Downtown is spreading the gospel of Jesus in the U.S.
The Domestic Missions Committee at Downtown is implementing our mission of seeking the lost by supporting missionaries going to work in areas of our country where the good news of Jesus is not well known. The need is great in many major population centers of the U.S. Below you will find the ministries DC is currently supporting.
River City Ministries in North L.R.
RIVER CITY MINISTRY--
This is an effort in North Little Rock that focuses on helping the homeless with food, learning life skills, finding housing, and learning about Jesus as the key to life change. Paul Wilkerson directs this effort. Not only are food and clothing given, but programs are used to help people acquire basic skills to help them become employed, and counseling is provided for various needs.
RCM converts people to Jesus every year, and provides a contact point so that they are never alone.
St. Louis Area Church Plant
Wes and Ariel Woodell are currently part of a church plant in Wentzville, MO (north StL), and are planning to be part of a plant across town in Collinsville in 2017.
They are gifted evangelists who are active in the church body life, in reaching out to seekers, and in leading people to Jesus. They host small groups in their home, and are looking forward to reaching out to university students from the Collinsville church plant (which is located between two universities).
John 3:17 Ministry
This is an outreach ministry for women to help them come out of addiction cycles and habits. The program is sponsored and housed by the Remmel church of Christ, about 15 miles south of Newport, Arkansas. The program is a 12-month period which is very structured and includes group and personal Bible study, various service work projects, Celebrate Recovery participation every week, counseling, and physical exercise. Special events and workshops/retreats are also part of the program.
Jim Woodell, long-time area minister and former Downtown church Shepherd is the Director of John 3:17. The program which currently houses about 28, receives around 1000 applications a year. The ministry sees 12-15 baptisms a year.
Tuba City, Arizona Mission
Eric and Tracy Kee are our sponsored missionaries on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Tuba City, AZ. Eric and Tracy are both Harding graduates, and Eric is Navajo, having grown up in Tuba City. Their young children are Cayden, Silas, and Ava.
The church building (hogan shaped) and four large bunking hogans, plus a bath hogan, are on an acre of land arranged by a 99-year lease courtesy of the Navajo Nation.
Each year the Kees host numerous youth groups from as far away as Atlanta and California to do service projects on the reservation and VBS programs for the children. As of 2016, they are having around 35 in attendance on Sunday's, but frequently have 100-200 or more, for their family movie night outreach events in the summer. Benevolence, encouragement, Bible study and service are focal points of this ministry.