Eikon Church - Little Rock, AR

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an epic backpack. an epic meal. Posted by John Hardin 08.09.2010 8:03 am

john hardin montana backpack meal

Last week three (now) friends and I did a backpacking trek in the Beartooth Mountains of south central Montana. The only person out of my three backpacking companions I knew before the trip was my friend Thad from Nashville. He and I have known each other for only a year or so. His friend Jon lives in Bozeman, MT and largely put the trip together. Jon’s friend Mark went along too and neither Thad nor I had ever met him. The point being that the four of us didn’t start this trip out with a deep, close friendship.

Every multi-day backpacking trip has that “hardest” day and last Friday was ours. We had spent the couple days before hiking many miles in tough (but gloriously beautiful) terrain with 40 lbs each on our backs, fighting off mosquitoes that were as omnipresent as god him/her/itself, and enjoying some of the best conversation I have had in a long time.

On Friday, after already covering many mountainous miles, I fell in a cold stream and my boots were soaked. Jon accidentally threw his boots in some water while crossing. We kept going. Climbing. Bouldering. Crossing. At some point the conversation stopped and the four of us just kept putting one foot in front of the other—each within our own minds contemplating things that matter and simply persevering. We got to our original destination, Crystal Lake, and a thunderstorm hit. We decided to keep going and climb up one more ascent—our steepest of the trip—to Maryott Lake. I’m severely acrophobic and had a bona fide panic attack on the way up. Thank god I brought my Xanax with me. (More on that in a future The Wes Gazette post.)

We got to the top, found the lake, and made camp. We were exhausted. Our feet and legs were sore. My boots were still wet. Jon had blisters. And we were hungry. What happened next is one of the best memories I have of the trip.

Mark and Thad filtered water from the lake while Jon and I got ready to cook. We all changed into clean(ish) dry clothes, gathered around the stove and sipped on some scotch as the water came to a boil. First we had some dried minestrone, then some Katmandu Curry, and then topped it off with some apple cobbler. We talked about Joan Baez and trout. Bruce Springsteen and politics. The challenges of the day and anxiety issues. Our families and the condition of the world. There were plenty of laughs to go around, but also solemnity when appropriate.

Dehydrated backpacker food is not usually the best in the world, but that meal was one of the most memorable I’ve ever had. There was such a sense of accomplishment; the notion of all being in it together—dependent on one another—was strong. We looked after each other and made sure that the weakest among us (generally me) was doing alright. It was a collective even in the middle of the rugged, individualistic West and an example of what experiencing things together can do.

I mentioned that Thad was already a friend of mine, but after this trip I now consider him a close friend who I know I will have many profound conversations with in the years to come. Jon’s graciousness and willingness to put others before himself were and are an inspiration. Mark’s steadiness and Socratic style during conversations were calming. My life is now better than it was just 10 days ago because of knowing these guys.

An epic backpack. An epic meal.

I’m terribly excited about the new direction Eikon is going in. I look forward to sharing some food, memories, and some life with all of you.

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a 4th of july invitation Posted by John Hardin 07.02.2010 8:02 am

For those who aren’t cool enough to already have plans for 4th of July weekend, please consider settling for some burgers and hang-out time at the Hardin House on Sunday. We’ll cook/hang out and then (possibly) head down the road to Knoop Park to watch the city’s fireworks show over the river. Thanks to the awesome deal on burger patties at Whole Foods, we’ll take care of the meat*, buns & fixings. So, we’ll need the following:

  • Corn on the cob
  • Desserts
  • Traditional sides (baked beans, potato salad, etc.)*

We’ll have tea, water, pop and juice. Adult beverages welcome, but BYOB.

Kiddos are certainly welcome.

When: Sunday, July 4th. 6:00PM
Where: 2501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Apt. B†

Either email john at johnwhardin@me.com or reply to FB invitation so we can have some sense of how much food to buy. I’ll let those bringing food know as well.

*Keep in mind that when making your sides that within our group may well be vegetarians. I’ll have some black bean burgers ready to go as well.

†If, by some chance, we have a lot of folks and kids who want to come, we may change locations. I’ll make sure the word gets out if so.

