeking support to sustain and expand his writing ministry. The elders are endorsing and “supporting this effort by assisting with fundraising and managing contributions.”
Blessed with the talent and early encouragement to do so, David has always seen writing as an important part of his ministry. Inspired by a chapter in Michael Green’s Evangelism in the Early Church, in which the author showed that the church engaged in “literary evangelism” along with public preaching, household evangelism, and personal outreach, David has, since first reading Green’s book in the early 1980s, looked forward to one day focusing on writing as his primary work of service.
A sixth generation preacher whose roots go back to the Restoration, David has been blessed with a proclivity for analysis. Throughout his ministry, he has focused on “apologetics,” not merely as a synonym for Christian Evidences, but as a response to any question requiring an “explanation” or “reasoned defense.” Encouraged by feedback that confirms that the written word’s influence can extend beyond a specific time and place, he works to prepare substantive materials useful for informing the world and equipping believers for service (cf. Eph. 4:11–12).
After serving 41 years in the Atlanta and Memphis areas as a minister and Bible teacher in a Christian high school, circumstances presented an opportunity for David to pursue his dream. Fully supported in this goal by his wife, Carlynn, they moved to Searcy in 2015. When, after just under 40 years of marriage, Carlynn succumbed to cancer and passed away in 2017, David continued to pursue the dream they had shared.
His writing ministry includes his website, a resource where visitors can explore hundreds of archived lessons and articles, order one of his books, enroll for a free subscription to one of his newsletters, or schedule a seminar on practical apologetics. His ministry is a solitary work of study and writing, requiring self-discipline to meet self-imposed deadlines.
Since much of his content is offered free of charge, he must seek financial support for his work. Fundraising does not come naturally to him, but is necessary in order to sustain his ministry of teaching (cf. 1 Cor. 9:3–12; 1 Tim. 5:18).
To learn more about David’s work, you can visit his website, davidanguish.com, to explore his archived materials and read a concise explanation of his goals and financial needs. He will appreciate any gift, as well your prayers.

     Does your daily Bible reading transition to scanning when you get to the nine chapters of genealogies in I Chronicles? Did you wince when Jordan preached from Leviticus, with its litany of regulations?
     If this was all we knew of the Old Testament (OT), we might conclude that it is irrelevant to Christians today. However, the OT lays the very foundation for understanding the New Testament (NT), including the person and mission of Jesus Christ.  
     The OT introduces us to the absolute holiness of God and the importance of honoring Him. Without this sense of God’s awe-inspiring nature, the message of the NT would lose much of its meaning.
     In fact, NT writers considered the OT as vitally instructive by quoting or referring to 341 OT passages. The OT emphasizes the importance of godly living, including how we ought to treat other people, (Ps. 15, 37:1-9). We see love and devotion in the book of Ruth. The Psalms give us words with which to praise God (Ps. 8-9:2, 19). David gives voice to repentance when we are weighed down by guilt (Ps. 51). In short, the moral framework of the NT derives in large part from the OT.  
     Jesus himself connects his own teaching with OT Scriptures, which, he says, “testified about him” (Jn 5:39). In fact, he came to “fulfill the Law and prophets” (Matt 5:17). Paul describes the Old Law as a “guardian,” or “custodian” until Christ came that we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:23-24). It foreshadowed but fell short of the New Covenant under Christ (Heb 10:1). In fact, most of Hebrews describes the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant over the OT Law.  
     For example, only the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place in the temple. Sinful humans could not approach God without repeated animal sacrifices. When Christ was crucified, the veil separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place was torn in two, symbolizing our access to God through Jesus, who became the ultimate sacrifice.
     We would not know the full significance of what Jesus did on the cross without the OT, which, beginning with Genesis, unfolds God’s plan for humanity that culminates with His son’s resurrection.
     Jordan’s current sermon series encourages us to study the OT, as does Paul: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4).

     Spiritual motherhood is the act of nurturing, guiding, protecting and enhancing another’s faith journey—reflecting the care of a mother’s love even if you are not their mother.
     As we celebrate Mother’s Day, Heartfelt Ministries honors the beautiful rhythm God designed: older women walking alongside younger women—not only through instruction but through presence, examples and love.
     This rhythm is the essence of spiritual motherhood. It reminds us that mentorship in faith is not built on doctrine alone, but on shared lives. The call in Titus 2:3-5 is more than a suggestion—it is a command for the health of the church. When women live reverently and authentically, they provide a living roadmap for others navigating faith, family and character.
     Faith rooted in relationships endures. Families and churches are strengthened when generations walk together.
     We see this lived out so beautifully at College Church, where women like Robbie Dunning, Lora Fleener, Terrie Smith, Amanda Diles, Susan Harper, Kem Thomas, Debbie Ritchie, Terry Johnson, Ellen Brumley Watson and others open their homes for meals, respite and a place to belong. In other words, these spaces become sanctuaries of connection.
     Spiritual motherhood responds to needs. When a young mother asked Heartfelt member Terry Johnson if she would start another group for young women with children, Terry joined with fellow widow Ellen Brumley Watson to form a new Heartfelt group. The group has grown into a source of wisdom, encouragement and deep friendship for their younger kindred spirits. The recent aloha send-off for Kayla Fitzhugh, who is moving to Hawaii with her family, was a testament to the meaningful bonds formed through this ministry (see group photo below).
     Other examples abound. Alice Jewel exemplifies spiritual motherhood through her compassionate outreach to the homeless. Through Caring and Sharing, women minister with meals, Bible studies and consistent love—offering hope and dignity to those in need of both. Many spiritual mothers, often unnoticed, provide support during joyful or challenging times, as well as through friendship.
     While no one can replace a birth mother, we can stand in the gap—extending the love of God into the lives we touch. Spiritual motherhood is a high calling. We invite you to get involved.
     Happy Mother's Day from both the old and new Searcy chapters of Heartfelt Ministries!