CRESTVIEW — The Women of Joy group is starting a women's Bible study called The Amazing Collection next month.

The collection is a Bible study of God’s Word, filled with powerful testimonies, inspiring music and easily understandable summaries of each of the 66 books of the Bible.

The classes, which start March 3, are from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at Joy Fellowship, 5978 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. There is a small fee of $12 for the workbook.

To sign up, contact Robin Bryant at 682-6219. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Women's 'The Amazing Collection' Bible study begins in March

CRESTVIEW — Niceville UMC and St. Mark UMC, 2250 P.J. Adams Parkway, have officially changed to the name Crosspoint.

“Our mission is to connect people to Christ,” the Rev. Rurel Ausley, pastor of the Niceville campus, said. “We have been one church with two campuses for several years now. The name Crosspoint better represents our identity as a multi-campus church and the church we have morphed into over the last five to 10 years.

"A common, non-geographical name is more representative of one church, offering the same excellent worship and ministries on multiple campuses.”

For 10 years, Crosspoint has averaged 2,900 attendees each weekend on its Niceville and South Crestview campuses.

Construction is underway for an additional campus — on Old Bethel Road in North Crestview — to open in the fall.

Crosspoint offers multiple Sunday services on each campus with varied styles of worship; from modern or contemporary to traditional. There are optional “café” services on the South Crestview campus, where worshippers sit around small tables and enjoy coffee during worship, and a Saturday evening modern service on the Niceville campus.

“In our efforts to connect more people to Christ, we offer multiple styles of worship so that anyone can feel at home here,” Ausley said. “The new Crosspoint name reflects the changes we will continue to make to connect more people to Christ.”

Ausley said the church took input from its membership on the new name. Crosspoint was put forth by one of the members at the Niceville campus, and was then voted upon by the entire membership on both campuses.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Niceville UMC, St. Mark UMC become Crosspoint

CRESTVIEW — If the future is anything like Paul Conrad’s past, the beloved First Baptist Church of Crestview’s music minister won’t be retired long.

Though Conrad officially retired after Sunday’s services, his fellow ministers say he’s threatened to retire before and just never does it.

“My ‘last Sunday’ was the last Sunday in December, but we had a revival coming up and they asked me to stay on for that, so then we thought I might as well stay through the month,” he said.

Conrad and his wife, Phyllis, plan to retire to their small farm in Georgia, where he’ll offer his service to local churches on a part-time or interim supply basis, he said.

RENOWNED CHOIR

Among his accomplishments, Conrad points to First Baptist's youth choir as one of his favorite achievements.

“We had a good adult choir, and we had kids, but they were nowhere as strong as they’ve become,” he said. “Our youth choir sings every Sunday night.”

The Rev. Randall Jenkins, education minister, said the youth choir’s summer performance tours are renowned, especially at a time when few youth choirs tour anymore.

“It’s just something we’ve morphed into over the years,” Conrad said. “They’re strong kids. They’re dedicated.”

For many of the kids, the tours have been their only opportunity to venture out of the Florida Panhandle, senior pastor the Rev. Alan Kilgore said.

“Through the choir ministry, the kids have seen a lot of national landmarks,” he said.

Some of the trips have left indelible memories, Conrad said.

“When we were in New York, we sang in Times Square,” he said. “It was spontaneous. I asked a policeman if we could sing and he said, ‘I’m not going to tell you you can’t.’ We got our pitch and we sang the spiritual, ‘Shut de Do’.’ We had about 500 people all around us cheering us on.”

GOOD PEOPLE

Conrad has been the church's longest-tenured minister in recent memory, Jenkins said.

“He’s stayed here longer than most pastors,” Jenkins said.

Conrad said the reality of retirement still hasn’t quite sunk in.

“I’ve caught myself saying, ‘I’ve got to get ready for Easter,’ then, oh, no I don’t,” he said. “I’ve got to do this or that. Oh, no I don’t. Sometimes I wonder if I’m really ready for this.”

Fellow pastors shared funny stories about their music minister.

“He has a habit of leaving the office with the lights on,” Kilgore said. “I started locking his door and turning up his thermostat. So he got even with me and took the lock out. It fell apart in his hand. We only just got it fixed.”

Kilgore and Jenkins said Conrad refuses to change his watch from standard time.

“If Jesus came back, Paul would be an hour late to the Rapture,” Kilgore said.

“Unless he came back on Daylight Savings Time,” Conrad responded.

Conrad said in retirement, he will miss the people of First Baptist most.

“This is the best church I’ve ever served, and the best choirs,” he said.

“He’s a good guy,” Jenkins said. “That’s an incredible legacy he’s leaving after a quarter-century.”

“It sounds like a long time if you say it that way,” Conrad said.

Then, as he left his office, he paused at the door and switched off the light.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Incredible legacy': First Baptist's music minister retires