Elmore looks forward to sharing God's goodness

The Rev. Casey Elmore is new to Cape Girardeau and Mount Auburn Christian Church. A Bland, Mo., native and son of a preacher and his wife, Elmore said he looks forward to sharing God's goodness in the community and beyond.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: I grew up in Bland, Mo., a small town about 30 miles north of Rolla. I've been in church my whole life. However, I really started getting serious about my relationship with God in my college years. After a season of struggling with serious doubt and asking some tough questions about how a good God could exist and yet allow such evil, I became convinced that He is real, He is good, and His desire is to save the world from the brokenness that evil creates.

Q: How long have you been a member of your faith?

A: I was baptized into Christ at age 9, so I have been a member for 20 years.

Q: What's the greatest blessing you've experienced in the ministry?

A: I have seen many people come out of such broken situations and thrive because the love of Jesus had been shown to them. It doesn't get much better than that.

Q: Who or what inspired you to join the ministry?

A: My parents had a big part to play in that. My dad is a preacher, but he never put any pressure on me to follow in his footsteps. The thing that inspired me was seeing all of the good that came from being faithful to Christ. Blessings are real. God used my parents to help so many people, and I was blessed to have gotten to witness it.

Q: What's your favorite Bible verse and why?

A: That's a tough one. It changes with each season of life. I suppose my favorite verse at the moment is Galatians 5:13. It says, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Wouldn't it be great if the whole world functioned like this? It's God's way for us -- to be selfless and humble.

Q: What do you hope to see in the future for Mount Auburn Christian Church?

A: The people of Mount Auburn Christian Church are such great people. That's why my family and I chose to come here. We hope to team up with them in an effort to share the goodness of God with our community and beyond. We don't want to be a group of people that just believes in God's goodness. We want to get out there and actually be a part of it. Our world needs more love.

Q: What upcoming events or sermon series do you have scheduled at Mount Auburn Christian Church?

A: On Thursday at 6:30 p.m. we are taking our families reverse trick-or-treating. We'll dress our kids up and instead of receiving treats, we will pass out goody bags at Heartland Care Rehab.

On Oct. 27, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., our junior high and high school students will be playing human paintball. Come get messy with us as we throw wads of paint at each other!

On Oct. 31, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., we are having our fall festival. Please join us for free food, free games and fun for all.

November sermon series: Lost and Found. We will discuss finding our worth after life circumstances or our own poor choices seem to have stripped it away.

Q: What ongoing ministries does your church offer?

A: Our Sunday morning services are small groups at 9 a.m., church service at 10:30 a.m. and small group at 6 p.m. We have regular programs for children and teens of all ages, as well as several small groups that meet throughout the week in mornings and evenings so that people can choose which one best fits their schedule. For more information, please check out our website at mtauburncc.org or give us a call at 803-2050.

lpresson@semissourian.com

388-3649

Pertinent address: 930 N Mt Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, MO