Blog
March 7 KielI Gebremeskel
March 14 Alan Smith & Tom Larsen
March 21 Debbie Schluben
March 28 Jane Jarboe
Send a card, or whatever is appropriate to let these people know that
you are thinking of them. Make a personal commitment to lift them in prayer.
March 7 Bob Gorham
March 14 Mary Jackson
March 21 Nancy Jefferis
March 28 Kristen Land
Most of us are happy to see the temperature change from a rather frigid February. Many in the Knox family spent a great amount of time in the last year inside their homes. Some of us, myself included, were anxious to reconnect with family and friends. God wants his people to be together in a genuine loving community. But there have been barriers that have tested that ability to carry out that biblical plan. Instead of being together in person, we shifted to being together in a virtual community on Zoom. Their does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel. We have members who are receiving the second dose of their vaccine. People, who before now, have been anxious about being around others who might have Covid 19.
In the midst of current circumstances, how might we continue as a church family to build the loving community that God desires? One, when you receive both of your doses of vaccine, consider worshiping in person again. Two, as Cathie Brook suggests, make contact with others of your Knox family through the cards she provides in the main hallway at Knox. Share messages filled with lots of hope, love, and thanksgiving. Three, make needed phone calls that offer meaningful scripture. Ask simple questions such as, “What has God been teaching you recently?” or “What are some blessings that have enriched your heart?” or “How are you holding up while being confined for such long stretches of time?” Then simply listen, it’s one of the great ways to build Christian community.
I leave you with a homework assignment that encourages godly conduct for all of us,
read 1 Thessalonians 5:15-19.
Fred
Dear Friends:
I thank you for continued support as we supply as much ministry as possible and still stay safe. I believe good things come from difficulties, and perhaps we have learned the value of our church family, of fellowship, and of participation in the faith community. Perhaps we took for granted that we could meet in person, now we will appreciate the power of gathering even more. I think most of us would agree there is no substitute for being together, although we are thankful for the convenience of the internet and being able to communicate through technology.
I was pleased to receive youth and adult leaders in person on February 21st, for the first time in months. I hope and pray we will be able to continue to meet in person and eventually break bread together, as disciples have done since the birth of the church. I encourage you to grow deeper this Lenten season, as I too strive to grow closer to God. The themes of repentance and reflection will be our companions as we prepare our hearts to receive the risen Lord once again.
Yours joyfully,
Paul
Cherith Brook needs volunteers to partner in the work —
Volunteer for morning hospitality on Mondays & Thursdays, 8:00am-11:30am
Do laundry on Monday or Tuesday afternoons
Join the breakfast cooking crew Wednesday from 1-3pm or on your own time
Join the Thursday dinner cooking rotation
Food pickup and sorting on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday
Clean and organize the pantry and fridges
Cherith Brook needs hospitality donations —
Small jeans; men’s, 28-34 and women’s, 0-4
Small men’s and women’s underwear
T-shirts
Socks
Razors
Back packs
African American hair products
Paper plates, coffee cups & napkins — NO Styrofoam
(There are companies that make great compostables at a reasonable price.)
Salt & Pepper
If you can help by donating or volunteering, contact Cherith Brook at 816-241-8047 or cherithbrookkcmo@gmail.com Cherith Brook drop off is Monday—Thursday, 1pm to 4pm.
Hospitality donations can be placed in the Cherith Brook bin in the main hallway at Knox.
Dear Friends:
Christian Education includes a healthy dose of history. Our main text, the Bible, is a collection of historical documents. When we read the letters in the New Testament, we are reading someone else's mail, albeit very old mail. We are delving into history when we read Biblical literature. The task of Christian Education is to build a bridge between that history and our lives today. If we were bored in history class as students, we likely did not realize the great value of understanding our past. If we truly understand history, we have a better chance of understanding our current situation.
Our current situation seems to be challenging us in ways we may have not experienced before. A global pandemic, political unrest, and the stress of living in the information age all press down on us each day. History reminds us that others have survived difficult times. History reminds us that the Creator can be sought out to offer us comfort. History reminds us that we can learn from those who have gone before us. As the apostle wrote to the church in Corinth, "these things happened as examples for us..." (1 Cor. 10.6).
