November 21, 2012

"Do Unto Others, Joplin Second Ward and Community of Christ

Joplin Stake Public Affairs Council
Press Release Nov. 21, 2012
Compiled by W. Lee Hunt

: Bishop Dave Richins of the Joplin Second Ward admires one of the two paintings hanging in the Joplin Stake Center that were purchased through a donation from the Community of Christ congregation in Joplin, MO.


   “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even so to them.” (Matt 7: 12)
   Just hours after the F5 tornado had laid waste to a swath of Joplin, Missouri, the pastor of the Joplin Community of Christ, Steve Hicks, arrived at the home of friend and co-worker Dave Richins, Bishop of the Joplin 2nd Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
   Pastor Hicks, knowing that Bishop Richins’ church and congregation were in the tornado’s direct path, was there to offer his assistance. Fortunately, members of the Richins family were all safe.
   Soon, Pastor Hicks would find a way to be of assistance to Bishop Richins and the bishop’s congregation.
   Bishop Richins later wrote about that night: “At 5:34 p.m., an unusually large and powerful F5 tornado touched down in the southwest end of the ward (congregation’s) boundary and headed in an east-northeast direction, causing a mile-wide and 6 mile-long gash across the entire length of our ward (congregation).”
  He was driving home with his family from the Joplin High School graduation ceremony, held at a college in northeast Joplin, as they watched the dark mixture of black, gray and green clouds rolling toward the center of town from the southwest.
   “Within minutes of arriving home, the family heard the distant ‘freight train sound’ that could be heard to the west. Sister Richins and the Richins children took cover in an interior bathroom with grandparents George and Karen Richins of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I stood at the sliding glass door, looking west as massive storm clouds moved from my left to right. I could see debris high in the sky. Suddenly a large tree from our neighbors’ yard crashed onto the deck and against the sliding-glass door, completely blocking my view. Though the sliding-glass door held, I remember thinking, ‘This is going to be a busy night.’
   “I knew I would need to make a quick assessment of which homes in the ward (congregation) might have received damage. Within fifteen minutes, as I walked three blocks and approached 26th Street on Wisconsin Avenue, I learned the true magnitude of the storm’s damage.”
    “Ward (congregation) members responded with a strength and vigor that could have only come from Heaven. Although 52 homes of ward members sustained damage and 28 were destroyed, the brothers and sisters of the Joplin Second Ward forgot their own problems to rescue those who had greater needs.
   “We met at Sam’s Club parking lot every Saturday from May 28th through September and spent our Saturday mornings serving our fellowmen. As we served members, crews often branched out to the neighbors of those members and helped clean up their yards or assist in whatever way needed. We served with other organizations and with members of other church organizations and developed a real kinship with our brothers and sisters of differing faiths. It was wonderful to see the faith, courage and willingness to serve from so many in our community.”

Pastor Hick’s special offer
   In the days following the tornado, Pastor Hicks offered the use of the Community of Christ Church to Bishop Richins’ congregation, the Joplin Second Ward. Soon after, the Joplin Stake Presidency began a review of the offer – along with several others, including one to share the Neosho Ward building 19 miles to the southeast.
   It would take 16 months before the Joplin Missouri Stake Center (multi-congregational building) would be rebuilt.
   Bishop Richins believed the extra expense of traveling to Neosho or other out-of-town locations would have surely been a financial burden to many congregation members, and that being able to meet in Joplin would also help members remain united as a rescue unit to “stay in the fray and assist each other and their neighbors.”

   Upon the counsel of Joplin Stake President Creed Jones, who had previously toured the Community of Christ building, Bishop Richins and President Terrance Thedell of the LDS Church’s Physical Facilities Department and Stake President of the Springfield Stake, met with Pastors Hicks and John Williams of the Community of Christ to discuss the logistics of having the Joplin Second Ward meet in the Community of Christ building at 1212 North Goetz Boulevard in Joplin.

   “The spirit of cooperation and love filled the meeting,” Bishop Richins later wrote in the ward’s (congregation’s) history. “Pastors Hicks and Williams made it clear that they would do anything in their power to accommodate the Joplin Second Ward.”

   On June 12, 2011, Pres. Jones led an open discussion with the congregation and called for a vote of all members. The vote was unanimous, and the Joplin Second Ward began meeting in the Community of Christ Church at 1 p.m. on June 19, 2011.

   The Community of Christ also welcomed the LDS congregation to hold its usual meetings on Wednesday night so families did not have to travel to Carthage or Neosho for children and youth activities, including Cub Scouts and Scouts.

