Events
December 31 - Associational Youth Celebration
Mid-Lakes Association will once again host a New Year's Eve event for grades 6 through 12. The night will include games, food and fellowship. There will be a movie, hosted at the Esquire, a concert and other special festivities throughout the evening. Registration begins at 6:15 at Southern Hills church in Bolivar. Cost is $20 per student; scholarships are available. Contact the webmaster for more information.
Previous Noteworthy Events
December 6 - Family Movie Night
Wow! We had over 150 people join us at the Esquire on Saturday, December 6 for another incredible family movie night. Thanks to our volunteers who make it possible to host and serve events like this. The movie was the second movie in a series about a mythical and mysterious parallel world and serves as the subject of our Christmas mini-series at WNATE. See you there!
October 31 - Trunk o' Treats
What a great turnout as the Esquire hosted Trunk o' Treats on Halloween night! The official count isn't in (if there was one), but Warren, Pam and Sherry served popcorn and sodas to about 1800 people, while many more ventured through the parking lot of cars, games, and candy stations. The Focus youth band from FBC provided music in the back lot while others from the youth ministry gave tours of the "haunted bus".
Check out some of the pictures - we had cheerleaders, politicians and rock stars. There were decorated cars and friendly faces, as well as a variety of ghosts and ghouls. Thanks to everyone who contributed candy and cash (about 70,000 pieces), and who gave their time to make this a successful event for our community.
2008 Mission Project
This year chose the 30th Circuit Youth Services Center as the focus of our local Mission project. Thanks to everyone for all the donations received at the Esquire during July. We have purchased (and delivered) a Wii game system and accessories to the center, along with a large supply of Esquire 10th Anniversary T-Shirts. Sharing Faith, Offering Hope, Showing Love - this is the heart of Esquire. You are the heart of the Esquire!
The 30th Circuit Youth Services Center provides short term emergency shelter as well as a secure detention service for area Juvenile Courts. The 17,000 square feet facility houses 16 emergency shelter beds and 8 secure beds in two separate areas. They are an accredited school with an individually based curriculum integrated with the Bolivar Public Schools. In addition they provide a variety of individual and group counseling, life and social skills development, medical care, recreation and activities of daily living with 24-hour supervision. The center is licensed with the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division. Their mission is to help young people in crisis by providing for their basic needs.
Family Movie Night at the Esquire - Friday, August 15
About 150 friends and neighbors joined us this month at the Esquire for a special Family Movie Night on Friday, August 15. The movie was an action-packed, treasure hunt adventure that kept us on the edge of our seats until the final secret was revealed! Thanks to all of our volunteers who make these events possible.
Kiss the Pig - June 18
The competition was close between the top three candidates in the Esquire Relay for Life "Kiss the Pig" contest, but lead guitarist and family physician Drew Shoemaker brought home the bacon. He was quick to grab his kiss and gracious enough to deliver a second kiss for the camera. Watch all the fun on video by clicking here. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Thanks to our candidates for being such good sports: Mike Pitts, Tim DeClue, Drew Shoemaker, Billy Russell, Traci Froelich and Freddie Pike. For more information on the Relay for Life event coming up this weekend, go to News.
April 26 - 10 Year Anniversary Block Party
Wednesday Night at the Esquire celebrated our ten-year anniversary on Saturday, April 26, with more than 1,000 in attendance. The afternoon was filled with music, fellowship, kids games and lots of great food. A special thanks to our musicians - Thelma's Dog, GT Spoke, Denim and Diamonds, and the Esquire Band - and to the Gooch's for Kettle Corn and Snow Cones. Larry Froehlich not only ran the grill all day, but also hosted the Cotton Candy booth. Traci Froehlich organized over 80 volunteers that kept the afternoon running like clockwork. Kids games included golf, a duck pond, a cookie walk and face painting. Thanks to all the Esquire youth who pulled together at the last minute to serve hundreds of kids in this fun-loving way. Thanks to Short's BBQ for 400 pounds of delicious pulled pork, to the SBU Football Team for stepping in to make the heavy set-up work go quickly. Thanks also to CMH for the welcome shade of the their tents and to SBU for the portable stage. It was the great planning and organizational skills of Bunch Marketing - Dan and Linda Bunch - that made everything come together smoothly. Of course the real praise and glory goes to God for providing a perfect day in the midst of a rainy week, for a perfect celebration of His love and the Hope we have in Jesus Christ. As the volunteers took down the last tables and chairs, a beautiful rainbow appeared as a reminder that God is with us today, tomorrow and forever. Thank you Lord for giving us the Esquire and we look forward to another 10:Sharing Faith, Offering Hope, Showing Love!
January 16 - BHS Jazz Band
The Bolivar High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Mr. Steve McClard performed during Wednesday Night at the Esquire on January 16. FBC Senior Pastor Billy Russell (a true jazz fan) was on hand and even shared the music via cell phone with his Dad in Michigan. Here's a short video clip of the band performing Brass Machine.
