Silver Dollar City Partners With Hiland Dairy for new Chilly Treat

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 1:58 PM

By JonChristopher Collins

Lovers of Silver Dollar City and ice cream are in for a treat, quite literally.

Hiland Dairy announced its new ice cream flavor on Wednesday, one inspired by Silver Dollar City’s new and updated Fire in the Hole indoor rollercoaster that’s set to open in the spring. According to a press release from the dairy, the flavor “is a delectable creation that pays homage to the rich history of the Ozarks.” Anyone who likes marshmallows and more in their ice cream may enjoy the new product.

“This thrilling new treat features creamy marshmallow-flavored ice cream, luxurious chocolate ribbons, and crunchy graham cracker pieces reminiscent of a classic s’more. Inspired by the legendary night when Baldknobbers lit up the mining town of Marmaros, Fire in The Hole ice cream captures the essence of that historical event.”

The flavor is almost like a ride for the taste buds. The press release states that just like “the roller coaster puts riders in the shoes of the heroic townsfolk battling the blaze, this indulgent ice cream takes taste buds on a journey through time. It blends nostalgia with irresistible flavors, celebrating the spirit of the Ozarks.”

The article was originally published and can be read in full on Ozarks DynaCom’s websites.

Why house church?

Posted June 08, 2023
by JonChristopher Collins

A house church gives believers an idea of the Church that is closer to the Biblical account. Acts 2 speaks to how early Christians met in homes in addition to meeting in the Temple, and Acts 4 describes how believers held all their possessions in common, sharing with those in need. Two Christian leaders agree and speak to the strengths and weaknesses of the house church movement. 

Jay Todd, a former church planter, has worked at College of the Ozarks for 12 years. He has a doctorate in biblical studies and is an associate professor of biblical and theological studies. Todd said he believes house churches can foster healthy discipleship and more.

“My thought is that if you recognize that part of the church is to make disciples, then I think house churches can provide a really conducive atmosphere for both discipleship and pastoral ministry where both the pastor knows his people and is known by them,” Todd said.

The article was originally published and can be read in full on the KOINESÚNĒ website.

Late Publication and Schedule Expectation

I hope you have all had a wonderful day or experienced something as close to that as possible.

I was late on publishing and didn’t publish until today. I wanted to obtain permission to partially publish articles I write for Koinesúnē before doing so.

For clarity, any of my work done for publications that I later publish here is always done like this: present some of the article, and link to the respective publication’s website so readers can read the entire piece.

As for my publishing schedule, expect me to publish every Wednesday. If it’s a very good publishing week for my website, expect pieces from me on Wednesday and Thursday.

I look forward to sharing more of my work with you!

Growing Together: Greenhouse microchurch

Posted May 10, 2023
by JonChristopher Collins

Florida’s Greenhouse Church seeks to plant disciples rather than churches. Located in Gainesville, Florida, Greenhouse Church advocates certain “fluencies.”

The church also encourages engagement in culture. Greenhouse Church explains that these fluencies aid them in building the unique and diverse “Kingdom of God.” They desire to build and exist as an inviting church as the church is seen in the Book of Acts.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background?

Matt Ulrich: I am the microchurch pastor. I’ve been that for the last 15 years. I went to the University of Florida in 2000, graduated in ’04, moved away [and] actually did some seminary in California at Fuller, and then came back to Gainesville to get married. My wife was doing her master’s here. [I] didn’t even know about Greenhouse, honestly, until I moved back to Gainesville.

My wife and I both weren’t raised in the church at all, so we were kind of the first in our immediate family to start following Jesus. We didn’t have a denomination or religious background, so we just started reading the Bible and we were like, “Man, this is interesting because we read ‘every tribe and every tongue’, but on Sundays we go to an all-white church.”

The article was originally published and can be read in full on the KOINESÚNĒ website.

I’m Back!

Well, well, well…I’m back!

I never really left, but it’s no secret that I have not published to my website for a good stretch of time. That time has come to an end.

I will publish brief versions of some of my articles. Of course, the posts will link to the full pieces on the respective publication websites.

I’m excited for what’s in store! I will post more tonight and in the coming days.

What’s my Lessons From Fiction Series?

For those of you new to my website, Lessons From Fiction is a series I started exploring, you guessed it, lessons from fiction. I’m a firm believer that fiction doesn’t just entertain us; it also holds the ability to teach us. Some people may believe that fiction is nothing more than fiction, believing that it is purely entertainment.

It’s fine to hold to that view, but I invite anyone who sees fiction through that lens to expand their appreciation and understanding of one of the greatest storytelling vehicles. To me, fiction isn’t less than entertainment, but it’s absolutely more than entertainment.

Fiction in all its forms comes with the potential to teach us, but we must shift our perspective away from seeing it as something that exists for entertainment alone. In this series, I take you on a journey to find lessons in films, books and more.

New editions to the series are coming, so get ready for those. If you want to receive notifications when pieces are published, now is a good time to subscribe. If you want to suggest fiction for me to explore, contact me.

Nixa Residents Experienced Vehicle Crash-Related Power Outage for Second Time in Three Days; Power is Restored

Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 10:46 AM

By JonChristopher Collins

Power is completely restored after over 700 Nixa, Missouri residents were without power following a vehicle crash.

For the second time in three days, Nixa residents were without power because of a vehicle crash. The crash occurred on the morning of Aug. 30 on Rosedale Road in the middle of Truman Boulevard White Ash, according to the Nixa Police Department’s Facebook Page. It was once known as Norton Road.

The article was originally published and is available to read in full on Ozarks DynaCom’s websites.

Nixa Police Respond to DWI Crash; Drivers are Told not to Drink and Drive

Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 12:32 PM

By JonChristopher Collins

Nixa Police Officers are encouraging people via a Facebook post to avoid drinking and driving following a crash on Monday night in the city of Nixa on 160 close to Wasson.

A post on the Nixa Police Department’s Facebook Page states that their was a “DWI vehicle crash” in area. The vehicle slammed into a pole. This killed the power to stop light signals and customers’ power.

The article was originally published and is available to read in full on Ozarks DynaCom’s websites.