http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717 Leaders from each of the agencies contribute to the corporate blog. Come back often to see new posts and subscribe to our RSS feed. Radiant WebTools St. Patrick's Day Gala When: March 16, 2013Where: Hickory Hills Country Club, Springfield MOBenefiting: The Council of Churches of the Ozarks and The Foundation, Council of Churches of the OzarksCall 417-862-3586 or 417-865-1300 St. Patrick's Day Gala When: March 16, 2013Where: Hickory Hills Country Club, Springfield MOBenefiting: The Council of Churches of the Ozarks and The Foundation, Council of Churches of the OzarksCall 417-862-3586 or 417-865-1300 http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=39788 39788 Thu, 7 Feb 2013 15:18:00 +0000 February 9, 2013Highland SpringsAmbassadors for Children is hosting our 1st Annual 'Sweetheart Night'on Saturday, February 9th at Highland Springs! This formal event is the perfect Valentine's date night and will raise much needed funds to continue programs for local foster children, such as new clothing, beds, tutoring, & comfort/hygiene bags. ~ You won't want to miss our Silent Auction, featuring 2 one-week stays in Puerta Vallarta, in addition to many other great Valentine's gift ideas! ~Purchase your tickets via phone by calling 417-708-0565 February 9, 2013Highland SpringsAmbassadors for Children is hosting our 1st Annual 'Sweetheart Night'on Saturday, February 9th at Highland Springs! This formal event is the perfect Valentine's date night and will raise much needed funds to continue programs for local foster children, such as new clothing, beds, tutoring, & comfort/hygiene bags. ~ You won't want to miss our Silent Auction, featuring 2 one-week stays in Puerta Vallarta, in addition to many other great Valentine's gift ideas! ~Purchase your tickets via phone by calling 417-708-0565 http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=39787 39787 Thu, 7 Feb 2013 15:11:00 +0000 The Council of Churches of the Ozarks and Lost & Found Grief Center are partnering together to encourage local churches, faith groups, families and individuals to express messages of love and hope for the grieving children, families and community of Newtown, CT. Written expressions for congregations in Newtown can be posted via Facebook on the Council of Churches of the Ozarks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ccozarks. Email notes can be sent to ccozarks@ccozarks.org with a subject line: Hope for Newtown, CT. Traditional cards and letters can be sent or delivered to: Council of Churches of the Ozarks, 627 N. Glenstone (P.O. Box 3947), Springfield MO 65808, or to Lost & Found Grief Center, 1006 N. Cedarbrook, Springfield, MO 65802. Future plans for providing comfort kits for the children of Newtown, CT are being developed by Child Care Aware® of Southern Missouri, a service agency of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks. For more information, contact the Council of Churches of the Ozarks at 417-862-3586. The Council of Churches of the Ozarks and Lost & Found Grief Center are partnering together to encourage local churches, faith groups, families and individuals to express messages of love and hope for the grieving children, families and community of Newtown, CT. Written expressions for congregations in Newtown can be posted via Facebook on the Council of Churches of the Ozarks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ccozarks. Email notes can be sent to ccozarks@ccozarks.org with a subject line: Hope for Newtown, CT. Traditional cards and letters can be sent or delivered to: Council of Churches of the Ozarks, 627 N. Glenstone (P.O. Box 3947), Springfield MO 65808, or to Lost & Found Grief Center, 1006 N. Cedarbrook, Springfield, MO 65802. Future plans for providing comfort kits for the children of Newtown, CT are being developed by Child Care Aware® of Southern Missouri, a service agency of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks. For more information, contact the Council of Churches of the Ozarks at 417-862-3586. http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=38920 38920 Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:42:00 +0000 http://ksmu.org/article/making-difference-where-you-live-50737Follow the link above to read an interview with Rev. Mark Struckhoff and KSMU Ozark Public Radio on Making a Difference Where You Live. http://ksmu.org/article/making-difference-where-you-live-50737Follow the link above to read an interview with Rev. Mark Struckhoff and KSMU Ozark Public Radio on Making a Difference Where You Live. http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=38816 38816 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:47:00 +0000 The following is an article by Mark Stuckhoff published in the New Leader December 9, 2012In his 1960s comic strip, Pogo, Walt Kelly penned, 'We have met the enemy, and they are us.' This Pogo-ism comes to mind when I think about the real and potential roadblocks we may encounter in our local efforts to overcome poverty. The Pogo insight also helps to shed a little light on the value of self-scrutiny.Blindness to the reality of children in poverty in the Ozarks is a daunting roadblock to our progress. Those of us in religious and non-profit organizations which serve the poor do so with diminishing resources and increasing demand. Each day, we see how real and persistent poverty in our community is, and how rapidly poverty is escalating. We also know how important it is that the eyes of our neighbors, those who don't see poverty up close, are opened. The News-Leader's Every Child project has provided welcome exposure to poverty in the Ozarks. Religion that is transformative is about vision. The sight of a Nativity scene is more than a sign that Christmas is near; it is a visual reminder that Jesus was humbly born, a child of poverty. Jesus's teaching in Matthew 25 frames another picture for us to see; those who are suffering are, as Mother Teresa once said, Jesus in his most distressing disguise. Seeing the face of God in our neighbors helps us to hurdle the blindness roadblock. This sort of seeing is often associated with serving alongside one of our local non-profits that are directly engaging with our neighbors in need. Perhaps a sign that we are making real progress toward addressing poverty locally will be when Christians insist on displaying the Beatitudes alongside Nativity scenes and the Ten Commandments.The Rev. Mark StruckhoffExecutive DirectorCouncil of Churches of the Ozarks The following is an article by Mark Stuckhoff published in the New Leader December 9, 2012In his 1960s comic strip, Pogo, Walt Kelly penned, 'We have met the enemy, and they are us.' This Pogo-ism comes to mind when I think about the real and potential roadblocks we may encounter in our local efforts to overcome poverty. The Pogo insight also helps to shed a little light on the value of self-scrutiny.Blindness to the reality of children in poverty in the Ozarks is a daunting roadblock to our progress. Those of us in religious and non-profit organizations which serve the poor do so with diminishing resources and increasing demand. Each day, we see how real and persistent poverty in our community is, and how rapidly poverty is escalating. We also know how important it is that the eyes of our neighbors, those who don't see poverty up close, are opened. The News-Leader's Every Child project has provided welcome exposure to poverty in the Ozarks. Religion that is transformative is about vision. The sight of a Nativity scene is more than a sign that Christmas is near; it is a visual reminder that Jesus was humbly born, a child of poverty. Jesus's teaching in Matthew 25 frames another picture for us to see; those who are suffering are, as Mother Teresa once said, Jesus in his most distressing disguise. Seeing the face of God in our neighbors helps us to hurdle the blindness roadblock. This sort of seeing is often associated with serving alongside one of our local non-profits that are directly engaging with our neighbors in need. Perhaps a sign that we are making real progress toward addressing poverty locally will be when Christians insist on displaying the Beatitudes alongside Nativity scenes and the Ten Commandments.The Rev. Mark StruckhoffExecutive DirectorCouncil of Churches of the Ozarks http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=38814 38814 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:26:00 +0000 HUGE THANK YOU! To Realtors Helping People for their support of Connections Handyman Services! So appreciative of the $20,000 Gift! HUGE THANK YOU! To Realtors Helping People for their support of Connections Handyman Services! So appreciative of the $20,000 Gift! http://www.ccozarks.org/index.cfm?i=16085&mid=25&blogid=9717&comments=37287 37287 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:48:00 +0000