Last week, the Mission Board gathered for a meeting filled with important updates and discussions. We were honored to welcome guests from the Campus Strategic Planning Committee, who provided an in-depth update on their ongoing work. This dedicated team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes and engaging with small groups to envision the best…
Every month, Raydel, a Cuban immigrant drives a white box truck from Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM) to Beargrass where he loads 30 to 40 bicycles repaired by Pedal Power for refugee families. The truck often comes filled with furniture, appliances and numerous household goods. But Raydel finds space to squeeze in the bikes. He is…
By Mike Puckett, Chair of the Beargrass Mission & Outreach Division “We are led by love, compassion, and kindness–following the example and commands of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves and to serve the ‘the least of these’”. I believe these words, taken directly from the Beargrass Mission & Vision Statement, speak to the…
Rev. Rob ShraderMinister of Youth & Young Adults, ro*@*******ss.org Beargrass Youth have a long tradition of summer mission trips. In addition to blessing the communities we serve, these week-long immersion experiences are a huge opportunity for relationship building, life skill learning, and spiritual growth. And they’re always a ton of fun! For the last three…
By Dan Spurlock, Director of Music After a well-deserved rest time, our choir is back, beginning August 4th, filling the sanctuary with music for our souls and God’s glory in our 11:00 Service. On behalf of the entire church, I extend a deeply sincere thank you to the Beargrass Choir for giving us another year…
Back in the early days we did not know about Donny’s history living on the streets or his battles with poverty. We only knew of his kindness, his empathy, and his respect for people sharing tents and cardboard boxes while struggling to survive under concrete bridges and among bushes along our expressways. Donny was simply…
Ministry Team Night was held on Monday, July 15. Led by Leigh Turner, Mission Board Chair, the gathering took place on Zoom. Our Ministry Team meetings continue to reinforce how our shared spiritual foundation strengthens our resolve and propels us forward in our mission, creating an unstoppable tide of progress. To open the meeting, Beargrass’…
At first, we called them The Broken Arrow, but that name failed to hit the target, so we tried The Hidden Arrow, followed by The Fallen Arrow, all close but without success. The Golden Arrowhead came close too. So, with 10 bicycles loaded onto Peabody’s Ford F150 we drove west downtown to the corner of…
Idling your car, especially during hot or cold weather, seems necessary to keep comfortable. However, if instead, we turn off the gas, listen to the radio and keep the windows up, we’ll quickly be back to comfort. (Both hybrid & EV cars run off the electrical battery when idled, another reason to get one!) Remember…
What can we do to cool God’s earth? We didn’t know the damage we would cause by using fossil fuels to run nearly everything. We know that fossil fuels when burned release CO2 , the CO2 escapes into the atmosphere. CO2 creates a chemical cover which won’t let much heat escape into the atmosphere, but holds heat close to the earth like…
Jimmy was blindsided, while riding his bicycle on a one-way street in downtown Louisville, by a vehicle traveling the wrong way. Most of his bike was crushed that day, as were many parts of his body. The accident changed his life forever. After five years of physical pain, therapy, confusion, disappointment and medical complications, the…
By Mike Puckett, Mission Support Ministry Team Chair One of our local, longtime mission partners, WaterStep, shares many alarming global facts about water safety on their website:• 1 in 10 people do not have access to safe water. That’s 663 million people–twice the population of the US• Women and children spend 200 million hours each…
At Beargrass Christian Church, our Freeze and Feed Ministry is dedicated to fixing frozen meals for pick up or delivery to church members who for whatever medical or other reason need just a meal or two instead of a meal train. Frozen meals are stored in the Freeze and Feed Ministry Freezer at Beargrass Christian…
Beargrass’s Mission Board met on Monday, June 17th. The boards is made up of Beargrass’s Ministry Team Leaders, the Deacon and Elder Chairs, and our ministers. In addition to those fine folks, we had special guests, Justin Key, Treasurer, and Shelly Grant, Finance Director, this time around. Justin provided guidance on how our teams and…
On June 16, 2024, Beargrass held it’s first Juneteenth Celebration in Chalice Hall. Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of enslaved people on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln. There is still much to learn and understand about its full significance. Former enslaved were shown a video depicting their…
