LA PLATA COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Membership & Evangelism/Mission & Evangelism/Mission & Outreach Committee
This committee was named Membership and Evangelism in the early days of our church. Then it was changed to Mission and Evangelism in 1995 and then changed to the Misson and Outreach Committee in 1998. During the 1970s and 1980s, the main focus for the committee was to reach out to the bereaved, ill, lonely or troubled and non-attending members. Meal Fellowship was held on Tuesdays when anyone could eat in Fellowship Hall or carry-out meals were delivered. It was truly an ecumenical effort. “Minute for Mission” was held during worship service to highlight mission programs. Special offerings included One Great Hour of Sharing, Major Missions Fund, Hunger, Peace, Christmas Joy Offerings. In 1982, CPC added the Festival of Sharing Offering and the Church World Service (CWS) Blanket Fund to Special Offerings. Both of these offerings are still taken today – more that 40 years later. For the Festival of Sharing, we used to send good used clothing. In 1985, we sent 700 lbs., in 1986, the amount was 880 lbs., and in 1987, CPC contributed 1,460 lbs. to the Festival. Since then, the focus is on churches assembling kits to be sent to various places within the state of Missouri as well as to foreign countries. Regarding the Church World Service Blanket Fund, our members and friends support this offering by donating money as a memorial to someone or to honor someone still living. For each blanket that is “purchased”, a heart is placed on the CWS blanket in the sanctuary. The picture below is from the 2022 CWS Blanket Fund Offering – a total of 113 blankets were provided by CPC.
That same year, CPC sent 5 Health Kits and 6 Missouri Reading & Writing Kits to the Missouri Festival of Sharing. This offering is an interdenominational effort started by the Methodist Church several years ago.
In 1993, this committee organized and provided a free-will offering Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast in the City Park on Labor Day. This became an annual event for 30 years. In the beginning, Judy Wood and Linda McHenry made and froze all the biscuits and people made gravy in crock pots to take to the park. In more recent years, we purchased the frozen biscuits and gallons of sausage gravy from a warehouse. We had a kitchen crew to bake the biscuits and add their special touch to the gravy to taste like homemade. We had lots of donations and started a “Special Events” fund within the Memorial Fund. The Special Events Fund supports local causes such as donations to the La Plata After Prom Committee, the La Plata Nursing Home, as well as, funeral dinners. Below are some pictures from the Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast over the years.
2008 - Biscuit bakers, Karen Wood and Tammy Wright, and our young people carting the biscuits to the park (Logan Smith and Baylon Belt).
Alma Baker and Debbie Becker taking the free will offering & CJ Jonusz serving biscuits.
Pastor John Becker and Craig Dawson filling the gravy pan while Sara Beth Fouch and Shirley Webber serve coffee, milk, juice and water. (2008)
The crowds loved the Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast!
The Mission/Outreach committee continues to send cards, make phone calls and home visits as well as fulfill other outreach opportunities. Originally, the prayer chain was done by phone; however, for the last few years, the prayer chain has been sent via email to those who wish to receive the information. We also maintain a Facebook page to post announcements, the pastor’s daily devotions during Lent and/or Advent and publicize the exciting happenings at CPC. (Our thanks to Kelcey Wood Smith!) Over the years, a variety of opportunities for fellowship have been planned by the committee – refreshments served on the lawn after worship in June & July, a Father and Son breakfast served on Father’s Day, and refreshments served after worship on Pentecost Sunday. Other special activities have been coffee hour before or after Sunday worship, sermon tapes to shut ins, & candle-lighters for Sunday worship. Fellowship dinners were held every year for the annual meeting, plus another two or three other times a year for some years. Below are pictures from a dinner at the La Plata Lake in 2006. Also, some pictures from Pastor Jeff Carter’s Spaghetti Dinner after worship in 2022.
The “We Care” program (in the 1990s) consisted of 14 members of the congregation who were assigned 3 people to whom they would reach out and support. We also had “Invite a Friend” Sundays in the summer. After the Presbyterian Women organization disbanded, the Mission/Outreach Committee continued the tradition of taking Christmas Plates (fruit and goodies) to shut-ins and flowers to Nursing Home residents.