May we study our past with open minds and embrace our current living with faithful spirits.
Joyfully yours,
Paul
From the Deacons
In February the Deacons invite you to purchase a gift for a teenage boy or girl
for the Cross-Lines Christmas Toy Store. Suggestions include clock radios,
hair dryers, curling irons, makeup kits, jewelry, bath and body sets, cologne,
electric razors, books, games, sports equipment, blanket throws, and more.
Unsure of what to buy?
Ask a teenager you know for suggestions on what to purchase. We welcome money contributions as well, and we will shop for you. Thanks for your generosity and care!
Thanks for your generosity and care!
ONLINE GIVING
Contribute to God’s work by making financial donations. Knox has new options to give.
Go to knoxchurch.org/give for more information.
Online Giving You can choose to contribute with a credit or debit card or your bank account information. You are in complete control and can make a one-time contribution or set up recurring payments. Currently at Knox, you can designate your donation to:
· Building Fund
· Celebration Choir
· Cross-Lines Toy Fund
· Emergency Assistance Fund
· General Fund
· Per Capita
· Youth Mission Fund
Text to Give
Contribute by texting any amount to 913-285-8856 such as “20.” The first time you text a donation, you will be prompted with a one-time registration link that takes you to a web page to put in your name, address, email and card info (credit and debit cards are the only funding method, ACH from a bank account is not available with this method). This will create a record in Elexio Giving and save your payment method for future texts. All subsequent donations will simply be texting the amount to 913-285-8856. You will get a text confirmation that your donation was successful.
Thank you to all that have been sending your gifts to the church. It is greatly appreciated. For others who have not given, if you are able at this time and you are someone that drops your tithe and gifts in the offering plate on Sunday morning, please continue giving by mail or dropping it off at the church office.
February 7 Linda Urrutia & Dave Taylor
February 14 Kathleen McCullough & Dave Taylor
February 21 Sean Willoughby & Sandy Hoyt
February 28 Christie Brooks & Virginia McKnight
Send a card, or whatever is appropriate to let these people know that you are thinking of them. Make a personal commitment to lift them in prayer.
February 7 Jeanne Chaple
February 14 Ruth DeGroot
February 21 Charlene Gardner
February 28 Lilah Gillett
Building bridges of hope for children in Thailand
Hope Bridges supports about 120 kids in three homes. We wanted to share how they are doing.
The Lighthouse
Twenty kids live here, ranging from grade school to college. The Lighthouse is on the outskirts of Chaing Mai, Thailand.
The kids celebrated Christmas and visited a home with approximately 50 children and staff in Mae Sariang, Thailand. They had a great time leading games, leading worship, giving gifts, and sharing a Christmas message. It was an excellent opportunity for them to be a blessing to others and practice their leadership skills with other youth. They stayed for two nights and three days.
The Lighthouse kids need new towels for the kids, and staff would be a blessing since many of them have towels that are going bad (they are thin in Thailand and not so thick so that they can dry quickly in the humid weather). Towels are about $5 each, so $100 for 20 children and staff.
One of the kids needs prayers due to anemia. The doctor ordered blood work and a visit to the doctor revealed the anemia. The medication was prescribed, and the child is feeling better, but please keep praying.
Nong Tao
Nong Tao has twenty kids and is in a rural area. The children range from 1st grade to 6th grade.
During December, the kids had a lot going with a Christmas show about Jesus' love by dancing, singing songs, and role-playing on Christmas day for a church in a nearby village. They also performed for their school, and they had a small Christmas party at the Nong Tao Church with our kids and people in the village.
Nong Tao needs towels, hygiene kits, and a few backpacks. They also need two first aid kits. If you would like to help Nong Tao with their needs, please see the address below to donate. Prayer is requested for Nong Tao kids to know Jesus better and health and well-being for their parents.