Through the generosity of many donors past and present, the Mission Support Team is honored to award scholarships to worthy recipients from the church family each year. Listed below are the recipients for the 2024-2025 academic year. The John Keith Knopf Scholarship Award was established in memory of Keith Knopf, a talented young musician who…
The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to community engagement, positive social impact and charitable giving at the national and local levels. Every community is unique, but their common goal is to partner with the neighborhoods they serve and help the people there live healthier lives. One of the ways in which they do this…
Join us on Sunday, June 16th at 10 AM in Chalice Hall for a special celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest known African American holiday commemorating the freedom of the last enslaved people on June 19, 1865. Although recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, many still seek to understand its full significance and why it…
Ricky came to Pedal Power fresh out of prison with $3.00 in his pocket and the promise of a good job, offered by a local HVAC company. He only needed a way to make the daily eight-mile journey to and from work. Neither a bus nor a car was an option. But with a bicycle…
Have you seen news videos showing Palestinians streaming on foot from Gaza to escape the bombing of their neighborhoods and homes? They walk quickly, young parents with children wrapped in blankets while older family members struggle to keep up. Most carry backpacks jammed with necessities and luggage stuffed with clothing. Wooden carts roll along holding…
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office will be at Beargrass’s parking lot to accept prescription and non prescription medications. Too often, unused and expired medications find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic. Bringing unused and expired medications to Beargrass’s Drug Take Back Event protects you, your family, and the community. How…
There is a lot of waste when making food, from simple gardening to preparing leftovers We keep the garbage can close to the kitchen preparation site and gardening space, so just throw what’s leftover in the garbage rather than a special tub, that when full, can be brought to the compost pile. If you have…
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) formally gave birth to our Reconciliation Ministry at its International Convention in 1968, in response to the civil unrest of the times. In 2001, a denominational vision was adopted that included becoming a Pro-Reconciliation / Anti-Racist church. Its mission spoke to a “journey toward wholeness by empowering members of…
Terry had no idea where to find a free bicycle, when his case worker introduced him to Pedal Power. The following Wednesday morning he stepped off the bus in front of Dollar Tree, crossed Shelbyville Road to Beargrass, and approached a team of bike mechanics listening to 60’s tunes on the radio while blowing up…
by Mike Puckett It is our goal to not only work with established mission partners but to be completely accessible to new ones, as well. Bearing witness to the generosity and compassion of this congregation, the Beargrass budget has annually funded over 20 mission partners for many years. In 2023, the range of that funding…
In caring for creation and serving justice to those most affected by fossil fuel emissions (the young and old who are poor and affected by droughts, floods, and crop failures, and those 9 million people affected with respiratory illnesses due to pollution), God is calling us to help our neighbors. However by using fossil fuel…
An open invitation! Come to Room 201, Sunday, June 2nd from 10-11 to hear Sarah Lynn Cunningham, environmental engineer, who also owns an EV, talk about the benefits of owning an EV including the tax credits we can use. This event is the precursor to Green Chalice Ministry’s NEW series: Electrify Everything! About Green Chalice Ministry: Green Chalice educates the congregation about…
My Name is David Schmidt and I am very excited to be joining Beargrass Christian Church as your new Facilities Director. Here’s a little bit about me:I come to you with over 40 years of Bldg. Industrial Facilities and Operations Management experience. I have been in everything from Commercial, Medical and industrial areas of operations…
Monday, May 20, 2024 was our second Ministry Team Night, and it was fantastic! Teams met, dreamed, planned, and made connections with other ministries throughout Beargrass. During our Mission Meal, we reflected on why we chose various ministries to be a part of, and also began exploring the Big Rocks that each group has for…
by Pedal Power Recently, the Beargrass team helped Feed Louisville deliver bicycles to homeless camps hidden in the shrubs between Preston Highway and I 65. People there were gathered in wet, cold, and dirty boxes and tents, struggling to stay dry and hoping to cobble together whatever they could find to eat. They looked lonely…