Columbia Christian

Columbia Christian A Magazine for Followers of Christ in Columbia, Missouri

Winter 2015

+ Christianity In

The Classroom

+ Making A

Global Impact

Devoted:

How Peggy Kirkpatrick Found and Fulfilled God’s Calling at the Food Bank

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BUILD YOUR FAITH

Colossians 2 : 6-7

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Build your faith at the 2015 CoMo Christian Men’s Conference, where you’ll be motivated by our guest speakers, moved by some incredible music and inspired to do more than you ever thought possible.

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Columbia Christian Magazine

contents

staff Fred Parry Publisher Melody Parry Associate Publisher Sandy Selby Copy Editor Carolyn Preul Creative Director Anita Neal Harrison Contributing Writer

A Leap of Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Devoted: How Peggy Kirkpatrick Found and Fulfilled God’s Calling At The Food Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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[Book Review] Max Lucado’s Grace Makes Sense Of A Complex Concept . . . . . . . . . . .

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Global Impact: Columbians Take Christ’s Message Of Faith, Hope And Love To The World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Keeping Christ In The Classroom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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More Than Entertainment: Your Guide To Columbia’s Christian Radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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CoMo Christian Men’s Conference: Meet The Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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[Movie Review] Christian Films Go Mainstream With ‘Heaven Is For Real’. . . . . . . . . . . . .

CoMo Christian Men’s Conference Ticket Order Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Joe Schmitter Marketing Representative Rosemarie Peck Marketing Representative Luke Chval Brianna Westervelt Publishing Interns

Columbia Christian Magazine is produced by ICM Custom Publishing Solutions, 47 E. Broadway, Columbia, Mo., 65203, 573-442-1430. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

www.CoMoChristian.com

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A Leap Of Faith

W

elcome to the first edition of Columbia Christian magazine. The idea for a magazine created exclusively for followers of Christ in the mid-Missouri area has been germinating in our minds for several years. Like so many of you, we found ourselves asking God how we could use our gifts to serve Him. Having published magazines in the Columbia market for more than 20 years, the answer should have seemed fairly obvious to us, but there were significant concerns about the viability of such an endeavor.

While the business plan for a venture like this would never pass the litmus test with a local banker, we decided to move forward, taking a “leap of faith” and trusting that God would handle the rest.

Speaking of taking that “leap of faith,” we’d like to thank the local businesses you’ll see on the pages of this magazine who thoughtfully shared the risk of this new venture with us. Without their vote of confidence and support, we would not have been able to bring you this new magazine. If you enjoy doing business with local business owners who share your values and core beliefs, please make an effort to support the advertisers in this magazine. It largely will be due to their generosity that we’ll be able to bring you the next edition of this magazine!

Keeping true to our theme of taking leaps of faith, the cover story of this issue looks back on Peggy Kirkpatrick’s 23-year career at the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri. When Peggy took the helm of the Food Bank, it was an organization that struggled to keep the lights on. Leaning on her incredible faith in God, she transformed the Food Bank into a thriving ministry that serves the needy in more than 30 mid-Missouri counties. You’ll want to read this story to find out about the next exciting chapter in Peggy’s life.

In this issue, you’ll also find a story that highlights a handful of faith-based missionary efforts that are headquartered right here in Columbia. From building schools and libraries to providing personal mobility devices in third world countries, these modern day saints in our midst have put their faith in action to serve others. You’ll also find profiles of a few of our local Christian schools and a story about the Christian radio stations serving mid-Missouri.

Finally, you’ll get a sneak preview of the upcoming CoMo Christian Men’s Conference coming to Columbia’s Missouri Theatre in February. You’ll be impressed by the line-up of nationally prominent speakers who will inspire local men to build their faith and to do more with their lives than they ever thought possible. You’ll also find information on how to secure your tickets for this event, which is likely to sell out for the second year in a row.

We hope you enjoy this debut edition and that you’ll be willing to give us feedback by sending words of encouragement, suggestions for future stories or your financial support to help extend the impact and reach of this new ministry.

To learn more about the CoMo Christian Men’s Coalition, visit our website at www.CoMoChristian.com.

fred@comochristian.com www.CoMoChristian.com

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Devoted How Peggy Kirkpatrick Found And Fulfilled God’s Calling At The Food Bank

By Anita Neal Harrison + Portraits by l.g. patterson “Why, God? Why would you send me here?”

Before she became executive director of the Food Bank in 1992, Peggy Kirkpatrick spent a lot of time asking God to place her where she could use her talents to serve him. It surprised her when she felt directed to the Food Bank instead of a Christian organization, but, she reasoned, she had felt a growing desire to help feed the poor. So it seemed to make sense.

Then she arrived and learned the Food Bank was on the verge of closing. The more she learned about the dismal finances and exhausted support, the more she questioned why God had taken her willingness to serve him and put her in such a hopeless mess.

Twenty-two years later, as she finishes up her last few weeks at the Food Bank before going into fulltime Christian ministry, she’s not so puzzled.

