By Fred Koenig, Special Contributor… ST. LOUIS—A group from Lafayette Park United Methodist Church is out to address the issue of homelessness in a very direct manner: They intend to provide people with homes. The church’s HomeFirst ministry is working on rehabbing a four-unit house in St. Louis, Mo., that will give four homeless people […]

Missouri youth group hosts former POW
By Fred Koenig, Special Contributor… COLUMBIA, Mo.—You never know where a mission trip will lead. For the youth group at one Missouri Conference church, it led to them booking the largest arena within 100 miles and bringing in a speaker from across the country for a free event for their community. Last summer a group […]
JAM program connects kids with Jesus
By Fred Koenig, Special Contributor… HOUSE SPRINGS, Mo.—The Rev. Barbara Phifer was responding to a direct need in her congregation when she started taking steps to implement a new program for children at Faith United Methodist Church. “Parents were expressing a desire for their younger children to learn the Bible,” Ms. Phifer said. Several of […]
The Kingdom of Heaven is (Still) at Hand