Humble Leadership of Pastor's Wife

Laurel Ann McReynolds, lay speaker and seminar leader is wise, compassionate, and committed.  Pastors' spouses are important to a successful minister's career. Laurel serves as director of nursing for the Dialysis Centers of Lincoln, Beatrice, and Columbus. Her real love is music.  She is director of music for Saint Paul United Methodist Church in Elmwood, Nebraska.  Her talent includes playing piano, organ, bells, harp and other instruments.  She directs the sanctuary choir and bell choirs.

With pastor Jim, she has led workshops for women, shared with her husband in visionquests.  They have four grown children--a daughter married to a career soldier stationed in Stuttgart, a lawyer in Washington, an engineer in New Hampshire, and Fed Ex driver in Omaha.  They delight in six grandchildren.

Laurel Ann was born in Elmwood. Her family were hardy farmers.  She is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.  Laurel is pastor Jim's wonderful asset in ministry. She is also parish nurse for First Christian Church, Weeping Water.

First Christian Church

  Weeping Water, Nebraska

                                   The Church of Contagious Joy

Dr. James E. McReynolds, D.Min., Psy.D., Th.D., Litt.D., Ph.D.,  pastor

Welcome to a congregation that reaches out to the world rather than maintaining a church.  We are  community of believers empowered by Jesus Christ. We draw inspiration from the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and one another.

We strive to equip ourselves to minister in Jesus' name to the needs of our community and those who truly need Christ through worship, fellowship, teaching, and learning God's Word.

We celebrate the autonomous local church stressing freedom and diversity under God, and we seek Christian unity for the people on our planet Earth.

Are you looking for a warm place to belong: a place where it doesn't matter who you are, what your background is, or how much money you make. That's who we are. You can find a community of real friends. You can find your ministry here. 

There is a place for you to serve.  We want to be a church for kids, teenagers, college students, and adults in every stage of life.

 Worldwide Outreach

Prayer ministry: Prayer is the most important thing we do at First Christian Church. Wednesday night at 5 p.m. is when we gather for prayer.

Collegiate Ministries: Bible studies, small groups, counseling, meals at Southeast Community College, Lincoln,  Dr. James McReynolds, campus minister, 1998-present

College World Series Ninth Inning Ministry: Bottled water free to fans, Bible studies in hotels where players and coaches stay, a banquet in Omaha with major leaguers speaking about Jesus, baseball skill workshops for youth

Campusquest: Weekend, weekday speaking on campuses, club or ministry sponsored, 2,600 campusquests, call or write First Christian Church, Weeping Water 

Joykeepers Support Group, Mondays, 7 p.m. in Family Center of First Christian Church of Weeping Water, Nebraska to support you in any situation or illness

Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Monday nights held at Methodist church, Weeping Water

Nursing home singing, preaching, Sundays, third Sunday, Good Samaritan Center in Syracuse, Nebraska and Louisville Care Center, Louisville, Nebraska, quarterly

Thursday morning women's joy Bible study group, 10 a.m., First Christian Church

Chaplain/counselor, Valley Hope Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers, Lincoln and Omaha, complement to local church ministry, counseling, intensive outpatient groups, continuing care groups, evaluations, preliminary treatment plans 

Parish Nurse Clinic    Laurel McReynolds, RN, BSN, parish nurse

National and International Visionquests, including . . . Revivals/crusades . . . ethical, biblical, spiritual experiences held anywhere.  Workshops, seminars, and sermons designed in consultation with those organizing the event. Options listed are flexible to meet the needs of each group. First Christian Church views Pastor Jim's Visionquests as part of the ministry to the larger world Christian community.

Christian Men's meeting, Saturdays, Teri's Cafe, 6:30 a.m., program followed by breakfast

Angel Tree Mentoring Program for children of prisoners

Music for Young Adults, 18-40 years old, concerts throughout the year at First Christian Church and Southern Gospel Music concerts sponsored by and held at First Christian Church

Weeping Water Ministerial Association meets periodically for fellowship, planning for ecumenical worship services, fellowship, food bank, emergencies.

Professional Music Concerts:  First Christian Church hosts about 10 to 12 concerts with such singers as the Blackwood Brothers, contemporary groups, classic Christian music and any other Christian musical talent.