“I have a lot more insight now than I did then,” she says. “God calls Christians to be a light and salt in a dark and dying world. So He doesn’t send us someplace where there’s already light. He puts

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us strategically in places of darkness so his light can shine through us to make that dark place light.”

The light Kirkpatrick has brought to the Food Banks shines far and wide. When she left in December 2014, she left one of the top performing food banks in the nation.

“Her level of commitment to what she does and what she believes has been contagious,” says Dave Machens, who recently left the Food Bank board after 13 years of service. “People see how devoted she is to her cause — whether that’s her faith, her ministry, her organization, pick whatever — people see her level of commitment and want to emulate that.”

“She was one who talked about the calling God had put on her life,” says Tim Rich, who spent seven years working for Kirkpatrick at the Food Bank before becoming executive director of Heart of Missouri United Way. “She talked about the faith you have to have to get through and to do

the things we needed to do with very few resources. We all have these times where we get a little discouraged, but she was always one who came back to, ‘If we believe it can be done, it can be done. God will help us to do it.’”

For Kirkpatrick, saying yes to God’s calling is always the first step. She says God puts all of us here for a purpose, and He’ll show it to us if we’ll ask him.

“But we can’t just casually say, ‘What do you want me to do?’” she says. “You have to be really serious about it: ‘God, what’s my ministry on this earth? What have you called me to do? How can I serve you?’ ” Those were questions Kirkpatrick had been asking God before she came to the Food Bank. She’d spent 20 years as a computer programmer and was feeling more and more dissatisfied with that work. Every morning, she’d pass homeless people searching for food and shelter in dumpsters, but for seven and a half years, the scene hardly bothered her. Then one morning, she finally saw, and felt, the

misery of her neighbors. She prayed: “God, this is wrong. You need to do something, or you need to send somebody to do something.”

“The very next thought that came into my mind was: ‘What about you, Peggy? Why don’t you do something?’” she says. “I knew that thought came from God.” Kirkpatrick interrupts her own story to acknowledge some might think her strange for believing God talks to people, but to her — someone who believes in God and who believes He wants people to know the purposes He has for their lives — it seems only reasonable.

“God will tell us what to do, but it’s usually in our spirit,” she says. “You know things — the world would say intuitively, but it’s not intuitively. It’s a knowing that God’s leading you.”

That knowing and sense of calling have helped Kirkpatrick brave many tough times at the Food Bank. One of the most memorable is the Great Flood of 1993, when 27 counties in the Food Bank’s service area were declared disaster areas. At one point near the start of the flood, the Food Bank had no food and only $315 in the bank. Through tears, Kirkpatrick recalls how she turned to God and how He responded.

“I closed my office door, I got down on my knees, and I said: ‘What do you want me to do? I don’t know what to do!’” she says. “And He said: ‘Feed

my sheep. Feed ’em.’ And I’m going: ‘OK, swell. How do I do that?’”

Part of the answer Kirkpatrick says God gave was to stop charging the Food Bank’s distribution agencies for the food — even though that income made up 46 percent of the Food Bank’s budget.

“The staff said: ‘You’re crazy. You’re going to bankrupt the Food Bank,’” she recalls, “and I said: ‘God won’t do that. He won’t let us go bankrupt,’ and this is how great our God is. We went from operating out of one empty warehouse to operating out of four warehouses, all donated. We went from $315 in the bank to receiving and spending over $100,000. We went from distributing 2.8 million pounds of product the previous year to receiving more than 2 million pounds of food in a matter of six weeks.”

The resolve Kirkpatrick showed in carrying out the plan she believed God has given her was something Rich would later admire in her.

“She’s a woman with a lot of passion; I think everyone would agree to that,” he says. “When she knows something is right, she’s not going to waver. Once she knows something needs to be done, she will find a way to get it done, and she doesn’t move until it is done.”

One thing Kirkpatrick has been resolute about getting done is acknowledging God’s help at the Food Bank. In public talks and interviews, she has often said, “The Food Banks stands

“You have to be really serious about it: ‘God, what’s my ministry on this earth? What have you called me to do?

How can I serve you?’ ”

as a testimony to the providence of God and the goodness of people,” and she has taken that same attitude into board meetings, where she has never hesitated to mention God and her dependence on him.

“In fact there were times when we were working on budgets, and the budget didn’t quite balance out, and there would be a line item in there and someone would say, ‘Well, what’s that?’” Rich says. “And she’d say, ‘That’s where God does something.’ And it worked out! That’s hard for a board of directors that is not necessarily faith-based. That’s a stretch, but she always pushed those limits and pushed people to trust God.” Machens admits he didn’t always appreciate that pushing.

“I would usually come back and say, ‘But God doesn’t write checks,’” he says. “It took me a few years of being able to watch what happened, and I can’t tell you whether it’s because of Peggy, because of the mission of the organization, because of the donor base, but we always managed to come up with what we needed.”

