Lafayette Church of Christ

09/04/2026

The last 3 Wednesdays we benefitted from a few "Devotional Classics" written by Dallas Willard, CS Lewis, and Thomas à Kempis. This excellent resource for digging deeper into the Christian faith compiles 52 classic excerpts from across church history along with discussion questions, an intro to the author, and practical exercises. Below is a powerful quote from Dallas Willard, who paved the way for a renewed focus on spiritual formation, discipleship, and spiritual disciplines over the past half century.

"...But the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater—even when this life alone is considered—than the price paid to walk with Jesus.

Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul. . . The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane."

08/29/2026

The "Relationships Matter" workshop kicks off tomorrow morning, Sunday August 30th, with a split class at 9am and worship at 10am-- All are welcome!

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Introducing Jerry and Lynn Jones:

"In 1997, fueled by a joint passion for God and ministry, Jerry and Lynn Jones conceived of Marriage Matters: A Practical and Spiritual Guide for Marriage. They had married in 1995, the second marriage for each. Jerry’s 35-year marriage ended in 1994 with the loss of his wife after a five-year battle with cancer. Lynn’s 23-year marriage ended in divorce in 1993. Seasoned by time and life experiences, Jerry and Lynn possessed a unique combination of academic and personal qualifications.

At that time Jerry had been in ministry for 35 years and had served as a minister in local work, an elder, a traveling evangelist and a university Bible professor. Academically he held two master’s degrees and a doctorate in theology. Lynn had served in children’s and women’s ministry for 20 years and had worked as a psychotherapist and university psychology instructor. Her education included a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Because much of their material dealt with core issues that affect all relationships, a new dimension of their ministry Relationships Matter was begun in 2009. God blessed their work together and the past decades have taken them into over 500 congregations across almost every US state and handfuls of foreign countries, as well as numerous lectureships and workshops.

Having based all of their presentations on sound psychological advice and biblical direction, Jerry and Lynn strive to move theory into practice and Christianity into everyday life experiences."

08/22/2026

St. Louis community: Want healthier, stronger relationships?

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER is a practical workshop designed to help you build healthier marriages, more intentional family life, and deepened relationships of all kinds. Throughout this fall, Lafayette Church of Christ (115 New Ballwin Rd.) is hosting this free workshop for people throughout the greater St. Louis area. All are welcome to attend, regardless of church affiliation or where you are in your current faith journey!

Over the past couple of decades, Dr. Jerry and Lynn Jones have helped Christians around the US and the world grow in their relationships through this material, formerly known as Marriage Matters. Now, Relationships Matter expands that focus to the many and diverse relationships that shape our lives.

Here's how it works:
• Sunday, August 30: Special kickoff sessions at both 9:00am and 10:00am
• Beginning September 9: 8 Wednesday evening sessions at 7:00pm
• You can participate in the entire workshop or simply come to the sessions that work best for you. Each session is designed to offer practical tools and encouragement that you can put into practice right away.
• Oh, and there will be refreshments!

📍 Lafayette Church of Christ
115 New Ballwin Rd.
Ballwin, MO

For further details, DM the church FB or IG pages or email [email protected].

Remember--relationships matter!

08/19/2026

For the upcoming school year Lafayette took on the supply needs of 9 different children in our local community and also provided 6 new backpacks for the kiddos at Fair Haven Children's Home. Thank you to each person who shopped for pencils and backpacks and glue sticks, and contributed toward this outreach effort in various ways! Whether we do a general school supply drive, a targeted effort like this year, or collect funds for book fair coupons--we are simply striving to shine our light "all around the neighborhood" and help those who need a hand!

08/16/2026

Our worship leaders (Mike, Alex, Colby, Kent) and our elder over worship (Dave) recently shared in an informal panel with a couple of our teens about their own journeys with leading worship at church, when and how they began serving within church settings (often at a very young age), how music plays a heavy role in our spiritual formation and theology, and a wide smattering of other practical insights.