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help support lauren and cure international Posted by John Hardin 05.07.2010 7:58 am

cure international

EDITORIAL NOTE: One of the values we have here at Eikon is putting our money where our mouth is. No doubt, we have limited financial resources and aren’t able to give to every person or organization, but we certainly want to help out when we have the opportunity and ability. One of the people in our community, Lauren Stephens, has the opportunity to travel with Cure International to Uganda this summer. It’s an incredible organization and opportunity for Lauren, but it comes at a steep cost. So, I asked Lauren to write a little about the trip and what it will take to get here there. Eikon is going to make a significant gift (well, for our little church anyway), but we want to invite you to contribute as well. If you want to give through Eikon, simply write a check to Eikon Church and in the memo line put Lauren Stephens – Uganda. *100%* of those funds will go to this specific cause. Mail the check to:

Eikon Church
2501 Kavanaugh Blvd, Unit B
Little Rock, AR 72205

Thanks!

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I will be going to Uganda, Africa with CURE International July 26 – August 10. CURE International is a non-profit organization that has established hospitals in five different countries in Africa, two in the Middle East also in Honduras, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. CURE has seen 1 million patients and performed 70,000 life-transforming surgeries. The hospital in Uganda specializes in the treatment of children with cleft palate, hydrocephalus, club foot, spinal deformities, and other crippling orthopedic conditions. Along with the treatment of these beautiful children they also educate the parents and families on living healthier lives with the resources they have.

I have chosen to go into the nursing field because I have found that my passion is to help others and to try to make a difference in the world. I want to go on this mission trip so that I can be a very small part of what will be a turning point in these children’s lives of living without fear of them and their families being ridiculed for what their culture calls a curse but is a medical condition that can be remedied. While there, I will have the opportunity to be in the operating room observing, but mainly working with the children who are recovering from the surgeries, spending time with the families serving them food and offering support, and also with the children before their operations and their brothers and sisters. We will also take five days to travel with a mobile clinic to reach out to surrounding villages and communities to offer basic healthcare needs.

In order to go and be given this opportunity I need to raise a total of $3800. I am coming up on a few deadlines. The first being $2000 by May 15th, next one is on May 26th to have $900 and the final payment of $900 will be due on June 26th. The funds raised will cover the majority of the costs for me but it also covers a portion of what it takes to get supplies there and helps keep the hospital functioning such as food, medicine, beds, etc…

-Lauren Stephens

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Posted in core values, information, missions, social justice, theology | 1 Comment »



local ways to help our friends in haiti Posted by John Hardin 02.02.2010 4:14 pm

haiti relief

EDITORIAL NOTE: A few weeks ago, immediately after news of the earthquake, I posted a roundup of various ways to contribute financially to some of the prominent causes and relief organizations. Those things are certainly still viable and you can find them here. The following post offers more local means of helping.

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It has been three weeks since Haiti was tragically struck by that terrible earthquake. Celebrities have raised money and awareness, organizations have worked tirelessly, people have given their resources generously, and churches have trafficked children (alright, bad joke…maybe). However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and some of it is being done by Central Arkansans.

Local businesses M2 Gallery, Capi’s Restaurant and others have organized Relief on the Ridge: A Benefit for the Red Cross Haiti Fund. The event is Thursday, February 4th from 6:00PM-9:00PM at the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center. (Map here.) Live bands, great food, silent auctions, important cause.

Also, a friend of some Eikon folks, Thomas Hudson, is currently on his second trip to Jacmel, Haiti to help with cleanup, volunteer organizing and every other thing he can possibly do until he wears himself completely out. Thomas helped collect crucial medicines, tents and countless other supplies, loaded them on a boat in Miami and set sail for Haiti on Saturday. His last Facebook status writes: “We are MILES out at sea, and I still have cell service!!! Due to reports of piracy at sea between Haiti and Cuba, we are sailing around the DR to Jacmel (Haiti).”

He is prepared to stay down there for a while and even make more trips over the coming weeks and months, but he is doing it at his own expense. The bottom line is the more money he can raise, the more trips he can make. He and his team are literally performing life-saving work. Eikon is going to make a significant gift (well, for our little church anyway), but we want to invite you to contribute as well. If you want to contribute through Eikon, simply write a check to Eikon Church and in the memo line put Thomas Hudson – Haiti. *100%* of those funds will go to this specific cause. Mail the check to:

Eikon Church
2501 Kavanaugh Blvd, Unit B
Little Rock, AR 72205

Please let me know ASAP at john@eikonthechurch.com the amount you would like to contribute. Eikon will cover the cost of those contributions until your check arrives. This is truly a great chance to serve.