Kirkpatrick says it wasn’t always easy for her to trust God to provide, either, but God developed her own faith as she has served at the Food Bank.

“I came to this organization with little faith, and I believe — and I hope this is true — that as I’m leaving it, I’m leaving it with great faith,” she says.

“Because I’ve seen —” she chokes up,

Clockwise from top: Peggy with the radio personalities from the Zimmer Radio Group during the One For One Holiday Food Drive. Peggy with MU Athletic Director, Mike Alden.

Peggy gives a tour of the Food Bank to a group of women business leaders. Peggy escorts Senator Roy Blunt and members of the media on a tour of the Food Bank.

Photos courtesy of Mike DeSantis takes a moment to collect herself and then whispers, “I’ve seen God’s hand every step of the way.”

As much as Kirkpatrick has appreciated the opportunity to serve God and people at the Food Bank, she has longed to be rid of one restriction: “I’ve never really had the freedom to preach Jesus,” she says.

That restriction has finally proven too confining. At the beginning of this year, she once again felt God stirring her to a new work.

“I’m just not satisfied with what I’m doing anymore,” she says. “There’s something bigger, something else. … I’ve spent 22 years helping people cope with poverty, and what’s getting bigger and bigger and bigger in me is —” again, she chokes up and takes a deep breath before continuing.

“Jesus is the only way to get out of poverty,” she concludes, “and I want to help people get out of poverty.

“So I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do next, other than, after 22 years, I know God’s got it.” www.CoMoChristian.com

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[ Book Review ] Max Lucado’s Grace Makes Sense Of A Complex Concept

By Brianna Westervelt

S

itting in church on a Sunday morning, we are immersed by grace — not only by the God-granted grace, but simply by the word “grace.” We sing “Amazing Grace,” we pray for grace, grace is present in sermons and responsive readings. Grace can even be found in the banners that decorate the building.

We are surrounded by grace.

As sinners, God already grants us so much grace. At the same time, grace is a topic that we cannot even begin to understand. That’s where minister-author Max Lucado comes in, because he says that as much as the word “grace” is a part of our daily lives, not to mention our church lives, we talk as though we understand the term. We all need grace, yet we don’t get grace, Lucado says. But it sure can get us.

Grace lets us know that God will always protect us, no matter how much and to what extent we mere humans sin. Just because we sin does not mean that we cannot accept God’s grace. To deliver us grace, Lucado says, God stoops down to our level, which can be seen in his giving his one and only son for our sins. That’s some powerful grace.

Great for Bible studies, Grace comes with a complete reader’s guide following each chapter that includes reviews of scripture, questions to ask, and prayers for grace, along with ways to incorporate into your own life the lessons about grace that Lucado writes about in the book.

Lucado’s narrative and use of short anecdotes paired with corresponding Bible stories appeals to all walks of faith. One of the most powerful stories is about Ruth, which appears in Chapter 6. Ruth’s troubled life helped give birth to grace — that grace being Jesus Christ himself.

To accept God’s grace is to accept God’s offer to be adopted into his family, Lucado says.

Lucado’s book explains and reminds us of God’s promise to us, this concept of grace. Put your faith in God, Lucado says, and grow in God’s grace.

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Grace lets us know that God will always protect us, no matter how much and to what extent we mere humans sin.

www.CoMoChristian.com

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Global Impact

By Anita Neal Harrison

Christians right here in Columbia are leading international nonprofit organizations that share love and spread hope throughout the world. Those Christians include Jimi and Cristi Cook, founders of Be The Change Volunteers; Melody Parry, board president of INVEST Inc.; Gary Moreau, executive director of PET Mobility Project; and Ron and Sally Widbin, missionaries with Foundation for the Higher Good. These Christian workers took some time to share the good they are seeing accomplished through their organizations and how their fellow Columbians can get involved to support their efforts.

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[ Be The Change Volunteers ] Thirteen years after the Rwandan Genocide, Jimi and Cristi Cook walked beneath a sagging roof into a Butare school building, the site of an unfathomable massacre in 1994.

Although the school was once again being used for classes, devastation was still everywhere, from broken windows to leaking roofs to missing doors. But the Cooks’ gazes stopped at plaster patches on the walls, patches they knew covered bullet holes.

That experience stirred the Cooks, both of whom are faculty members at MU, to partner with Brian and Dominique Anderson of Austin, Texas, to begin leading teams of volunteers into the world’s poorest communities to build and renovate schools. Be The Change Volunteers officially launched in 2008, and by the end

of 2014, it will have completed 27 schools in 15 countries.

While the intended impact was to improve educational opportunities in disadvantaged communities, the Cooks report many “unintended” impacts, from barrier-breaking educational and employment opportunities for girls and women, to diverse religious, cultural and ethnic groups coming together in never-beforeheard-of ways to support education in their communities.

Jimi Cook recalls one of many poignant moments he has witnessed. It was on a build in Papua New Guinea, and he was carrying a load of rocks from a riverbed uphill to the construction site of a school that would be the first for seven villages.