Chluday
Chluday is located in the mountains of Thailand and is south of Chaing Mai. To get to Chuday, it is a 6-hour drive, then an overnight stay and the next morning drive up a mountain with dirt roads on a one-lane road. Literally, a one-lane road and backing up is required for the smaller vehicles. Once you arrive, you will need to plan on leaving the same day to get down the mountain before nightfall, then another overnight before going back to Chaing Mai. Due to being in the mountains and isolated from larger towns, it isn't easy to get information on how the kids are doing. Therefore no specific report for Chluday. Hopefully, next month we will have more information.
If you would like to help the kids with the towels, hygiene kits and first aid kits, please go to our donation page to donate: https://hopebridges.org/make-a-difference
Thank you for helping build bridges of hope for children in Thailand. All gifts are deeply appreciated!
Mike Lane
ROSE BROOKS
Thank you for helping break the cycle of domestic violence and being a part of this work. We are honored by your gift of $1,175.00. Because of you, lives are changed.
At Rose Brooks Center, we are acutely aware of the added challenges victims of domestic violence face right now due to isolation and social distancing. Your kindness today will help ensure 24/7 care is still available and we thank you for being a part of our community of support during these unusual times. We are incredibly grateful.
Rose Brooks is here for thousands of adults, children, and their pets each year. They have often experienced unspeakable adversity at the hands of loved ones. Yet through safety, support, counseling, advocacy and economic empowerment, they are able to rise above their pain, find hope and build new lives for themselves and their family.
Again, thank you for your life-changing gift.
Sincerely,
Susan K Miller
Thank you for supporting The Navigators!
Five thousand Navigator staff serve worldwide, yet most people who’ve been discipled by The Navigators don’t become full-time missionaries themselves. They are “everyday people” who simply ask God to use them right where they are. They watch for opportunities to live out The Navigators motto, “To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.” They’re people like Matt and Mary.
Matt was discipled by The Navigators in college. He wanted God to use him wherever life took him. Mary and he married, and when their children were young, Matt started Dads’ Basketball Night to meet other families in the school. There Matt invited Carl to read the Bible with him, which led to other players joining them, followed by several neighbors. What began as Dads’ Basketball Night has become a 20-year, grass-roots ministry impacting many lives with the gospel!
Your gift to The Navigators enables our staff to reach and disciple people like Matt, instilling in them the vision for passing on to others what they themselves were taught. This is how we’ll reach our goal of developing a million new disciplemakers in this decade! Thank you for investing in The Navigators!
Gratefully,
Doug Nuenke
Thank you for your gift that helps reach people for Christ!
“I thank my God every time I remember you. 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…” __Philippians 1:3-5
Thank you! We have received your November donation in the amount of $475.00 for guest lodging and food and your December donation in the amount of $125.00. Your donations are so important to IHN!
Your generous gift will be put to good use providing shelter and services necessary to empower homeless families and single females in our program.
We, at IHN, count our many blessings and we truly appreciate your continued support, commitment and confidence in our program as we assist those in need in our community.
Thank you for investing in IHN and those we serve!
Sincerely,
Vicki L. Derche
Hello All:
Out of the almost 2,000 homeless kids, the KCKPS school identified 487 elevated at-risk homeless youth. So, our goal was to get about 500 sets created. Each set had a hat or scarf, mittens or gloves and two pairs of socks. (Yes, as a group we collected almost 1,000 pairs of socks!) Thanks for all your amazing generosity!
I also want to thank you for all the food that you provided last year! One of the members of the distribution team counted 690 different kids/families served with 2,308 boxes of “food for a week” distributed.
We start again with food boxes going out this Saturday (January 9). The greatest need right now is cereal, peanut butter and soap. (Those are hard for us to purchase at Harvesters.) We now have a business that supplies us with loaves of bread and sometimes damaged produce. So, the bread really helps to turn the peanut butter into multiple meals without cooking required. We are consistently distributing about 100 boxes a week and always run out.
Happy New Year!
Lori
We can’t begin to thank you enough.
Because of you, seniors will rest knowing they will be cared for should they exhaust their financial resources.
Your gift brings peace and comfort to all of the residents at Aberdeen Village. For that, we are grateful. Across the PMMA communities, residents and staff come together as family to celebrate the gift of selfless love. Your gift serves as a symbol of Christ’s love for all. You are truly a blessing.