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relief roundup: how to help haiti Posted by John Hardin 01.14.2010 6:45 pm

haiti relief

By now each of us has surely heard of the tragic earthquake that struck the island of Haiti on January 12th. It measured a whopping 7.0 on the Richter scale and has left death, destruction and sheer desperation in its wake. Death toll estimates are ranging from 50,000 people to a few hundred thousand and the number of injured will certainly dwarf that. This would be devastating to even the richest of nations, but the devastation is amplified in what is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Rather than spend time waxing (un)poetic about pacts Haitians made with the devil, it’s imperative that Eikon and other faith groups be part of the solution. There is something that each of us can do.

Most of us are not in a position to physically go to Haiti to offer assistance. If anyone is interested in that, let me (John) know and I’ll track down a contact that can get you set up. For the rest of us, the best thing to do in situations like this is get as much money as possible to good organizations that are supplying life-saving materials and services.

As usual, the American Red Cross is doing an incredible job. They have used new communications and media to make it ridiculously easy to give. Simply text Haiti to 90999 and $10 (which will show up on your next phone bill) will be given to the organization. Maybe it’s not the $1 million that Brad and Angelina gave, but those texts have collectively added up to over $4 million.

Also, Haiti native and incredibly talented musician Wyclef Jean is working tirelessly to raise money and support through his organization Yele. You can give $5 to them by texting 501501.

On a local level, Boulevard Bread is giving 50% of today’s (1/14) profits to Haitian relief and The House restaurant is donating 100% of today’s (1/14) net profit. So, go have a meal and know that the money is going to great food and a great cause. Despite the fact that they aren’t—as self-described—”traditional first responders”, local organization Heifer International has issued an emergency appeal for funds.

There are literally dozens of organizations providing crucial assistance, and many of them have dozens of ways in which you can contribute. The most comprehensive clearinghouse I have found is at the Huffington Post here.

Eikon is sending a donation to Doctors Without Borders, but we also encourage you to find some way to contribute individually. Please share your thoughts about how we as a body can do more. Additionally, if there is a local organization providing relief that you feel strongly about, let us know and we will get the word out.

Finally, let’s keep these beautiful and shattered people in our thoughts and prayers.

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an urgent call to be jesus to our city Posted by John Hardin 01.06.2010 5:56 pm

There are times when saying lives are at stake is not hyperbole. This is certainly one of those. There are people in imminent danger of freezing to death on the streets of Little Rock in the next few days and our community has the opportunity to do something about it. The City of Little Rock is opening an emergency shelter at 2500 East 6th Street in the Nathaniel Hill Community Complex. However, they are relying on the community to staff the shelter with volunteers and provide meals, bedding and other essentials for the people staying there.

Eikon is providing soup for the 80 or so hungry mouths tomorrow (Thursday) evening, but we really need some help. The most immediate need we have is about 10 pots of soup; so far we have commitments for 4. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but it should be hearty. Please call Christen at 501.551.8117 to let her know if you’re willing to throw a pot together.

Dinner will be served at 5:30 pm tomorrow, so the soup will need to be there at 5:15. We need at least 6 people willing to serve it. If you want to cook but cannot deliver it at that time, you are welcome to take it to take it to Ryan & Christen’s house tomorrow (here’s a map). Call Christen to make arrangements. Additionally, you can call me (John) at 501.319.5363 to make arrangements for me to pick it up from you wherever you’re at.

The shelter is also in dire need of volunteers to get them through the weekend. If you can give some time this weekend, please call Libby DeLay at 501.773.9093 to let her know when you can be there. We also need towels, pillows and bedding. Contact us at any of the numbers above if you wish to provide those items.

This is a tangible opportunity to show the love and compassion that are central to the teachings of Jesus and central to the heart of what Eikon is all about. Ultimately, there can be no real of understanding of Jesus without believing that serving these folks is not just our obligation, but our sincere privilege.

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Posted in core values, food | 4 Comments »