“It was tough work,” he says.

“I looked up to see a woman

carrying three loads of rocks up the hill with a baby on her back as well. She had a spring in her step and easily passed me. When I caught up with her … she turned to face me, looked me dead in the eye and in very broken but clear and confident English, she said: ‘My daughter will go to school here! Thank you!’”

Although Jimi and Cristi are both Christians, Be The Change Volunteers is a nonreligious organization.

“We wanted to make sure to be inclusive so that as many people as possible could have improved opportunities for education,” Cristi Cook says. “Our faith is certainly the foundation for why we started Be The Change Volunteers — we believe strongly in serving others, putting our faith into action and loving our neighbors — but Be The Change Volunteers has definitely strengthened and empowered our faith.

“When we see the faith, joy and service of those in the communities we work with,” she continues, “we are so inspired by their faith and passion. We definitely feel more and more strongly with each build that we have truly been called to this work by God.”

“We have truly been called to this work by God.” — Cristi Cook The Cooks invite others to get involved with Be The Change Volunteers by contacting them through the Be The Change Volunteers website, www. bethechangevolunteers.org, or Facebook page, www.facebook. com/bethechangevolunteers.org.

The website includes information for those interested in going on a build, including the volunteer costs. Those costs vary with each project but are usually around $3,500. The full amount is taxdeductible, and the costs cover all volunteer expenses and provide funds for the build.

[ Invest Inc. ] As Melody Parry listened to her pastor present the needs of widows and orphans in Malawi, Africa, she was surprised at how much she wanted to help.

“I just had a prompting to do something,” she says. “It’s interesting what God lays on your heart. There are so many nonprofit organizations that I’m involved with and love, but for some reason, INVEST and international missions have really touched me, and that’s where I want to spend my time and resources.”

INVEST Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the widows and orphans of the AIDS crisis in Malawi, a small landlocked country in southeast Africa. Through INVEST, about 60 orphans receive a nutritious meal every day, access to medical care and an education. In addition, INVEST has helped acquire land so women can work together to grow grain, and currently, at the Malawian women’s request, INVEST is helping get them started in pig farming.

Parry, who is the co-owner of OutFront Communications and an associate publisher of Inside Columbia magazine, became president of the board of INVEST in 2011. She reports INVEST’s challenges range from raising enough money to cover the feeding program to finding the right partners in Malawi.

“Every year, there’s an insurmountable problem, one of those things where the board members look at each other and wonder, ‘How is this going to get done?’” Parry says. “And, really, we

turn to prayer first and say, ‘God, if you want us to continue helping in Malawi, please give us the resources.’ It doesn’t happen overnight, but every time, something happens so we can go on.

So you realize: ‘It’s not me making this happen. It’s a higher force than me.’”

A Christian since she was a little girl, Parry says her motivation for serving the people of Malawi is the Bible. She mentions the charge in James to care for widows and orphans, as well as Jesus’ teaching in Luke that “to whom much is given, much shall be required.”

“After you go over there, you see how much we have,” she says. “We hit the lottery because we were born in the United States, so there is an obligation, I believe, from the Bible to take care of those less fortunate, and for some reason, God has given me this desire to help abroad.”

Parry has visited Malawi four times, once taking one of her two teenage sons. The people she’s met there have captured her heart.

“When you arrive, the kids just swarm you,” she says. “They’re so joyful, and they start singing with these amazing, beautiful harmonizing voices, and you think, ‘OK, it’s been a really hard, challenging year, but here they are, they’re alive, they’re healthy, and they’re learning about God,’ and it makes it all worthwhile.”

There are many ways people in Columbia can help, Parry says, from serving as child sponsors to traveling to Malawi to help with construction projects. Find out more at www. investinc.info or by contacting Parry at 573-449-6644 or melody@ outfrontcommunications.net. www.CoMoChristian.com

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Global Impact

[ PET Mobility Project ] The mission of Personal Energy Transportation, or PET, is to lift up people who because of a disability and no access to a wheelchair must either depend on others to carry them or drag themselves on the ground.

“The gift of mobility restores the dignity to disabled individuals who are often considered outcasts in their family,” says Gary Moreau, who became executive director of PET Mobility Project in 2012. “There could be many reasons why people have to crawl on the ground, but that’s what we’re all about — giving them mobility.”

PET began in 1994, when a missionary in Zaire asked Mel West, a retired Columbia minister and founder of PET, to develop a hand-cranked, three-wheeled, sturdy and maintainable wheelchair capable of traveling rough trails and offering hauling capacity. In the 20 years since, West’s simple garage project has grown into an international operation with 24 affiliates in the U.S. and one in Zambia.

More than 50,000 wheelchairs have been delivered in 100 countries.

Moreau, a retired USDA soil conservationist, got involved with PET after moving back to Columba in 2002. He and his dad volunteered at the local shop together, cutting chain.

“It’s just one of those things that tugs at your heart,” he says. “You see people crawling on the ground, and it’s just not right.”