December 24 - Christmas Eve Candle Lighting
Three hundred and twenty friends shared in the Christmas Eve Candle Lighting service on Monday, December 24. The program began at 5:00 p.m. with caroling and a short story read by Sherry Shoemaker. Linus and Charlie Brown from "Peanuts" shared the true meaning of Christmas from the Gospel of Luke and Mike Pitts answered the question, "What time is Christmas?" The service concluded with glowing candles and the sweet sounds of Silent Night. Thanks to everyone who helped make this special service possible!
December 8 - Christmas Parade
It was a cold day for the Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 8, even for the canine Christmas visitor, but the kids bundled up and enjoyed the ride anyway. Click here to see some of the fun before the float rolled out. Special thanks to Charlie Thompson and Drew Shoemaker for heading up the parade team. The whole crew stopped by the Welch household afterward for a cup of hot cocoa and fresh homemade cookies. A great way to top off a fun afternoon! Thanks to everyone who participated and we look forward to next year!
November 21 - Tribute to School Bus Drivers
Gift bags were provided to 35 Bolivar R-1 School Bus Drivers and support staff on Friday, November 16. Volunteers handed out the gift bags at the afternoon bus stop, along with a special invitation to join us for Wednesday Night at the Esquire on November 21. During WNATE we paid a special tribute to our bus drivers (and other child caregivers) for their role in our community and the lives of our children - Delivering the Future. Thanksgiving is a time for us to reflect and to give praise and thanks to God, for our abundant life through Jesus Christ, and to others for their help and support. As we learned about "Needing Each Other" it was our pleasure to say "thank you" to these unsung heroes.
October 31 - Trunk O' Treats
An estimated 2,500 people were on hand Wednesday, October 31, for our annual Trunk O' Treats extravaganza! First Baptist Church joined up with the Esquire this year to make this our largest and best attended family fun night ever. View more pictures here. Over 150 volunteers made it possible to host such a tremendous crowd; generous contributions from our entire church family made it possible to hand out over 50,000 pieces of candy; on-going committment of our talented Esquire Band filled the air with great music; dedicated leadership made it a well-organized and efficient operation. A special thanks to our lead team: Sarah Jones and Pat Bayer from the Esquire, and Amy Davis and Tish Clawson from FBC. Nearly 300 kids stopped by the registration table for more information or to sign up for one of our church family newsletters. Please pray for our follow-up teams as they make contact with these families over the next few weeks.
October 13 - Thelma's Dog in Concert
Thelma's Dog returned to the Esquire in concert on Saturday, October 13. About 75 people showed up to groove to the music and hear the Good News! Take a look at a sample from their last performance at the Esquire and their original tune, John The Revelator. Watch a short video clip or view more pictures. For
more information about Thelma’s Dog, go to www.thelmasdog.com.
September 15 - GT Spoke Concert
GT Spoke was back on the Esquire stage for a full length concert on Saturday, September 15. What a great way to kick off fall with a rockin' Jesus Party! Over 170 people came out to spend the evening with the band. If you didn't get a chance to be with us, you can check them out at www.GTSpoke.com or view the pictures here. Thanks to the Spoke for their Christian spin on southern rock! Thanks to God for providing the talent and heart of the music!
August 18 - Feed the 500
The 2007 Esquire Service Project was held on Saturday, August 18, in the Hurricane Bay/Dollar General parking lot. We provided 500 free lunches as a simple act of love and kindness to our community. Thanks to all the Esquire members who helped cook, wrap dogs, fill lunch bags, wave drivers down at the highway, and "car hop" the meals. It was a hot but fun and exciting day as we had the opportunity to interact with many people from our community. A special thanks to Traci Froehlich, our team leader, and to Larry Froehlich, our chief hotdog griller! You can see the group in action by clicking here.
August 1- Watermelon Blast
The parking lot filled up fast after the service on Wednesday, August 1. for our annual Watermelon Blast! Thanks to our volunteers: The Shaws, the Wheelers and the Halls. The watermelon was cold, wet and plentiful. The fellowship was warm, fun and joyful. Terri Lipe and her daughter Stephanie aced the watermelon seed spitting contest, taking first and second. Terri says she learned how to spit from her brother! They both took home an Esquire T-Shirt for their efforts, as did our third place winner - Harl. Click here to enjoy more pictures. Great fun - great friends!
June 15 - Relay for Life
The Annual Polk County Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society was held at the Bolivar Middle School football field on Friday, June 15. Your Esquire Relay Team raised a total of $2,478.24. They received the People's Choice Award for Best Overall Campsite. Thanks to Johnathon Shepard-Nelson who bravely donned an Electra Blue skirt and blonde wig to appear on stage as "Tess" and raised a total of $450 in good fun. Aspen Thompson received an award for the most laps walked by an individual making 70 trips around the track. The Esquire Team chalked up the most laps by a team with 252 total rounds. Check out our pictures and more pictures! We participate in the Relay for Life event in memory of our lost loved ones and in honor of survivors. Cancer affects millions of people - your family, your friends, your neighbors - every year. Money raised through the community-wide Relay for Life event helps fund research, treatment and support services. Thanks to everyone who participated in the event, worked or sponsored fund raising activities, and to our contributors. A special thanks to Traci Froelich for serving as Team Leader.