Faith Facts

• Riverside Church of Christ in Kerrville, Texas, led a year-long relief effort following devastating floods on July 4, 2025, that killed at least 138 people in Central Texas
• The congregation built or rebuilt 46 homes and assisted more than 1,000 flood survivors with clothing, furniture, and housing while feeding and sheltering volunteers
• A documentary honoring the 200+ Kerr County victims will premiere on the one-year anniversary, showcasing how the church answered God’s call to serve their neighbors

More than 200 residents of Kerr County — victims of the devastating July 4, 2025, floods in Central Texas that killed at least 138 people — will be honored on the anniversary of that tragedy by a local church that spent the past year serving, feeding, comforting and rebuilding the lives of their neighbors. A 36-minute documentary, “When the Waters Receded: Answering God’s Call to Serve,” produced by Jennifer Allen of the Riverside Church of Christ in Kerrville, Texas, will begin the evening.

In the wake of waters that rose as the Guadalupe River crested at 37.5 feet, members and staff of the congregation organized a relief effort that engulfed the facility and people of the church for an entire year. They were still answering requests for mattresses 363 days after the flood.

A year ago, Riverside minister Chris Carrillo called the congregation to begin a marathon. Over the next 12 months, church members partnered with several disaster relief organizations associated with Churches of Christ to salvage, serve and restore homes and lives.

Together they built or rebuilt 46 homes and assisted more than 1,000 survivors with clothing, furniture and housing. They provided area first responders with chainsaws, buckets, rakes, cleaning supplies, water, food and more. The church fed volunteers and housed them in its facilities.

“All of the pain that we go through in life can either build us up or break us down,” Riverside minister Chris Carrillo said in the documentary.

“And if we don’t use the pain and the hurt in our lives in order to help others, if we don’t take the comfort which God has given us in order to comfort others, what an unbelievably wasted opportunity.”

Elder Ron Watson said the church hopes this week’s event will provide “some closure to the devastation that happened here.”

“It’s a joyful event because we’re completing God’s work,” Watson said.

Allen, a former television journalist in San Antonio, had collected video and interviews over the course of the year, not knowing how they might be used. “The team that lived up here, the ones that dedicated their life for a full year here, were the ones that decided to do this,” she said.

“It’s a final embrace.”

The documentary captures the heart of Christian service in action — believers putting faith into practice through sacrificial love for their neighbors. When disaster strikes, churches like Riverside demonstrate what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world.

The year-long commitment by this Texas congregation stands as a powerful testimony to the transforming power of the Gospel. While government agencies and secular organizations often provide short-term assistance, it was the local church that remained committed for the long haul, meeting needs day after day for an entire year.

This is what Biblical community looks like in practice — Christians caring for one another and their neighbors with enduring compassion and tangible help. The 46 rebuilt homes represent more than construction projects; they symbolize lives restored and hope renewed through faithful servants answering God’s call.

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Faith Facts

• Scientific research confirms collective worship releases natural endorphins in the brain, strengthening community bonds
• Study demonstrates worshippers experience increased pain tolerance and enhanced sense of belonging during religious services
• Findings validate what Christians have known for millennia: communal worship strengthens faith and fellowship

A groundbreaking new study has provided scientific evidence for what believers have experienced throughout history: worship brings people together in profound and measurable ways. Researchers have discovered that collective worship releases naturally-occurring endorphins in the brain, chemicals that strengthen our sense of belonging and increase our ability to endure hardship.

The research offers a fascinating window into how God designed the human brain to respond to communal worship. When believers gather together in praise and prayer, their bodies produce natural chemicals that reinforce the bonds of fellowship and community that Scripture commands us to maintain.

These findings stand in stark contrast to Karl Marx’s famous assertion that “religion is the opium of the people,” which he intended as a criticism. Marx viewed religious faith as a numbing agent that prevented social revolution. However, the new research reveals something far more profound: the human brain is literally wired to benefit from worship and spiritual community.

The study’s implications extend beyond mere brain chemistry. The increased pain tolerance observed among worshippers speaks to the resilience that faith communities have demonstrated throughout history, from the early church’s persecution to modern-day Christians facing trials and tribulations.

This research validates what Scripture has taught for thousands of years. The Book of Hebrews instructs believers not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together,” recognizing that communal worship serves an essential purpose in the life of faith.

Rather than being an opiate that dulls our senses, worship appears to be a divine design feature that strengthens our ability to face life’s challenges while drawing us closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The sense of belonging generated through collective worship reflects the church’s biblical role as the body of Christ, where each member supports and encourages one another.

For Christian communities across America, these findings reinforce the vital importance of regular church attendance and fellowship. In an increasingly isolated and fragmented society, the church provides not only spiritual nourishment but also tangible neurological benefits that enhance our well-being and resilience.

The research also highlights why attacks on religious freedom and church gatherings strike at something fundamental to human flourishing. When governments or cultural forces attempt to prevent believers from assembling, they’re not merely restricting a social activity—they’re interfering with a practice that provides measurable benefits to mental and physical health.

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Faith Facts

• Mitchell Boles, a 17-year-old autistic teen from Middle Tennessee, was diagnosed with aggressive bone cancer in June 2025, just two months after being baptized
• Despite the cancer spreading to his lungs and a grim prognosis, Mitchell maintains unwavering faith, stating: “I don’t care if I die — I know I’ll be in heaven”
• His church and community rallied around the Boles family, raising $20,000 and demonstrating the power of Christian fellowship during trials

“We love Mitchell.”

That phrase has echoed through the pews of Beech Bethany Church of Christ, across group texts and hospital rooms, since 17-year-old Mitchell Boles was diagnosed last summer with a rare, aggressive bone cancer. Boles, who’s grown up in the Middle Tennessee church in Celina, is known for his humor, friendliness and die-hard college football fandom.