For an example of PET’s impact, he names Seun Oeke, an 18-year-old Nigerian woman who received a PET in 2005. Disabled from birth, she has now gone through school and has a job and home and can move around her village.

While PET is “a part of the ministry of Jesus Christ,” it gives out wheelchairs without regard to race, creed, country of origin, sexual preference,

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age or any description aside from need. The wheelchairs are not given out to proselytize but to “set the example,” Moreau says.

“A lot of people can’t understand why someone would want to come down and provide mobility for them,” he says, “but they’re very willing to accept it.”

He adds that for him, a motivating verse is Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Three times, Moreau has been able to go to Guatemala to see PET wheelchairs delivered.

“That’s when life changes for you,” he says. “I mean, it just reaffirms that

you’re doing something that’s really meaningful and needed in the world.”

There are many ways people in Columbia can help. “Donors are the greatest need,” Moreau says, adding $250 will cover one wheelchair. Also needed are volunteers for weekly work shifts to help assemble the wheelchairs, and people and businesses to contribute toward parts. The public is invited to tour the shop at 1908 Heriford Road, and there is a PET Vacation Bible School Kit that can be used with any curriculum as a mission element.

Moreau encourages people to find out more by following PET on Facebook, Twitter, Google and Instagram, visiting www.giftofmobility.org, or contacting him at 573-886-7877.

“This place breaks our hearts every day, but God keeps lifting us up..”

— Ron Widbin

Catching Up With Ron & Sally Widbin, Missionaries In Guatemala Another Columbia-based nonprofit organization doing international work is The Foundation for the Higher Good. Columbian Chuck Worstell founded this organization in 2003, in part to support the work of former Columbia residents John and Sharon Harvey, missionaries in Guatemala.

In 2011, former Columbia TV personality and longtime Rock Bridge baseball coach Ron Widbin took a Foundation for the Higher Good mission trip sponsored by The Crossing. From the time he returned, his wife, Sally, a former teacher with Columbia Public Schools, knew a comfortable retirement in Columbia was no longer in their future, and in August 2012, the Widbins moved to Guatemala to work with the Harveys.

Ron gives an update on what they’ve been doing and learning in the two years since.

“When we first arrived, Sally was working exclusively with the special needs school, and I was doing videos for the communications department.

A few months later, we were asked to lead the teams department. Basically budgeting, scheduling and taking care of 25 American teams coming for a week at a time. … Not exactly why we came to Guatemala, but God has made it clear this is where he wants us for now. …

“The hardest adjustment continues to be the language, even though we have enough Spanish to get our point across and, more importantly, the love

of the Lord. The adjustments to the culture have been surprisingly easy.

Even when a big 7.1 earthquake hit the other morning, we continued to drink our morning coffee while heading outside for safety — just part of life in Guatemala. …

“Like I said earlier, God has made it very clear to us that this is where he wants us to be. Every time we hold a malnourished Guatemalan baby, every time we walk by our neighbor’s daughter who can’t afford to go to school, every time we share a tear with a Guatemalan friend who is at a loss as to how to feed his family for another week — this place breaks our hearts every day, but God keeps lifting us up.

“He speaks to us every morning as we have our devotions together. He reminds us every time a team comes from the States and is blessed by what they do and more importantly by what they see. He tells us over and over again that it’s not in our feeble talents and certainly not in our own strength but in his that anything is accomplished in His kingdom. Our personal devotions and our meeting with other believers have definitely taken on new meaning and importance since moving to Guatemala. …

“Since coming to Guatemala our family has grown. Austin, our second grandson, was born last March. Our daughter Gretchen is about to give birth in September to our third grandson. American holidays can be difficult times to be away. … Are we happy? A lot of the time we are but always with a tinge of sadness. But the peace we have knowing we are being obedient to God’s will more than makes up for our loneliness.” www.CoMoChristian.com

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Keeping Christ In The Classroom Christian Schools Offer A God-Centered Alternative For Columbia’s Youth

By Luke Chval

C

olumbia is a brainy town — 56 percent of residents over the age of 25 have earned a bachelor’s degree. That high regard for education rubs off on the K-12 schools in town, and Columbia Public Schools are recognized as one of the best school systems in Missouri.

Columbia also is home to highly successful private schools, several of which have operated for decades.

Columbia parents looking for a curriculum designed around Christian values can find options here, too, at one of the Christian schools serving the Boone County area.

Christi Wolverton, director of development and public relations at Christian Fellowship School, believes that Christian schools offer a different

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perspective that Christian students simply can’t find in public or secular private schools.

“We teach Biblical world view, so that every class is looked at from a Christian standpoint,” Wolverton says.

“That God is part of creation, and everything that we teach.”

With successful public schools in Columbia, none of the Christian schools have amassed a large enrollment — CFS currently serves slightly more than 300, and Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School enrolled nearly 200 in 2013-14. However, Wolverton points out that the merit of a school isn’t simply predicated on its size.