It felt like true "holy ground" at moments, and will hopefully stick with the teens for many years to come. So many of the worship leaders' stories involved older people in decades past encouraging them to serve, training and equipping them, and helping them explore their potential gifts and where those gifts intersect with the needs of the body.

What a beautiful reminder for all of us, young or old, musically inclined or not...: What have I discerned as my spiritual gifts and areas of passion? How do those intersect with the local body of believers and/or the wider world? How am I growing and becoming further equipped? How is this edifying those around me and glorifying God, rather than being focused on self?

07/15/2026

Our next "Lafayette Sings" is tonight Wednesday, July 15th from 6-8pm! At 6pm, we'll partake of some BBQ pulled pork and all the fixings (minus leafy greens), so come hungry! At 7pm, we will continue into a time of worship together, singing pre-selected songs as well as taking suggestions from the song books.

What a great opportunity we have in front of us to practice our devotion to fellowship (Acts 2:42), to eating together with glad and sincere hearts (Acts 2:46), and to praise (Acts 2:47)--all are welcome!

06/26/2026

Ice Cream Social was a big hit on a warm but beautiful June Saturday 😃🍦 ☀️

The ice cream bar was consumed, the kiddos were bounced, the adults were rather humbled by lawn games, and much fellowship was enjoyed!

Enjoy some lovely faces.

06/11/2026

This Sunday the Lafayette Children's Ministry threw a surprise 80th birthday party for "Ms. Diane" Weber. The only people more surprised than Diane were the kids (and several volunteers) who just couldn't believe Ms. Diane was turning 80, given her seemingly unending energy and steadfast joy in serving the children of our church for generations now.

We say "it takes a village" to raise children up in the Lord, and that has never been more true. Yet some villagers carry an especially heavy load, and our wider church community, our current young families, and so many other lives in St. Louis and beyond would not be what they are today without the ways Ms. Diane has faithfully served, sacrificed, labored, taught, and loved each child (and parent/family) she comes across.

Paul once wrote, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ", inviting the Corinthian church to imitate him and his lifestyle only insofar as he had imitated Jesus. That is a bold command to give, yet we all recognize the importance of having fellow human role models in the Church who are striving despite their human imperfections to follow and imitate Jesus faithfully. Well, Ms. Diane has been one of those "imitations of Jesus" that we would all, children and adults alike, benefit spiritually from observing and imitating. We may not all have the youthfulness or the exact gifting to help lead a children's ministry for decades (and teach Ladies Bible class, and...), but we all share a common calling to edify, to support, to serve, and to love our local church families, and we all need real-life examples of what that looks like in action.

So perhaps, if Paul were writing to us, he might say something like, "Be imitators of Ms. Diane, as she is of Christ." Praise be to God for the way he works powerfully among his servants in the church and in the world!

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ~Matthew 19:14

06/02/2026

June will be a wonderful month at Lafayette! Check out our “Rhythms of Life” slide for some of the bigger happenings across the coming weeks, alongside our usual weekly rhythms of gathering together.

Details for such gatherings are generally included in The Gathering email that goes out every Wednesday. If you are not subscribed to that email list, you can always reach out to the church office via email or phone.

06/02/2026

West County StL Community Health Event, coming up on Thursday, June 18th!

Get proactive with your physical health at the Life Line Screening community event.
~Appointments available between 9am-5pm
~Up to 5 preventative screenings (not typically covered by routine check-ups)
~Affordable approach to healthcare for ~650,000 Americans per year

Have you or a loved one reached 40 years young? Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity for peace of mind, whether for yourself or for your older family members, friends, co-workers, or neighbors.

Annually, Life Line Screenings detect:
~45,000 abnormal results
~9,000 critical results
Schedule now and let's look out for our community's wellbeing together!

(This event is being held at the Lafayette Church of Christ - 115 New Ballwin Rd. - coffee and refreshments will be provided!)

an ultrasound is performed to screen the carotid arteries (a pair of blood vessels in the neck that deliver blood to your brain) for buildup of fatty plaque. This buildup, called atherosclerosis, is one of the leading causes of stroke.