6 minute read
Alumni News
OZARK ON THE GO
Troy Nelson
OCC is excited to announce our 2020 Alumni Project: Ozark on the Go! You can’t spell “gospel” without “G-O,” and for over 75 years, OCC students have been on the go. Camp teams, Lord’s Reapers teams, Impact Brass and Singers, Frontline, athletics teams, and more have piled into buses and vans to represent Christ all over the country. Last year alone, Ozark students traveled more than 617,000 road miles for the sake of the mission. Ozark really is on the go!
But we need your help to keep going. Our aging van fleet needs to be replaced, so we’ve made it our focus for this year’s Alumni Project. This year, we’ve set a goal of $150,000 for two initiatives: 1. $75,000 toward the purchase of two new vans for our fleet 2. $75,000 toward our need-based grants for students Your gift to these two initiatives will help put students in our classrooms and in our van seats—students who will end up going to schools and churches and camps with the gospel.
Will you consider being a part of this project? You can set up your one-time or monthly gift at occ.edu/donate. Thank you for helping us keep Ozark on the go!
ALUMNI PROJECT GOAL: $150,000
$75,000 TWO NEW VANS $75,000 NEED-BASED GRANTS
OCC.EDU/DONATE Troy Nelson serves as alumni engagement director at OCC.
CONGRATULATIONS Nathan (08) and Katie Martin on the birth of their second child, Anderson Gene, in June. Nathan serves as principal of the Tri-County Christian School in Macon, Missouri. David (11) and Katie Heffren on the birth of Adelaide Carol on January 4. David serves as associate minister of Town and Country Christian Church in Topeka, Kansas. Shane (13) and Samantha Wyly on the birth of Janessa Lynn on September 17. Shane serves as pastor of student ministries at Washington Avenue Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas.
Josiah and Alex (Swafford) Brazle (16) on the birth of Juniper River on October 30. Josiah works as a facilities manager at Asbell Companies in Carl Junction, Missouri, and Alex is a stay-at-home mom.
Zach (16) and Chelsea (Martin) Wilkins (14) on the birth of their second son, Ezra, born December 4 in Franklin, Indiana. Zach serves as student minister at Victory Christian Church in Franklin.
WITH SYMPATHY Please lift up in prayer the families of the following alumni who have passed away in recent weeks. Pray for the loved ones of Deanna (Sapp) Bolen (64), who lost her battle with cancer in Nixa, Missouri, on April 3—her birthday. Our deepest sympathy is with the family and friends of Dick Williams (56/former staff), who passed away in Joplin on November 14.
CLASS NOTES:
1960s Bob (66) and Carol Ammerman celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary in August. Bob is retired from ministries in Miami, Oklahoma; Longmont, Colorado; Jeffersonville, Indiana; and St. Louis Christian College as well as 22 years with the U.S. Postal Service. The Ammermans live in New Albany, Indiana. They have three children and ten grandchildren.
1970s Wanda (Hinderliter) Polson (78) serves as the finance secretary at Harvest Ridge Covenant Church in Shawnee, Kansas.
1980s In January, Kevin Bayless (88) began serving as lead pastor with Galesburg Christian Church in Galesburg, Kansas.
In June 2019, Craig Ziese (88) celebrated 20 years with Mountainview Christian Church in Gresham, Oregon, where he serves as the discipleship pastor.
Looking for some new Ozark gear? Shop online at occ.edu/store.
2000s In 2013, Michael (05) and Megan (Elmore) Brown (04) launched Thrive Christian Church and Insight Leadership in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They recently adopted a little girl to add to their family of three boys. Megan works as a freelance writer and is preparing to begin graduate studies.
Doron Jones (07) serves as connections pastor at Southeast Christian Church. The Jones family lives in Simpsonville, Kentucky. In December, Adam Schetzler (08) began serving as children’s minister at Crossroads Christian Church in Macon, Missouri. Congratulations to Tracy Fanning (09) on her marriage to Timothy Kaebisch on August 24. The couple resides in Greenfield, Wisconsin.
We’d love to hear from you!
Submit your ministry or family update at occ.edu/alumni. We’ll print your news in the next available issue.
PUBLICATIONS
The Starting Five: Five Essentials to Make the Team Better by John Blankenship (94/98) and Dr. Dwaine Cales. Available on Amazon.
2010s In February 2019, Bryce (12) and Kelsey (Green) Hotchkiss (12) began serving at Batesville Christian Church in Batesville, Indiana. They welcomed their second child, Brannigan Steele, on April 18. Kelsey works as a certified pediatric sleep consultant with Sleep Wise Consulting.
Jennifer (McCombs) Huff (15) is serving as a stay-at-home mom and nanny in Reeds, Missouri. She and her husband, Ethan, attend Carterville Christian Church in Carterville, Missouri. Grace Funderburgh (17) lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she serves as resource director and multicultural worship leader with Proskuneo Ministries, a multicultural community that exists to help the body of Christ see, live, and share the vision of Jesus-centered multicultural worshiping communities among all peoples on earth as in heaven. Kellie (Gardner) Kramer (17) serves as youth minister with the Norton Christian Church in Norton, Kansas. Nate Wesley (17) and his wife Makenzie are making their home in Northwest Arkansas, where Makenzie works as the manager for Scott Frame & Art in Bentonville and Nate serves as operations manager for The Pack Shack in Cave Springs. The Pack Shack is a non-profit hunger relief organization that supplies provisions and opportunities for neighbors in need. Kristin (Youts) Brown (17) has served on the faculty of Aztec High School of Aztec, New Mexico, for two-and-a-half years. On July 16, she became engaged to Brian Brown of Grants, New Mexico. Brian is an ordained minister and currently attending Jimmy Swaggart Bible College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The wedding is planned for the summer of 2020. Lenox Johnson (18) lives in Littleton, Colorado, as she pursues a Master of Arts in the New Testament at Denver Seminary. She also serves as youth minister at Foothills Fellowship Baptist Church in Littleton. Logan (19) and Vanessa (Cox) Carrigan (18) were married on October 13. Logan serves as associate minister at Christ’s Church-Ft. Wayne in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Joy Comes in the Mourning: A Directed Journal Through Grief by Ginger (Weaver) Bogle (85/former staff). Available at gingerbogle.com.
What Made Jesus Mad? Tim Harlow (OCC ’83)
Retelling Bible stories in a refreshing, eye-opening way, Harlow offers an unforgettable reintroduction to the true character of Jesus and invites us to get to know the Savior who was gracious but also blunt, sometimes sarcastic, and wildly passionate about bringing people to the heart of God.
30 Core 52 Mark E. Moore (OCC ’86)
You want to know the Bible better because you know the Bible will make you better. But where should you start? And how can you progress past the confusing parts? Core 52 is your guide through the maze of a very big book. From OCC’s online professor, Mark E. Moore.
Between Two Trees Shane J. Wood (OCC ’04)
- Kyle Idleman (OCC ’98), Teaching Pastor Southeast Christian Church, KY