“Because we’re a small school, kids are able to do a little bit more; it gives us a little more flexibility with trips,” Wolverton says. “Our seventh graders

go to Kentucky to the Creation Museum, our juniors go on a mission trip to New Orleans, and our seniors take a trip together to Destin, so they get to have interactive learning a little bit more.”

The Heritage Academy in Columbia is a member of the National Association of University-Model Schools, a group of Christian college-preparatory schools that serve as a mix between homeschooling and private school.

Students take classes on campus about half the time, and parents serve as co-teachers the other half. Offering college dual credit courses and an opportunity to work at their own pace, the Heritage Academy can be an appealing option for diligent Christian students that are discontented with a stagnant public classroom.

“We teach Biblical world view, so that every class is looked at from a Christian standpoint.”

— Christi Wolverton, Christian Fellowship School

College Park Christian Academy is the oldest Christian school in Columbia, founded in 1944. With a very small enrollment, CPCA offers a small class size for the student who appreciates more attention from teachers. CPCA however, only enrolls students in grades K-9, along with a preschool for children ages 2-5.

Christian Chapel Academy, founded in 1985, is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, and teaches students in grades K-8. It also serves students in a more interactive classroom with class sizes of fewer than 20 students.

One thing all these schools have in common is how they use Biblical evidence to support their ideas about K-12 education. On each of the schools’ websites, there is a section about the philosophy about religious education held by the school, and every one uses Bible verses to show how scripture bestows the responsibility of educating children to their parents.

Perhaps an unexpected upside of sending students to Christian schools is that Christian colleges often look first for students from Christian schools, making Christian secondary education a gateway to acceptance at a Christian university.

Wolverton believes that the Christian values instilled by her school and the others in Columbia are invaluable to a young person’s character, and the students don’t lack for exciting opportunities after graduation.

“We have several alumni that are in their own successful businesses. We have doctors, professors … they’ve gone to hundreds of different colleges and universities because we have been here for over 30 years,” Wolverton says. “They are now sending their own kids to school here, and that shows the belief that it does provide a good education.” www.CoMoChristian.com

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More Than Entertainment Your Guide To Columbia’s Christian Radio

By Anita Neal Harrison

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hristian radio is a part of every single day of Amy Livesay’s life. A Columbia wife, mother, business owner and blogger, Livesay began listening to Christian radio in March 2013 — about the same time she read Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman and decided to pursue Jesus with true devotion. Christian radio is helping her stay on track.

“I listen in my car, on my phone, wherever I can get it!” she says. “I listen because moment-by-moment, day-by-day, we are bombarded both in our minds and by the outside world with messages that are not godly. Listening to Christian music or teaching reminds me that I need to be focusing on godly priorities, not my own. It also offers me reassurance at times when I need it.

“It has also reminded me of the importance of paying attention to the impressions I am making on my children,” Livesay continues. “When my son Eli sings, ‘And greater is the one living inside of me than he who is living in the world,’ I know that God is using Christian radio to plant seeds in his sweet little 4-yearold mind.”

In Columbia, Christian radio options include Spirit FM, found on the dial at 107.7 FM for most of Columbia and 103.5 FM on the north side of town; Bott Radio Network, found at 89.9 FM; and K-LOVE, found at 92.1 FM.

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Columbia Christian Magazine

Spirit FM

107.7 FM and 103.5 FM

Founded in 1985 with one station in Camdenton, Spirit FM is today a network of nine stations and three translators broadcasting throughout Missouri.

Person responding: Jim McDermott, station founder and manager WHAT IS THE MISSION OF SPIRIT FM? Our mission is to be a fun place for people to hear about God and have their lives changed by the music, the teaching and the on-air personalities.

TUNE IN TO HEAR ... mostly contemporary Christian music. We do have a few talk programs that are specifically targeted at women with families. The other big part of our programming is connection: connecting listeners with God and with those who need their help. Being all over Missouri helps in doing that.

WHO ARE THOSE PERSONALITIES? • Jim McDermott: Morning show and station manager. Founded the station.

• Darin Alexander: Mid-day host of “One-on-One,” prayer warrior and loves helping listeners.

• Michele O’Dell: Evening and Sunday morning host who spreads joy and the glory of the Lord wherever she goes.

• Scott Johnson: Production guy, who also does overnights and fills in when someone is gone.

• Andrea Nowak: Saturday morning host.

Aside from 107.7 and 103.5, how can people connect with Spirit FM? We are on Facebook and have apps for iPad, iPhone and Android — search for “Spirit FM Radio.” We stream online 24/7 at spiritfm.org. We actually have a live DJ here on weekdays from 6 a.m. until 9:45 p.m. People are welcome to call the studio at 800-606-3299.

How is Spirit FM supported? Spirit FM is commercial-free, so we are listener-supported by both [individual] listeners and by listeners who give through their businesses.

K-LOVE 92.1 FM

K-LOVE began as a single radio station in Santa Rosa, Calif., in 1982, and today is broadcast on 466 stations in 49 states.

