Lifechoices Banquet

/0 Comments/in , /by

Our church supports this great ministry in Joplin. They help hundreds of (often young) mothers in the clinic and thousands of students through school assemblies and classes. The missions and multisite team had a couple of tables, so we got to go hang out as a team.

I was Mark’s “date” for the evening because neither of our wives could be there tonight. As usual, Mark was a true gentleman. Boy, he sure knows how to “treat a lady!”

On a more serious note, check out Lifechoices on the web at lifechoices4states.org.

In Loving Memory . . .

/1 Comment/in , /by

Just got this email from Jason McMillan about his mom who passed away last night.? Please be in prayer for the McMillan and Manna Worldwide families with the loss of Valerye.? Here is the email I received:

In Loving Memory of


Valerye Jean McMillan (Tweedell)
January 12, 1954 ? June 23, 2008

From a sweet little girl, to a great wife, to an unbelievable Mom, and now an Angel of the Lord.? She was the most kind, caring, faithful, and loving person we?ve ever known.? Her example of God?s love and selflessness will be her legacy.? Please join us in celebrating her life on Friday June 27th, at 10:00 a.m. at Barnes Family Funeral Home – 1700 S. 15th St. – Ozark, MO 65721 (417-581-7811) Visitation will be held at the same location on Thursday evening, the 26th, from 6pm to 8pm.? Hazel?s Flowers (417-581-2328) will be providing flowers.? However, In lieu of sending flowers, Valerye asked that donations be made to MANNA WORLDWIDE in her honor.? As a missionary with MANNA, Valerye received great joy in her work and would like that work to continue even after her passing.

Please make donations payable to MANNA WORLDWIDE 4201 W. Risinger Road, Ft. Worth, TX 76123
(817) 346.3641.? Please write Valerye McMillan Memorial on your check.

Monday is for . . . Missions

/0 Comments/in , /by

Our friends, Charles and Pat Boyd are coming home soon from their extended trip to England to be an interim pastor. I just got an email with the last newsletter concerning the extent of their ministry there as well as the plans for the next couple to take their place. The next couple are the Spurgeon’s from Springfield, MO. They are actually in my mom and dad’s Sunday School class. They arrive in England on the 26th and the Boyds will leave on the the 30th to return back to the states.

Pray for a missionary today! If you don’t know of one (shame on you if you don’t!), please be in prayer for the McMillan’s. Valarie McMillan is fighting an awful cancer that has come back after a five year remission. She is so weak that it is difficult for her to even take the chemotherapy and Kent has to carry her everywhere she goes as she has no energy. Please pray for them today!

Relay for Life

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Straight Up!, our student ministry decided to help to raise a ton of money to defeat cancer by walking in the Relay for Life at Hillcrest High School in Springfield on Friday night. Jenny was at the “Scrap ‘n Yap” at church, so the Stone boys decided to come out and support our students and walk with them at the Relay for Life. Here are some pics of the gang:

Friday is for FLYING!!

/2 Comments/in , , /by

Tucker and I were out riding bikes. OK, I was sitting reading while he was riding his bike on the sidewalk and a huge Army helicopter kept circling our neighborhood. (I think it looks like a UH-60 Series Black Hawk combat assault helicopter. John, maybe you and your aircraft expertise could help a brother out on this one!)

Finally, the circle got smaller and smaller and it landed in Taylor’s elementary school field. Tuck and I couldn’t help ourselves, so we drove up to the school to see everything. While we were there watching the Army helicopter, the Cox Health Med-evac Helicopter landed right next to the Army helicopter. Way cool for the kids to get to climb up in and on the helicopters! There was also the Keebler Elf and 18 wheeler, concrete mixer truck, ambulance, fire engine, limousine. Must be a vehicle Field Day, huh? Way cool opportunity for the kiddos.

Here are some pics from Tuck and my “covert ops”:

D Now–Northside Baptist Church, Neosho

/3 Comments/in , , , /by

Finally got back into town from Neosho, MO around 5:45 p.m. I was the speaker for a Disciple Now at Northside Baptist Church where my lifelong friend Lyndall Jones is Music and Youth Pastor. We had a really good weekend. I haven’t done a Disciple Now weekend in any capacity since we planted Finley Crossings. I used to do several D Nows each year when I was a full time student pastor. I actually had a lot of fun talking to the students and hanging out with the band.

Something that I thought about this morning during the invitation time was the impact that these kind of events has on not just students, but the leaders. There was an awesome group of students from the BSM at University of Arkansas that were leaders at each house. There were several times during the weekend that some of those student leaders as well as other leaders from the church were at the alter praying.

I remember some of the most powerful events in my life were not “for” me, but they were for “the kids,” but the Lord had something else in mind for me. How about you? What were some of the best things in your life to help you spiritually?

Here is a video slideshow I put together to go along with the sermon on Sunday. I love the lyrics to this song! Still work to be done in this city!!

T-E-A-M Go Team!!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The team for our October trip to Kenya is set!! Check out this Motley Crew as we get ready to go to Kenya in October!

Please be praying for our team, the people in Africa, and our people as we are ALL a part of the team whether you are going or not! I know that sounds crazy, but we are in the beginning stages of partnering with a Manna Worldwide feeding center in Mombasa, Kenya. This is a partnership between our entire church family and those in Mombasa, not just the 11 people going on this Kenya ’08 trip. You are our partners as well!! Our church is going to be locking arms with other believers to bring clean drinking water, food, and education to children there in Mombasa.

Step Into Africa

/0 Comments/in /by

worldvision.jpgRidgecrest Baptist Church are sponsoring the World Vision Experience this Friday, March 7th-10th at Remington’s. This World Vision exhibit will take you into the life of a child living with the fear and consequences of AIDS.

Check out this post on our G.O. Blog for more information.

You can also check out the World Vision Experience online for all kind of information.

Make Money for Missions!!

/1 Comment/in /by

budnwalts.jpgEvery time you eat at Bud & Walt’s, you make money for missions! Here is a great article about Bud & Walt’s Pizza and Pasta in Nixa that was started to make money for missions in Russia. How cool is that??

That pizza just tastes that much better to me now!!

Friday is for Friends (Saturday Edition)

/3 Comments/in , /by

I intended on posting this several weeks ago . . . then yesterday . . . but you know how time seems to just get away from you!

One of my best friends growing up and still to this day is Brandon Boyd. We went to the same church, both of our dads were college professors at SMSU, and we lived in the same neighborhood together.

His mom and dad, Charles and Pat Boyd, are some really cool people who have been really on mission for the Lord after “retiring” several years ago. I use “retire” in parenthesis because I believe they are just as busy if not more involved that they have ever been in their lives.

Charles and Pat are currently in Mirfield, England where Charles is an interim pastor at Zion Baptist Church, an old historic Baptist church that cannot afford a full-time pastor. Here is their monthly newsletter for February. Please be praying for the Boyds and the Zion Baptist Church!