    Members of the LDS congregation were invited to the Community of Christ’s potluck luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2011, at noon, which was well attended by both congregations. The LDS congregation was also invited to the Community of Christ’s “Hanging of the Greens” ceremony, which kicks off the Christmas Season, on Nov. 30.

    “Members of the Community of Christ have been wonderful hosts and neighbors, Bishop Richins wrote in the 2011 Joplin Second Ward History. “Ward members found the Community of Christ congregation to be very hospitable and accommodating.”

Showing Their Thanks
Allison Tillman of the Joplin Second
 Ward helps paint at the Community
 of Christ church in Joplin, MO.,
 Oct. 13, 2012.

   After several months of sharing the Community of Christ meetinghouse, members of the Joplin 2nd Ward considered ways to show their appreciation.

   On Saturday, Oct. 13, just a day before moving into the completed Joplin LDS Stake Center, 35 members of the Joplin Second Ward congregation donned their work clothes and helped paint the front lobby, hallways, several classrooms and the multipurpose room of the Community of Christ meetinghouse. They worked side-by-side with members of the Community of Christ congregation from 8 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon.

     Several weeks earlier, the Community of Christ had presented Bishop Richins a donation of more than $1,100 and was told to use the gift to help beautify their new building.
Bishop David Richins
accepts a donation
Aug. 5, 2012, from
Pastor Patsy Lay and
her counselor John
Williams for
furbishing the new
Joplin Stake Center.

   Two large paintings were purchased with the donation. They now hang in the east entrance area of the new Joplin Stake Center at 2107 Indiana Ave., Joplin, Missouri, 64804.

   “We’re continuing to reach out and serve them as they have served us,” Bishop Richins said, including several socials between the two congregations.

   “We had a very well-attended potluck dinner with the Community of Christ congregation on Nov. 16 at our new building,” he said. The evening included a performance by the Primary children (age 3-11) and a free-flowing tour of the facility, including a special viewing of the artwork purchased through their donation.
Joplin Stake President Creed Jones, left,
and missionaries from the LDS Church
help paint around the baptism font
in the Community of Christ
Sanctuary on Nov. 17, 2012.

   The following day, Nov. 17, about 20 members of the Joplin Second Ward congregation returned with brushes in hand and helped paint the sanctuary of the Community of Christ meetinghouse – this time donating all the paint needed.

   “With all the help from the two congregations, the whole project took only a couple of hours,” Bishop Richins said.

   On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Joplin Second Ward congregation has been invited to the Community of Christ congregation’s “Hanging of the Greens” Christmas celebration at 6 p.m..

   “We’ve accepted the assignment to provide three special musical numbers,” Bishop Richins said, “plus four of our members have been invited to read stories about Christmas.
Joel Wilstead of the Joplin First Ward
and his sons help paint on Nov. 17, 2012,
at the Community of Christ building
in Joplin, Missouri.

   “Then, we have invited the Community of Christ congregation back to our building for the LDS Church’s First Presidency Christmas Devotional, which includes the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing. And we’re planning to invite our Community of Christ brothers and sisters to many more activities at the Joplin Stake Center.

   “We enjoy working with our Community of Christ brothers and sisters,” Bishop Richins said. “Through this work and association, both congregations have learned to love and understand each other as we all try to live Jesus Christ’s example of serving our fellow men and being our brother’s keeper.”
 
 
 
 
A Community of Christ member, left, alongside Joplin Second
Ward members Jakob Jasperson and Karen White, on ladder,
help paint the Community of Christ Sanctuary
on Nov. 17, 2012, in Joplin, Missouri.
 
Mark Shank (one of Pastor Patsy Lay’s counselors
at the Community of Christ), left, Carolyn Richins
 and Di Hinds of the Joplin Second Ward pause
during their painting project Oct. 13, 2012.
Bishop David Richins, left, Beryl Nickolaisen
 and Tawny Kemp at the dual-church
project on Oct. 13, 2012.
 
Work party consisting of 28 Joplin Second Ward
members and nine Community of Christ members
after their project Oct. 13, 2012, the day before
the Joplin Second Ward moved into
the new Joplin Stake Center.
 
Work party consisting of Joplin Second Ward members
and Community of Christ members work together
in painting the Community of Christ Sanctuary Nov. 17, 2012.

Work party consisting of Joplin Second Ward members
and Community of Christ members work together
in painting the Community of Christ Sanctuary Nov. 17, 2012.