Best wishes to you, your loved ones, and your entire congregation, for peace, strength, happiness, and health in this new year.
Sincerely yours,
Tim Allin
In January I met with our ASG group. We met to talk about some potential ways to spiritually encourage our church and those within our spheres of influence. I think often that we stray from the basic core values that should guide our faith: scripture reading, prayer, worship, fellowship, ministry/mission, and evangelism. So we looked at Proverbs 3:1-7 to see what God’s Word might have to say to us.
1. Keep His commandments in our hearts -
We can do this through daily scripture reading, meditating on what God is saying to us, and even taking time to memorize special verses we may keep close to our hearts like 1 Peter 5:7.
2. Let love and faithfulness never leave us -
We do this by daily presenting our lives to God for His service by offering simple and humble prayer. Arlene Burroughs would tell us to “Stand on the Promises of God”, a great old hymn. Try singing some hymns or praise songs to the Lord; to bind love and faithfulness around our necks.
3. Trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding -
That trust is a lifelong lesson we learn by praying our trust and confidence daily is in an always faithful God. What happens when we allow our wisdom to be placed ahead of trusting God? A disappointment and a character flaw that needs to be corrected immediately. How? Immediate prayer of confession admitting we need Him first in our hearts and we must shun the attempts of Satan to deceive us.
Just a few thoughts we can all practice!
Fred
Cherith Brook needs volunteers to partner in the work —
Volunteer for morning hospitality on Mondays & Thursdays, 8:00am-11:30am
Do laundry on Monday or Tuesday afternoons
Join the breakfast cooking crew Wednesday from 1-3pm or on your own time
Join the Thursday dinner cooking rotation
Food pickup and sorting on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday
Clean and organize the pantry and fridges
Cherith Brook needs hospitality donations —
Small jeans; men’s, 28-34 and women’s, 0-4
Small men’s and women’s underwear
T-shirts
Socks
Razors
Back packs
African American hair products
Paper plates, coffee cups & napkins — NO Styrofoam
(There are companies that make great compostables at a reasonable price.)
Salt & Pepper
If you can help by donating or volunteering, contact Cherith Brook at 816-241-8047 or cherithbrookkcmo@gmail.com Cherith Brook drop off is Monday—Thursday, 1pm to 4pm.
Hospitality donations can be placed in the Cherith Brook bin in the main hallway at Knox.
ONLINE GIVING
Contribute to God’s work by making financial donations. Knox has new options to give.
Go to knoxchurch.org/give for more information.
Online Giving You can choose to contribute with a credit or debit card or your bank account information. You are in complete control and can make a one-time contribution or set up recurring payments. Currently at Knox, you can designate your donation to:
· Building Fund
· Celebration Choir
· Cross-Lines Toy Fund
· Emergency Assistance Fund
· General Fund
· Per Capita
· Youth Mission Fund
Text to Give
Contribute by texting any amount to 913-285-8856 such as “20.” The first time you text a donation, you will be prompted with a one-time registration link that takes you to a web page to put in your name, address, email and card info (credit and debit cards are the only funding method, ACH from a bank account is not available with this method). This will create a record in Elexio Giving and save your payment method for future texts. All subsequent donations will simply be texting the amount to 913-285-8856. You will get a text confirmation that your donation was successful.
Thank you to all that have been sending your gifts to the church. It is greatly appreciated. For others who have not given, if you are able at this time and you are someone that drops your tithe and gifts in the offering plate on Sunday morning, please continue giving by mail or dropping it off at the church office.
January 3 Christie Brooks and Dave Taylor
January 10 Jane Jarboe and Tom Larsen
January 17 Terry White
January 24 Janet Huddleston
January 31 Lori Noren and Lloyd Navratil
Send a card, or whatever is appropriate to let these people know
that you are thinking of them.
Make a personal commitment to lift them in prayer.
January 3 Winona Wedeman
January 10 Kathy Andrews
January 17 Susan Bellis
January 24 Helen Bowen
January 31 Vera Lee Butler
Happy New Year!