Christmas Plates ready to be delivered. Left to right: Rev. Jeff Carter, Sara Beth Fouch, Linda McHenry, Nickie Bingham, Becky Dawson, Wava McHenry. (2022)
From 1990 - 2004, the Community DaySchool, housed in Fellowship Hall, was an outreach ministry to children ages 2-5. Please see a report later in this CPC Celebration Booklet for more information.
In 1999, LaTrisha McHenry Riggins was the first recipient of the $1,000 Annual Educational Financial Award. Please see a report later in this CPC Celebration Booklet for a list of recipients for the last 25 years and further information.
Areas of emphasis for the Mission Committee were re-identified in 2000: Local – La Plata Christian Ministries (LCM), Community DaySchool (CDS), La Plata After Prom Donation, La Plata Nursing Home, State – Festival of Sharing and the Stubbins Center in Moberly, and Worldwide – bricks for a school in India (Witnessing Ministries of Christ – a PCUSA outreach program) and Church World Service Blanket Fund. A new program in 2000, “Mission Kids Sunday”, happened the first Sunday of the month when children and congregation would bring money and items to be given to the LCM or the CDS. A short message was given to the children (usually by Ronnie McHenry). “Mission Kids’ Sunday” was an ongoing program for 13 years.
Since 2002, CPC’s local outreach has become a northeast Missouri outreach, as we have supported the Lifeline Pregnancy Center (in Kirksville) for over 20 years. Lifeline is a non-profit organization, providing non-judgmental support to anyone facing unexpected pregnancy. They provide a program, “Pure Freedom” to high school students on developing health relationships and encourages students to understand their own value. In 2023-2024, they reached over 9,000 students in NEMO. Since 2014, we have supported the Lifeline Pregnancy’s Baby Bottle Blessing offering.
The Worldwide Outreach has changed over the years. In addition to those listed above, other missions that have been supported were: “adopt a child” through World Vision and monthly monetary donations to assist Rev. Jerry and Rosanne Briscoe (former minister at the La Plata Christian Church) while they were missionaries at Faith Academy in the Philippines (2011-2019). Also, Jed & Kayla Olson, who worked with our youth group in 2008, became missionaries with Mission Forward. CPC supported the Olsons by sending monthly donations to them 2011-2019. In 2022-2023, we supported Carolyn Summers, who was a teaching missionary at Faith Academy in the Philippines for 8 years. Carolyn was active in the LYG while in high school. Since 2022, CPC has supported Jon Briscoe and family, who are missionaries with Cornerstone International. They served in Jordan in the Middle East and are now in Indiana spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ with the Muslims in their community. We assist them with monthly monetary donations and pray for their mission work.
As a community outreach, CPC hosted an annual community Thanksgiving/Holiday Dinner, 2004 through 2010. The average number served each year was approximately 75 people, including meals that were home delivered. What a blessing to those receiving a holiday dinner.
CPC provides support to community groups who meet at the church on a regular basis. Over the years, Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops and District Leaders, Girl Scout Troops, PEO & 4-H Clubs have met in Fellowship Hall.
In 2015, La Plata Ministerial Alliance coordinated a “Soup Bowl” for the community to provide hot soup and crackers to those in need. The local churches alternated who hosted the event, which was held on Thursdays every week. CPC hosted the Soup Bowl once a month as an outreach to our community.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CPC had an opportunity to work together with Gary Simmons Shelter Insurance to meet a need in La Plata. Since the schools were closed, many kids did not have enough food available. Our two organizations worked together to provide food boxes for 64 school age children. Each child received 2 HUGE packed boxes of food, plus 2 additional sacks of food and essential items.
Workers to pack boxes for school age children: left to right – Gary Simmons, Debbie Simmons, Karen Wood, Kayla Belt, Karleen Randolph, Lynette Curtis, Becky Dawson (2020)