Quilters--making beautiful quilts, given to homes for children, Open Door Mission, People's Mission, mission fields--hundreds completed each year by Irene Bond with help of Myrna Skinner, Mae Gruell and Marvelle Hanson, other women of the church

Free unemployment counseling--resume help--interview aids-help in seeking a job

Food Pantry--Saturdays, contact Keith Hammons, elder at Hammons Funeral Home in Weeping Water or Elmwood; more food stored at Methodist church in Weeping Water

PLEASE ADD YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR OUTREACH GROUPS, PROGRAMS, WAYS TO WORK WITH THE 12 OTHER CHURCHES IN THE WEEPING WATER AREA COMPETING, STRUGGLING FOR MEMBERS   e-mail us at joyquest@windstream.net

Other helpful outreach serving the broader church:

    Some subjects free to community groups, churches, mental health groups, or other groups willing to be involved in prevention and treatment of medical problems.

Mental Illness as a Spiritual Journey

Dr. James McReynolds is pastor of the First Christian Church, Weeping Water, Nebraska. He will bring the wisdom of his ongoing journey and struggles with bipolar disorder to offer universal truths concerning spirituality during difficult times. His story is told in his recent book, "Dancing With Bipolar Bears: Living in Joy Despite Illness." With humor and eloquence, Jim will expose the shame, ignorance, and stigma surrounding mental illness. Dr. Jim McReynolds offers hope, inspiration, and compassion to friends, family, and most importantly with those living with mood disorders. Visionquests for Joy is an outreach of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Weeping Water, Nebraska.  Not only does our pastor hold M.R.Ed., M.Div. and D.Min. degrees, but he also is a Licenced Mental Health Practitioner with a doctor of psychology degree. He also uses his common sense. Invite Jim to help reduce stigma of mental illness and substance abuse and enable local churches to minister to those living with illness.

Creating Caring Congregations

Pastor Jim McReynolds and his lovely wife Laurel Ann, a psychiatric nurse, offer one-day, Sunday, or weekend Visionquests for Joy offering concrete ways clergy and other faith community leaders can minister to the millions of people coping with mental illness. They present a five step program of education, welcome, support, and advocacy. Models of care that have been successful in other congregations will be discussed. Outstanding DVD's and videos can be used with a Sunday School class, Sunday afternoon workshop, or area or group meeting. Jim was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister in 1960. He has served local churches in 10 denominations. Jim is a retired elder in the United Methodist Church.

He attended a Baptist college and seminary and served in public relations for the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Also, his M.Div. and D.Min. degrees are from Vanderbilt University. He is a journalist, ordained minister, and a licensed mental health practitioner.  He also has a M.R.Ed. degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City.  He served as information specialist at the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1968-1972. He has written an abundant amount of education materials which have been used in various churches.

Joy, the Least Discussed Human Emotion

Norman Vincent Peale once called Jim "the minister of joy to the world." Jim has used the Psychology of Joy in individual and group therapy as a doctor of psychology, licensed mental health practitioner in Nebraska. Dr. McReynolds will give you a psychologically and spiritually sound definition of the emotion joy and how to ignite the joy instinct for healing. He will share some materials from his Psy.D. dissertation, "Integration of Joy in Clinical Family Counseling" and his next book, "Passionate Joy: Building a Wealth of Joy in a World Starved for Love." This workshop has been popular with church and secular groups. A cassette tape of the introductory lecture for the Sharing Our Best Conference in Beatrice, Nebraska is offered to those requesting it. Materials from his research and writings were used in communications at the National Mennonite Health Assembly in North Carolina and many major national mental health conventions.

OTHER TOPICS FOR RETREAT OR FOCUS SETTING ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SPIRITUALITY ISSUES

Grief: When It's Hard to Say Goodbye                                Visionquests for Joy

Failure Is Not Final              Spiritual Gifts, Myers Briggs and other gifts tools

Getting Angry Makes Me Mad                         Sermons on thousands of topics

Why Your Family Acts Like That Way                       E-mail joyquest@windstream.net

The Spirituality of Joy and Prevention                        Call 402-994-2266 404 N 4th St.

How to Love and Minister to a Mentally Ill Person          ELMWOOD NE 68349-6022

Gifts to enable Pastor Jim to serve the broader church are appreciated. Checks are made to "First Christian Church" only to help our struggling church do what God guides us to do.