I would like to thank the session and the congregation for the generous Christmas gift. I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
I wish I had learned to speak a foreign language when I was younger. While it is never too late, it probably would have been easier when my brain was more like a sponge and less like a sieve. Different disciplines have a language. Music and math, for instance, have their own symbols. I gave up reading music when I switched from trumpet to guitar in junior high. I don't need to be able to read music to play guitar, but it would be a useful skill to have. Knowing the language of any discipline facilitates communication.
In Biblical studies, I learned all sorts of fancy words. But they are not always useful when I am working with people to understand a Bible passage. But there are words in Christian education that can be understood by even very young people, and these are the words that are truly essential to our faith.
Words like love, joy, and peace. Others are grace, mercy, and forgiveness. These words communicate the heart of God and a life built on wisdom. I am thankful we need not all be scholars to understand the core teachings of our faith.
“...you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
Matthew 11:25
Yours joyfully,
Paul
Jesus tells each of us that we are to be His witnesses until He comes again. All of us realize that it is a very rough time for many of our family members and friends. The diseases, long term quarantines, and even deaths are affecting many of our Knox families. Therefore, I want to share some scriptural reminders from Jesus that are very appropriate. Take time to read through Matthew 5:13-20 from the Sermon on the Mount.
1. Vs. 13 – Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth.
We must offer the flavor of Jesus to an often broken and lost group of people.
2. Vs. 14 – Jesus tells us we are the light of the world.
We bring the light of Jesus’ teachings to those living in darkness and despair.
3. Vs. 15 – Jesus wants our light to shine so others see our good works
and may one day glorify our Father in heaven.
4. Vs. 19 – Keep His commandments and teach them to others.
Make these teachings relevant to the lives our neighbors, so they can also serve Jesus the way we are attempting to do on a regular basis. Then one day we will be called “great in the kingdom of heaven.”
These are a list of things we can give and share with others not only on Christmas, but anytime throughout the year.
Fred Daniels
Dear Friends:
It’s so easy to be discouraged right now with all the bad news in the world. But the truth is, there is hope in the lives of many people in need — because of YOU.
During a time when many of us are isolated or distanced from our family, church or friends, we at Cross-Lines want you to feel connected to all of the good you are doing in the world.
Because of YOU: since the pandemic began in March, the Cross-Lines food pantry was able to serve more than TWICE as many people as we normally do. Because of YOU, we were able to distribute more than 189,000 pounds of food between March and July.
Thanks to you, more than 14,000 people this year were able to put food on their family’s table during a time of struggle. That is truly something to celebrate. I hope that when you sit at your table tonight, you will feel good about that.
I hope you are safe and well and know that all of us at Cross-Lines appreciate and think about you every day. You matter to us. You make a difference.
With Appreciation,
Susila Jones
Thank you for your generous giving in 2020 for the Cross-lines Christmas Toy Store. As you know, the store was not open as usual, but we were able to give many families $20 gift cards for each of their children. We plan to continue the toy store ministry in 2021 with the hope that the store will be open this year. Your contributions of toys or money will be welcome as we seek to share God’s love and joy with families in need.
Dear friends at Knox Presbyterian Church,
We just wanted to write and say thank you for your continued partnership as we serve with Cru! You are such a blessing to us and help make our ministry possible! We pray the Lord would richly bless you in this Christmas season and New Year!
Love,
The Sullivans
Hello All,
It seems very odd not having the Christmas party for the kids this year, but then, this has been a very unusual year! When we went into lock-down in March and schools closed, I didn't see how to continue to help, but quickly a way emerged and you were all very generous and willing to move forward.
Last Saturday, we had the final distribution of food boxes for the year. Each box contained enough food for 2 weeks (we hope!) as well as soap and a tube of toothpaste (to help slow the spread of Covid.) More than 100 boxes were distributed, which is about 350 people. (Some of the families are larger than four.)
The KCK School district had planned to open January 19, and we were going to distribute socks, gloves, hats, etc. at that time. Recently, the school district has announced the continuation of remote learning until April. Sigh! However, the school social workers at each school are helping us create "goody bags" for the kids (with hats, gloves, socks, and a few scarves) which will be distributed at a one time pickup by the kids in January. So, I've committed to have whatever socks, hats, gloves, and coats to the social workers by January 5, at 9am.