“People keep telling me how much they love him,” said Mitchell’s mother, Hanna.

“He’s always made people smile.”

Whether it’s the teenager’s love for fishing or long debates about the rivalry between his Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, those close to him say his personality has always set him apart. Boles, who is autistic, often describes his faith in simple terms: “Shine your light, do what’s right.”

After weeks of discussion with his parents, Boles was baptized in April 2025. Just two months later, life took an abrupt turn as doctors diagnosed him with osteosarcoma.

What followed was a sudden shift into hospital visits, surgeries and chemotherapy treatments that became daily life — but also marked the widening circle of support from the church and the Celina community.

“The outpouring from the local community and church has been unreal,” said Mitchell’s father, Ray Boles.

“It’s not just money — it’s the fact that people care and love has been shown.”

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

On June 24, 2025, Mitchell Boles noticed a large bump near his left knee and showed it to his parents. In the days after the discovery, the family scheduled an appointment at the Clay County Family Wellness Center.

An X-ray and follow-up testing led to a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that typically develops in the legs and arms. Further scans revealed that the cancer had already spread to his lungs. His mother, a nurse, cried when she heard the news.

“I didn’t think too much of it at first,” she said. “Then the doctor told us it was osteosarcoma. I was shocked. I knew treatment wasn’t going to be easy.”

Mitchell said the reality of the diagnosis began to set in shortly after.

“I couldn’t believe I had cancer,” he said, looking at his mother.

“A couple of hours later, I was mad.”

Treatment began with aggressive chemotherapy in July 2025 in an attempt to shrink the cancer in his knee and lungs. As Mitchell spent time undergoing treatment at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, the effects of the radiation and related medication took a toll on his body. He often remained in the hospital for two to four days at a time, resting for weeks in between treatments, Ray Boles recalls.

In late October, doctors determined that the cancer’s worsening — especially in Mitchell’s knee — required radical resection surgery to remove the affected bone while preserving as much of the leg as possible. The operation was a success, with metal plates helping to stabilize his knee. After several weeks of recovery, chemotherapy resumed for another two months.

A Community United in Christian Love

News of Mitchell’s diagnosis quickly reached the Beech Bethany congregation after Ray Boles called minister Kenny Westmoreland, who stood before the church during a Wednesday night service and asked for prayers. Westmoreland said the church body’s response was immediate. Church members quickly organized a range of events, from a pickleball tournament at Clay County High School to a benefit meal, with proceeds going directly to the Boles family.

The church even dedicated a service to Mitchell, with many members of the congregation wearing T-shirts he designed. The shirts featured Auburn’s navy-and-orange color scheme and the phrase “shine your light, do what’s right,” a nod to his interpretation of Matthew 5:16.

As Mitchell began chemotherapy treatments in Nashville, donations continued to pour in to the point where the family had to decline additional financial contributions, with approximately $20,000 raised, the Beech Bethany minister estimated.

“The outpouring from the local community and church has been unreal,” Hanna Boles said.

“We never had to worry about anything through all this.”

What remained constant was the steady presence of prayer from the congregation and the Celina community. That same support included Mitchell’s friends and teachers at Clay County High School, who continued to support him as he missed school for treatment.

“Everybody was stunned and heartbroken,” said CCHS football coach and teacher Brian Lamb.

“When you hear the ‘C-word’ (cancer), you always think the worst.”

Lamb said the reaction within the school spread quickly, with staff and students looking for ways to assist the Boles family because “everyone loves Mitchell.” At one point during the school year, the Clay County football team presented Mitchell with a poster signed with words of encouragement from the entire team and a personalized Bulldogs jersey, a gesture for the football-loving teen. Alongside the gift, the team made sure to mention him before the pregame meal every Thursday night.

For Mitchell, the moments of support often intersected with three things he cares deeply about: his faith, his family and his Auburn Tigers. Through a family friend at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Mitchell and his family secured sideline passes to watch the Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores inside FirstBank Stadium in Nashville — a memory the die-hard Auburn fan says he will never forget.

Faith Unshaken Despite the Valley

But in January 2026 — just 10 days before a scheduled lung surgery — a preceding scan brought devastating news. The cancer in Mitchell’s lungs had grown extensively, with tumors multiplying beyond what doctors could reliably count on imaging. With this discovery, it became evident that chemotherapy was no longer effectively slowing the disease.

Without a realistic chance that treatment would improve his condition, the Boles family and their son made the difficult decision after prayer to stop chemotherapy and cancel the planned surgery.

“I didn’t want to do more chemo because I just wanted to feel better,” Mitchell said.

Instead, he focuses on at-home medical treatment, including new medication and preserving the quality of his life. The 5-year survival rate for Mitchell’s stage of osteosarcoma falls to 5-30 percent according to the American Cancer Society.

“My wife’s a nurse, and she knows — and I know — that it’s going to get bad eventually,” Ray Boles said.

“We don’t know when, but we know God is in control.”

With options exhausted, the Beech Bethany Church of Christ and the Celina community, which had donated money and been present from the initial diagnosis, surrounded the family with support. The same teenager whose face lights up with a smile while reciting decade-old stats about Auburn football speaks with unwavering certainty about his future. While cancer has changed much of Mitchell’s life, it has not shaken his faith.

“I don’t care if I die — I know I’ll be in heaven,” he said.

“I got baptized, and my name is written in the Book of Life.”

Today, while still continuing medication slowing the progression of his cancer, Mitchell finds joy in time spent with his family and the church community that has surrounded the Boles with support. In Celina, it is not uncommon to see a blue shirt with the phrase “shine your light, do what’s right,” a nod to a teenager whose faith and kindness have left a mark on a small community.

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