LaGrange
church of christ – home page and index
Joy Bus Program History, routes, riders, and VBS registration cards:
19740212
Church bus title application
19750512
Church bus registration
1975
Bus attendance - 2 busses plus combined
1975
Bus attendance - roller skating parties
1976-77
Bus attendance - roller skating parties
19780312-19790304
Bus attendance - all busses Sunday Morning
19780419-19781231
Bus attendance - all busses Wednesday and Sunday evenings
Bus
attendance - Miscellaneous Bus Rider cards
Bus
Route 1 - Joe Oakley captain
Bus
Route 2 - Fred Oakley captain
Bus
Route 3 - Joe Hughes captain
What
to say when canvasing for bus riders
BUS MINISTRY at LAGRANGE
The congregation in LaGrange was a successful model of a Bus
Ministry for several congregations in the area.
The first use of a bus at LaGrange was
The Bus ride included teaching and singing, with teachers standing at the front of the Bus with microphones. Late in the Bus Ministry, the Bus seats were turned around, so that teachers stood at the back of the Bus and the riders faced the back of the Bus. This change was considered safer and reduced distractions from the teaching, as riders came on and off. The Ministry’s success in LaGrange was primarily due to dedicated workers; mechanics, drivers, Captains, Teachers, canvassers, and Saturday breakfast preparers.
While two busses were in service, on July 27, 1975, bus attendance was 120. The bus attendance on that day contributed to a record high attendance of 255. Recorded attendance on the busses reached its peak at 129 on August 26, 1979, when three busses were running. When three busses were running, attendance was likely higher than 129, although the attendance record for those three-bus years is incomplete.
Over the 1974-1991 term of the Bus Ministry, six busses were purchased. The initial Bus Ministry route was run for both Sunday services and Thursday evening Bible classes. The last recorded Sunday evening bus run was on July 13, 1975, when 10 riders came on the Joy Bus. The last recorded Thursday evening bus run was on September 4, 1975, with 15 riders. After those dates, the Bus Ministry was changed to Sunday morning only. At its peak, the Bus Ministry had three routes for kids; Howe/Ontario, Mongo/Plato, and Wolcottville/LaGrange. Occasionally, the routes were adjusted to equalize the time requirements of Saturday visitation and Sunday pick-up. In addition, the Keenagers’ Karriage bus picked up riders from Country Place Apartments and Miller’s Merry Manor Nursing Home in LaGrange. Attendance on the Joy Busses was often over 100, presenting challenges to the congregation that averaged less than 50 in attendance only a few years earlier. Among the challenges was the small auditorium, which required a separate Children’s Bible Hour during the teens’ and adults’ class time. When teens and adults worshipped, those in Children’s Bible Hour went to class. The successful Bus Ministry also prompted the 1976-1977 classroom addition south of the auditorium.
Bus #1 was a 1964 International. It was purchased from the Board of Education of Byrdstown TN by Dean Hoggatt for $1,000 and reimbursed by the church with check #1701 on March 23, 1974. It was first used on Sunday, April 14, 1974, when 16 non-member riders contributed toward a record attendance of 149. The Joy Bus (as it was called) was used on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and for the Thursday evening Bible classes. Bus #1 had the longest tenure of service, being used continuously until February 22, 1982, when the Bus Ministry was scaled back from three to only one Joy Bus. In 1982, the congregation thought Bus #1 was sold for $400 to Dave Smith, an auto dealer in Sturgis MI. But Mr. Smith never paid or picked up the Bus. After unsuccessfully advertising Bus #1 for sale in the paper in the spring of 1983 and again in the spring of 1984, the elders asked Curtis Wrecking, Inc. (a “junkyard”) in LaGrange for a scrap price.
Bus #2 was a 1966 60-passenger Dodge “with power steering, extra clean interior”. It was purchased from Leonard Supply Company with two checks. The first check #2010 was from the church for $500 on May 11, 1975. The second payment of $650.72 was made by Perry Miller. The church repaid Perry $650.72 on October 7, 1975 with check #2173. Bus #2 had the shortest tenure of service, as it was replaced with Bus #4 in August 1978. It was first used in the Howe/Ontario area for VBS on June 9, 1975. Bus #2 was sold October 4, 1979 to David E. Smith, Sr. of Howe IN for $300.
In the spring of 1976, the congregation realized a need for another bus route, which would be Route #3 in the Wolcottville IN area. On May 21, 1976, Norm Herron, Joe Hughes, and Perry Miller picked up a “loaner” bus from Garden City MI. But it had mechanical trouble on the way back to LaGrange, so they turned around to return it. On July 1, 1976, while the congregation was still looking for Bus #3, Dean Hoggatt and Merle Hoggatt, Dean’s visiting brother, picked up the “loaner” bus from the Garden City MI congregation. The loaner bus was placed in temporary service at LaGrange on July 4, 1976, recognized as the U.S. Bicentennial. Despite hopes at LaGrange that the Garden City congregation would donate the loaner bus to LaGrange, the donation was never offered. The loaner bus was used for about four months. The loaner bus was returned to Garden City by Norm Herron on November 22, 1976.
Bus #3 was
a 1967 66-passenger International. It
was purchased from Leonard Supply Company on October 14, 1976 with check #2579
for $1,295. Leonard Supply Company
reduced its price from the listed $1,595, due to required transmission
work. Bus #3 replaced the loaner bus
from the Garden City MI congregation, obtained July 1, 1976. Funding for Bus #3 was provided by a $2,000
special contribution from the estate of charter member May Wilson. Bus #3 was a 66-passenger bus, the largest in
LaGrange’s Bus Ministry. In February
1982, when the Bus Ministry was scaled back from three to one Joy Bus, Bus #3
was the one Joy Bus that remained in service.
The Bus Ministry continued with Bus #3 until July 11, 1983, when the
elders recommended to Captain Mike Hall that the Bus Ministry at LaGrange be
terminated. Bus #3 was sold to the
The Fourth Bus
was a 1964 International (like Bus #1).
Perry Miller purchased the bus on behalf of the congregation for $320 on
December 12, 1976 from an auction at
Bus #4 was a 1966 Chevrolet. It was purchased from Mitchell Motor Sales, Inc. on August 24, 1978 with check #3348 for $2,400. It replaced Bus #2, which the congregation retired as soon as Bus #4 was ready for use. Because the actual fourth bus purchased for the congregation had never been placed in service, this fifth bus was known as either Bus #4, or the 2nd Bus #2. It was in service until February 1982, when the Bus Ministry was scaled back from three routes to one. Bus #4 was sold June 1982 to Everett Graybill for $800.
Bus #5 was
a 1971 Ford with a hydraulic wheelchair lift.
It was purchased July 16, 1979 in