Thanks for your continued efforts to help these kids! Merry Christmas to you and may your new year be happy and healthy!
Lori
(Knox, please have your donations at Knox by January 3,
so Lori can get them to the social workers on the 4th.)
(Samuel Rosenak stopped by the office to thank Knox for their support. He shared about moving forward in the ministry during Covid times, students accepting Christ, and he also shared about his family that includes his wife, Kayci, and their children Eden, “almost 3?!” and Theodore (1) also known as “Bubba-gump-shrimp”. He wished you all “a very happy and Merry Christmas! God bless you.”)
Thank you all for your generous donations so that Knox can continue to supply food for those that need it.
Items that can be donated:
Syrup, Kraft Mac & Cheese, cereal, saltine crackers, peanut butter, corn bread mix, hamburger helper, laundry detergent, dish soap (small), personal-care items and cleaning supplies.
Please return your 2021 Estimate of Giving card(s) to the church by Sunday, December 13. The Budget Team will be putting together a balanced 2021 budget. Extra cards are available at the Welcome Center, in the mailbox by the office door, or you can contact the Recording Treasurer, Kathleen Navratil, 816-519-1529, or katyestes20@gmail.com with your confidential EOG information.
Thank you to all who have returned your cards.
There will be a special offering for the Deacons Fund, December 6. Half of the money received will go for the Deacons Emergency Fund to help those who are in need of immediate assistance. The other half will go as "seed money" for the 2021 Cross-Lines Christmas Toy Store. Checks should be designated to the Deacons' Fund.
To receive credit for your 2020 contributions to Knox all monies and gifts must be placed in the offering, brought to the office, or post marked no later than December 31.
Cherith Brook needs volunteers to partner in the work —
Volunteer for morning hospitality on Mondays & Thursdays, 8:00am-11:30am
Do laundry on Monday or Tuesday afternoons
Join the breakfast cooking crew Wednesday from 1-3pm or on your own time
Join the Thursday dinner cooking rotation
Food pickup and sorting on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday
Clean and organize the pantry and fridges
Cherith Brook needs hospitality donations —
Small jeans; men’s, 28-34 and women’s, 0-4
Small men’s and women’s underwear
T-shirts
Socks
Razors
Back packs
African American hair products
Paper plates, coffee cups & napkins — NO Styrofoam
(There are companies that make great compostables at a reasonable price.)
Salt & Pepper
If you can help by donating or volunteering, contact Cherith Brook at 816-241-8047 or cherithbrookkcmo@gmail.com Cherith Brook drop off is Monday—Thursday, 1pm to 4pm.
Hospitality donations can be placed in the Cherith Brook bin in the main hallway at Knox.
Send a card, or whatever is appropriate to let these people know that you are thinking of them. Make a personal commitment to lift them in prayer.
December 6 Jerry & Delores Slonecker
December 13 Kristen Land
(Kristen’s birthday is December 17.)
December 20 Edna Thompson
December 27 Cara Triplett
HOSPITAL VISITATION for December
December 6 Kathleen McCullough
December 13 Greg Conway & Lloyd Navratil
December 20 Sally Hass & Virginia McKnight
December 27 Connor Moylan & Sandy Hoyt
Christmas may look a little different this year on the “outside” but in the heart it is still a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior! Yes, we have reason to celebrate and rejoice for our JOY comes from knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
In place of the Cross-Lines Christmas Store this year, Cross-Lines will be providing food and coats to those in need. The Knox Deacons will provide gift cards of $20 to the parents for each of their children so they can get a gift for them. If you are able to give a monetary gift to the deacons fund, it will be helpful. (Gifts of toys will not be given this year because of Covid.)
In addition to the food and supplies that Knox has been collecting (Cheese & crackers, granola bars, peanut butter, cereal, and soap) items to keep the kids warm would also be great, donations like mittens, gloves, hats/caps, scarves and socks. Place the items in the gray tub marked LLT in the main hallway.