Person responding: Mike Novak, president/CEO of K-LOVE/Air1 Radio

Bott Radio Network

89.9 FM

Since its founding in 1962 in Kansas City, Bott Radio Network has grown from broadcasting over one radio station to more than 95 radio stations reaching into 15 states.

Person responding: Rich Bott, president and CEO, Bott Radio Network WHAT IS THE MISSION OF BOTT RADIO NETWORK? Helping listeners grow in their faith through Bible teaching and preaching, practical knowledge for facing daily challenges, and news and information from a Biblical perspective. Everything we do at Bott Radio Network is designed to help people grow in the Lord and apply their faith in their daily lives. In today’s world, many are seeking sound truth and guidance, and Bott Radio Network has been a trusted source for quality Christian programming for more than 50 years. Our confidence is in the Word of God and its power to change the hearts and lives of those who listen.

TUNE IN TO HEAR ... a world leader in quality Christian talk radio.

Teachers and speakers include Jim Daly (Focus on the Family), David Jeremiah, Chip Ingram, James McDonald, Chuck Swindoll, Ravi Zacharias and many others.

Aside from 89.9, how can people connect with Bott Radio Network? Bott Radio Network’s quality Christian programs can be accessed anytime worldwide at BottRadioNetwork.com and on mobile devices with Bott Radio Network apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Additionally, our programs can be heard on iHeart Radio, iTunes and TuneIn Radio. Bott Radio Network also connects with listeners on Facebook and Twitter.

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF K-LOVE? Our mission is, through the use of contemporary Christian music and the media in general, to encourage people toward a closer personal relationship with Christ. … We use a phrase, “positive and encouraging,” and it’s kind of interesting because we didn’t come up with that. We went to several million people several years ago and said … “Send us a note in 50 words or less of how you would explain K-LOVE.” Then we did a word search, and the two words that were predominant were positive and encouraging.

TUNE IN TO HEAR ... a contemporary Christian music-driven format. We run a couple of what we call teaching features per hour, about a minute each. The rest is music and the announcers. It’s all live, 24/7, 365. It is a network, but it also has local insertion spots.

What do you look for in the onair personalities? We look for people who are very real, flaws and all. And by that I mean, none of us is perfect. God didn’t use perfect people. The original 12 were kind of a messed up bunch. But what we find is people who bring real-life experiences to the table, combined with the message of the music, that has high credibility with listeners. We believe in high-tech; we also believe in high-touch.

Aside from 92.1, how can people connect with K-LOVE? K-LOVE uses KLOVE.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram to connect with listeners, and listeners can call 800-525-LOVE (5683). K-LOVE can also be heard on TuneIn and iHeartRadio.

How is K-LOVE supported? We are 100 percent listener-funded. We do not get money from the government, we do not make money off advertising, we do not make money from anything. We are a 501(c)3. www.CoMoChristian.com

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By kate hrdina

Meet the Conference Speakers A Christian’s walk with Christ takes different paths throughout life: Some parts of the road are bumpy, and others are lush and beautiful. Seeking out guidance from peers along the way can be a source of great encouragement. In February, we’re bringing five inspirational Christians to the CoMo Christian Men’s Conference to share their stories with the Columbia community. Meet them here:

> Rod Handley

Rod Handley’s influence on the Christian community reaches wide and takes many forms. He was part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes staff for 11 years, eventually as senior vice president and chief operating officer/chief financial officer, and he served as chaplain for both the Kansas City Royals and Seattle SuperSonics.

Handley is the founder and president of Character That Counts, a ministry that counsels those who have gone through a moral or ethical struggle.

He also co-founded the Teaching Guys Infinite Wisdom ministry, which now has groups across the world. He speaks across the country approximately 250 times a year, which was the springboard for his work as a writer. Handley doesn’t consider writing a natural talent for himself, but oftentimes after his talks, audience members would ask if he had anything in writing that they could dig deeper into. He has now published more than 20 books, including “Character That Counts:

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Columbia Christian Magazine

Who’s Counting Yours?” Handley and his wife are active volunteers in their Lee’s Summit community, and he can often be found spending time with his four children and their sports teams.

> Todd Wagner

Grounded.

Passionate.

Committed.

Focused. These are some of the keywords in the list of values at Watermark Community Church, the church founded about a decade ago by Pastor Todd Wagner in Dallas. A self-proclaimed skeptic of church leadership previously, Todd’s mission as a leader now is to bring the unchurched and unmoved to the body of Christ. Watermark has campuses in both Dallas and Fort Worth, but the reach of its members spans the globe in service and in teaching. Todd often travels to conferences to share the truth of the Bible, and he authors a blog and a series of podcasts answering some of life’s most pressing questions for a Christian. Still, his favorite way

to serve the Lord is by leading his family as a husband and a father of six and coaching sports teams for his children.

> Greg Holder

Greg Holder is the lead pastor at The Crossing, a St. Louis-area church with campuses in Chesterfield, Fenton and St. Peters.

