OUR STORY 301 E. CAPITOL AVE.
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JEFFERSON CITY, MO
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FBCJC.ORG
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573-634-3603
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DECEMBER 2015
Driving people to furthering their faith, literally
FBCJC Bus Ministry provides transportation service to church for those who need it
T
he FBC Transportation Ministry has kept “the wheels on the bus” going ’round and ’round every Sunday since 1964 thanks to the dedication of a group of member volunteers. The ministry offers a free ride to and from church to members of the Jefferson City community. Riders contact the ministry and arrangements are made to pick them up on either a one-time or weekly basis. Historically, the bus served area youth. However, more recently the majority of riders are senior citizens and those without other means of transportation. Through times of change, the ministry has been serving for over half a century. “[The ministry] is just an arm that we’ve put out there for years and years. It didn’t just happen overnight. It’s got a lot of years behind it and it goes way back,” driver Sam Willhite said. Among the volunteers is Roger Baker, who has been driving since the beginning. He got his start in the ministry for a simple—and laughable—reason. “I had a bad habit of going to sleep during the church service and I was kind of embarrassed. So I started driving the bus,” Baker said. And ever since, he has found a sense of purpose for staying awake on Sunday morning. “There’s a great deal of satisfaction in meeting people with different backgrounds. [Riders] talk about their families and it gives them an outlet to talk about the excitement in their lives and I get a charge out of it as well,” he said. According to Willhite, coordinating the ministry is no small task. “We’ve tried to work it out so that [drivers] are able to attend a worship service. We’ve worked at it for a long time. Some of us have had to put in some long hours to
ANNOUNCEMENTS Thursday, December 24, 2015
Join us for our annual Candlelight Lord’s Supper Christmas Eve service. Preservice music begins at 5:30 pm. The service begins at 6:00 pm.
Sammie Willhite assists some of the Gordon Barnes members after arriving for Bible Study. make that happen, but we’ve worked it out,” Willhite said. Not only does the bus ministry enable people to attend Sunday morning services, but also makes it possible for children to attend Wednesday night choir activities. “I see God at work in the lives of the children. I’ve watched children from first grade grow up to be fine men and women. Just watching their development and response to the Lord is worthwhile,” longtime Wednesday driver Keith McGowan said. Among all drivers, the motivation for driving comes from a simple desire to help people others in a simple way. “There’s always it’s ups and downs but it’s more rewarding than anything to know that you’ve helped people do something they want to do,” Willhite said. For Baker, there’s personal incentive to continue with the ministry. “It’s kept me involved in the church probably more so than anything else, because there’s always a need for the bus,” Baker said. To meet this need, additional bus drivers are required. Young drivers are in particular demand, according to current drivers. If you would like to learn more about driving for the Transporation Ministry Team, contact the Church Office at 573.634.3603.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
We are grateful for your faithful gifts. To be credited for 2015 giving, contributions must be in the Church Office by noon Dec. 31 or postmarked Dec. 31.