Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove Church Responds To Community
Think of this question: “If your church was taken out of the town, would the town miss it?” Vance Eubanks, pastor of Prairie Grove Christian Church said when worship and music ministry leader Keith Bostian asked him that, it made him think hard.
Eubanks began looking at the community and the church in a different way.
“The church is intentional about being involved with schools and ministerial services,” Eubanks said, adding he and the members of his church “quietly and effectively serve” along with the rest of the members of the Prairie Grove Ministerial Alliance.
In fact, the church’s Great Serve arose out of this shift in thinking. Eubanks said the Great Serve ministry was sparked during the January 2009 ice storm. Eubanks said Bostian called him on the morning after the ice stopped
falling and asked, “Do you have a chain saw?” Eubanks said, “Yes, but I don’t know if it works.” Bostian said, “Bring it to the church.” Eubanks said the next thing he knew, “Keith had the chain saw working,” and he was up on a roof cutting trees off of it and asking, “How did I get here?”
Since that time, the Great Serve usually happens on the second Sunday after Easter. Eubanks said the church congregation meets at the church Sunday morning and once everyone is assembled and has their assignments, he announces, “The church has left the building.” The congregation fans out into the community to perform yard work, help at the senior citizen center and do whatever they can to help people.
Another way the church serves is with its annual Speedy Skunk Run for adults and Li’l Stinker Fun Run for the kids. Eubanks said it is held the third Saturday in May at Prairie Grove Battlefield Park, and the funds raised from it are given to Prairie Grove’s senior citizen center and to the school’s backpack program. Eubanks emphasized how much the church “likes to respond to the needs of the community.”
With Prairie Grove Battlefield Park right across the street, it’s a natural the church is involved during the park’s annual Clothesline Fair held on Labor Day weekend. The church sponsors an antique car show called Hot Rods for Hope and raises money from car owner registrations and sponsorships. Eubanks’ wife Lynda, also the church’s office manager, organizes a related but separate fundraising activity called Put a Dent in Human Trafficking, in which people may pay to hit a car. The funds raised during these events are sent to Rapha House Ministry which works to end human trafficking around the world, especially in Cambodia.
Another way the church is involved with the Clothesline Fair is it provides the sound system for the popular children’s square dance performances and contests. Eubanks said, “We have a very strong emphasis on youth and children, and we focus on ministering to families.”
This effort includes live streaming and recordings of church services which are made available to anyone at vimeo.com/pgcc and allows sick and housebound congregants to participate.
Eubanks gives a lot of credit to the leadership of the town of Prairie Grove, to its families, businesses and government. He said the church participates in a Ministerial Alliance that cooperates in operating a thrift store and food pantry named Life Ministries, often called Life Boutique by those who find pretty clothing there. Life Ministries is open selected hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
More information about Prairie Grove Christian Church may be found at www.gotopgcc.com.