The church welcomes a community that includes a wide array of spiritual backgrounds working together in their walk with Christ. Greg has authored a children’s board book called “My Name is Moses,” and he is a contributing writer for “The Voice,” a new, story-like translation of the Bible that promotes a personal relationship with God through scripture. Greg also co-founded The Advent Conspiracy, a resource for pastors and churches to reimagine the way we think about Christmas.

Instead of promoting the culturally defined consumerism and stress that comes with the holiday, The Advent Conspiracy aligns with the biblical story of Christmas and encourages four tenets for the season: Worshipping Fully, Spending Less, Giving More and Loving All.

> Bishop Lester Woods

Bishop Lester Woods encourages the Christian community in Columbia through his involvement in multiple areas of the city. He is the Chief Officer of Urban Empowerment Ministries, Inc. and Urban Empowerment Development Corporation. As a leader at uE Ministries, Woods not only encourages Christ’s followers to strengthen their own faith but also teaches them to reach into the community to make an impact

in other peoples’ lives. Woods has worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation since 2002, advocating equal opportunity in human resources. He is now an administrator there and also directs the external affirmative action and non-discrimination programs.

Woods attained the bishopric in 2009. His wife, Christine, is a pastor, and together they lead their two daughters in Christian faith.

> Mike Matheny

Since becoming manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in November 2011, Mike Matheny has led the team to the National League Championship Series three times.

In his 13 years as a player (for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants), he received four National League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. His leadership and success goes beyond the diamond, though. He’s a man who openly speaks about his faith and has created a charity organization called The Catch 22 Foundation. Named for Matheny’s position and jersey number, the organization encourages sports among disabled children.

Catch 22 built its first handicapaccessible baseball field in 2005 and has since created two more.

Join us!

Register for the CoMo Christian Men’s Conference on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Missouri Theatre in downtown Columbia.

Mail in the ticket order form on Page 23 by Dec. 31, 2014, or purchase tickets online at www.CoMoChristian.com. www.CoMoChristian.com

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[ Movie Review ] Christian Films Go Mainstream With ‘Heaven Is For Real’ By luke chval

T

he recent success of Christian films and television shows such “Son of God,” “Noah,” “God’s Not Dead,” and “The Bible,” has shown the genre to be appealing for viewers and financially viable for investors. It’s an industry that has grown leaps and bounds since the 1950s, when Charlton Heston’s Moses was leading the Israelites through a Technicolor version of “The Ten Commandments.”

The 2014 film “Heaven is for Real,” based on the 2010 New York Times bestseller, stars Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly. The film taps into this growing genre with a family-friendly narrative that mirrors the book’s tone. The film

follows Todd Burpo (Kinnear), a pastor in a small town in Nebraska, whose son Colton is struck by appendicitis, and afterward claims to have visited heaven during his surgery.

After Colton recovers, he recalls his memories to Todd, who tries to find meaning in the experience and receives backlash from the community who is largely skeptical of the story and writes it off as a hallucination.

It boasts exceptional acting performances, especially from Kinnear, who is taken to task from all sides about his belief in his son’s story, even from his own wife. He is led through a series of financial, spiritual and societal encounters that try his belief in heaven and God.

The quality writing, production and performances add up to a delightful and rewarding Christian film experience.

Although “Heaven is for Real” won’t win awards for innovative filmmaking, it is a creative and superbly produced venture that should open doors for more mainstream Christian productions in the future.

Add These Classic Christian Films To Your Collection “The Ten Commandments” (1956)

“The Ten Commandments” is a classic film adaptation of the life of Moses, starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brenner as the pharaoh. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, The Ten Commandments is the seventh-highest grossing film of all time when profits are adjusted for inflation.

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“Ben-Hur” (1959)

“Ben-Hur” is a Christian epic that takes place during the life of Jesus, and follows the fictional character of BenHur (portrayed by Charlton Heston, who won an Oscar for the role) as the teachings of Jesus influence his life. The movie shows several key events in Jesus’ life, including the Sermon on the Mount and his crucifixion.

Columbia Christian Magazine

“Chariots of Fire” (1981)

The Best Picture winner at the 1982 Academy Awards, “Chariots of Fire” is based on a true story about two runners in the 1924 Paris Olympics. In the film, devout Scottish runner Eric Liddell faces a test of faith when the 100 meter race he is to compete in is scheduled for the Sabbath.

“The Mission” (1986)

This British film stars Robert De Niro as Rodrigo Mendoza, a Spanish slaver in 18th century colonial South America.

Mendoza and Father Gabriel, the leader of the Jesuit Mission in the Iguazu Falls area, are forced to defend the mission against a SpanishPortuguese army in order to save the native Guarani from enslavement.

“The Passion of the Christ” (2004)

A well-known film directed

by Mel Gibson depicts the trial and execution of Jesus, accurately performed using the languages of the time. The film is the highest grossing nonEnglish movie of all time.

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