Read all about it here.

Karis is pleased to sponsor a Disaster Relief concert on March 19th at the Underground Cafe downtown.  100% of the proceeds go to Food for the Hungry.  Brady Didion of Karis is playing, along with Michael Schembre’s band Mary & The Giant.  Join us at the Underground.

Tom Seagraves, a Karis deacon, wrote these words about his service in the True/False film fest.  Now, THIS is what I’m talking about.  Very exciting.

Last night, more than 50 Karis people visited Paquin Towers in downtown Columbia to serve Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the second year in a row our church has put on this event. We’re not sure of an exact count, but there were probably at least 100 residents who ate a really good meal. And we cooked (or bought) it all.

What’s exciting is that the average age of Karis is definitely in the 20s. We don’t have any little, old ladies who are used to potluck dinners. We have a bunch of young singles and couples. But they truly have loving, servant hearts and will do whatever it takes to seek Shalom in our city. Lots of people banded together. Even our worship intern, Bobby Schembre, a single dude, cooked a turkey! We had so much food left over that we ended up taking some to Sol House and St. Francis House.

More importantly, though, we got to hang out with the residents and show them the love of Jesus. I am so grateful to be a part of this community called Karis. God is making us into a family who loves each other and also loves those outside, beckoning them to come inside and join us. What a joy.

However, attention little old ladies (and men), we could still use some help – not just with sharing food, but with showing wisdom.

Photo: Grant Yoder

Don’t forget, friends to join us tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Paquin. We’ll begin serving food at 6. Just come anytime you can. This is an awesome opportunity to serve some lonely, needy people. Don’t miss it.

Let me also say how encouraged I am to see everyone signed up to bring food. There still may be some holes – check if you’re not signed up. But the fact that we have an average age in the 20s, and we’re bringing 4 turkeys and 4 hams, is really, really exciting to me.
God is growing and using us in incredible ways. Let’s thank him!

The season of Advent is upon us. It’s a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to be joyful in the hope He brings. With winter coming, many people in Columbia have a need for basic materials to keep them warm. Join Karis as we celebrate Advent and conduct a Winter Warm Up for the homeless in Columbia to provide for basic needs and share the hope of Jesus. We will be collecting hats, gloves, scarves, coats, and blankets. You can bring donated items on Sunday mornings through December 6th and leave them at the welcome table. The Winter Warm Up will conclude with a free meal and give away for the homeless on Saturday, December 12th. This is part of Karis’s participation in the “Advent Conspiracy”. If you have any questions, contact Ryan Worley.

Amidst the frenzy of consumerism that is so pervasive during Advent and Christmas, most of us need some help redirecting our hearts and our actions toward Jesus. We all sense that the rampant consumerism that explodes during the season is no real key to our joy, nor to the joy of those on whom we’re spending all of our money. But we often don’t know how to do anything differently. At Karis this year, we’re joining with churches around the world in the Advent Conspiracy, a global effort to reorient people toward the true heart of Christmas - Jesus, our generous Savior.

The idea behind Advent Conspiracy is simple. Instead of spending so much time and money accumulating things we and our loved ones don’t need, we can direct our attention toward worshiping God and giving of ourselves as Jesus did. By all means, buy some gifts. But buy fewer gifts, and make more of them relational, geared toward spending time with people. And get creative with the money you don’t spend: put your heads together with others in Karis, in community groups, etc. Spend it on those in need in your neighborhood or across the globe. Buy blankets and winter clothes for our upcoming community blanket drive. The possibilities are endless. Get in on the conspiracy!

For more information on the Advent Conspiracy and other ideas for how to give, visit these websites:

The Advent Conspiracy

Living Water

Blood:Water Mission

International Justice Mission

World Vision

Sol House, a homeless shelter for Columbia teens, was recently featured in the Columbia Missourian. Check out the article here.  My (Kevin) Community Group has served at the Sol House for some time.

Some Karis members are involved in leading up “Empathy Week” next week at Mizzou.  It’s an effort to raise awareness about, and fight against, human sex trafficking.  Visit this site for more information.

Check out this story about our event yesterday, Recreate 2009, in Douglas Park.