December 3, 2010

Missionary kids from Evangel University and Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, were recently invited to attend a dinner in their honor.

Pastors Mike and Mary Purkey and their congregation at Lenexa (Kansas) Christian Center (AG) hosted the dinner, held on November 30 at the Tower Club in Springfield.

As part of the event, 51 students in attendance were each presented with a gift – every student went home with a $200 gift card to Walmart, $100 cash, and a drawing was held where each student also received a digital camera or flat screen television, with the grand prize of an iPad.

"The night was basically just an evening of celebration," says Kirk Ruchotzke, senior associate pastor at Lenexa Christian Center. "We just loved on the kids and didn't expect anything in return. We just wanted them to know that we appreciate the sacrifice their parents have made on the missions field wherever they may be serving, and the fact that their future is here in school, and we wanted to be a blessing to them."

"It was so heartening to see the love this church poured out on the MKs and to witness firsthand the delight on the faces of those who received this wonderful generosity," says John Bueno, executive director of AG World Missions. "Our gratitude to Pastor Purkey for recognizing these kids are missionaries in their own right; they did not volunteer for missionary service, but gladly served with their parents."

This is the third year for the event, started in 2008 by Purkey as a way to honor and show appreciation for children attending an AG school with parents that were actively involved in AG missions.

"God just birthed something in his heart to do something special for children, in college, who have parents in the mission field, either here or abroad," Ruchotzke says.

Even though Purkey wished to help as many students as he could, he started planning the dinner for students attending Evangel and CBC, the AG schools that were closest in distance to the church.

"When Pastor thought about the incredible sacrifices that our missionary families make – many of them are overseas or in other parts of the United States while their children are separated from them going to school, it's not an easy time for them at any time because of the expense and cost – it's just a small way that we can let our missionary families know we love and appreciate them by doing something tangibly for their children, " says Ruchotzke.

Lenexa Christian Center has always had a heart for missions – the congregation sends monthly support to more than 100 missionaries and has celebrated its 24th annual missions convention this year.

The church hopes to continue the dinner in the future and is already making plans for next year, according to Ruchotzke.

For more information on Lenexa Christian Center, visit http://www.lenexachristian.org.

AG News
Becca Dickson