Today for our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing celebrated the production of Daniel LIVE from Sight & Sound Theatres.
The hosts all shared their favorite bible stories.
Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Alyssa and Judah.
Do you have a teen leaving for college soon? Want to stay connected?
Today on The Morning Thing, we talked about a very important parenting strategy – staying connected.
This is very important as your son or daughter prepares to leave for college.
We shared some encouraging tips from Focus on the Family and author, Cheryl Barker.
Click HERE to read Cheryl’s full article.
Here are some of Cheryl’s tips:
Before leaving for college –
1. Work on Face to Face communication
2. Ask open-ended questions. Avoid the “why” questions.
3. Go Beyond the Words. What does the non-verbal signs tell you?
4. Pray, pray and pray some more!
After leaving for college –
1. Meet their needs. Care packages and unexpected gifts are wonderful!
2. Build bonds. Get to know their new friends.
3. Make a Date. Get to know who they are dating. Support the new important relationship.
4. Embrace the Major. Go to the concerts, the games, the plays, etc. Participate in their activities.
At WNZR, we work with college students every day. This is a wonderful, but stressful time in their lives as they navigate the path to their future. We pray that you will find peace and direction through this transition. Remember, that we are The Lifeline. An encouraging word, song or message is just a click away!
Praisestock is coming this Sunday to Ariel Foundation Park
Dave Ewart, Vice Chairman of Praisestock joined The Morning Thing to talk about this year’s event.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
He shared details of the schedule including a special new grand finale at 5:45pm. All worship bands will join together for a special ending song.
Dave also shared how Praisestock will raise money for Food For The Hungry of Knox County.
Praisestock will also welcome over 20 local ministries and organizations to setup information tables at the event.
Find out more at www.praisestock.org
Here is Sunday’s schedule:
10:00am: Welcome and Community Worship Service (led by First Church of the Nazarene Worship Team), Love Offering, Communion
11:30am: Break
12:00pm: First Church of the Nazarene (Mount Vernon) Worship Team
12:45pm: Set Free Worship Team
1:45pm: Salvation Army Worship Team
2:45pm: Chestnut Ridge
3:45pm: Covenant Christian Church Worship Team
4:45pm: Trinity Church Worship Team
5:45pm: Joint Song (All) to close event. “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)”
6:00pm: Closing Comments
Between performances, various Christian-based organizations in the community will be featured in an interview-style format.
Times are tentative and subject to change. Event will proceed rain or shine (but pray for “shine”)
The Morning Thing Friday Favorites 8/16/24
For our Friday Favorites today, The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite memories from the Summer of 2024.
Auctions, Cars, Motorcycles and free breakfast – it will be an exciting weekend at the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with Jacob Francis, board member for the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival.
Click HERE to hear their conversation.
Jacob shared the details of several exciting events on the schedule this weekend – the Wood Auction and the Car/Motorcycle Show.
He also talked about his exciting journey from volunteer to board member.
Jacob also invited the community to a special Sunday morning breakfast being served by Set Free Ministries.
The Morning Thing Friday Favorites – we love the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival
Today for our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite thing happening at the 2024 Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival.
Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Alyssa and Judah.
The Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon is bringing PIES to the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival
The Morning Thing is shining the spotlight on the 2024 Music and Arts Festival this week.
On Wednesday, we talked with Wendi Fowler from the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon. She shared the details about the Kiwanis Club Pie Auction which is a new event to the festival.
Click HERE to hear the conversation.
The pie auction will be held in conjunction with the wood auction on Saturday, August 10.
Bidding registration starts at 4:30pm.
The auction will from 5:30pm – 7pm on the Public Square.
There are 17 pies up for bid. Pies are being made by celebrities. Some of them include: Mayor Matt and Joanne Starr – All American Apple Pie, Bruce and Kathy White (from KCH) – Blueberry, Dr. Carson Castleman (MVNU President) – chocolate pie and Dr. Berry (COTC) – strawberry pie.
The Mount Vernon High School Key Club is also involved.
Wendi also shared how the money from the auction will be used. The Kiwanis Club supports youth and children in the community: Imagination Library, 4H, Babe Ruth baseball, and the Fredericktown Fire Academy.
If you would like to donate a pie, send an email to Wendi.fowler@parknationalbank.com
Wendi told us more about the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon. Some of their programs include: boots and coats for kids, literacy projects and gathering 1,200 books for kids this summer!
They also go into the Mount Vernon classrooms to read books to students.
Literacy has been the focus for 2024.
Wendi invites residents to visit the next meeting for Kiwanis on Monday, 8/12 at Noon at the Gallagher Center at the Ohio Eastern Star. They meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month.
The festival runs on these dates:
Thursday 8/8 – 5pm – 10pm (They will have a soft opening on Thursday at lunch time so that people can access the food trucks on the public square)
Friday 8/9 – 11am – 10pm
Saturday 8/10 – 11am – 10pm
Sunday 8/11 – 11am – 3pm
Find out more at mvmaf.org
The 2024 Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival kicks off on Thursday
Today, The Morning Thing kicked off our preview of the 2024 Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival.
We talked with Board Member, Debbie Ruggles.
Click HERE to hear the conversation.
She shared an overview of the festival with highlights of the vendors and food trucks coming this year.
She shared that some exciting events are on the schedule including Lonestar on Saturday night, the Children’s Ballet and a new Pie Auction with the Kiwanis Club.
A special KidFest will be held all 4 days. Friday will feature local community acts.
The Festival dates and times:
Thursday 8/8 – 5pm – 10pm
Friday 8/9 – 11am – 10pm
Saturday 8/10 – 11am – 10pm
Sunday 8/11 – 11am – 3pm
Find all the details and the complete schedule at www.mvmaf.org
Congratulations to the Mount Vernon Volunteers of the Year
At August First Friday, Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr announced the Volunteers of the Year: Janis Stone and Kevin Mishey.
Janis has been involved with theater in our community for several decades. She is a founding member of MTVarts. She has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the performing arts in Mount Vernon. She has helped to develop many theater options for our community including dinner theater, Broadway musicals, the Classic Series based on American Literature, Arts IQ and youth performances.
Kevin Mishey has been an advisory board member with the Salvation army for over 25 years. He is Chair of the their Maintenance Committee and serves on the Capital Campaign Committee and the Christmas Kettle Committee. He is also an integral part of music here in Mount Vernon – teaching guitar lessons, leading a music program at Danbury Senior Living and providing special music at Faith Lutheran Church. He is a regular performer at Praisestock and other festivals. He is also a member of the Front Porch Concert Committee.
Click HERE to hear our conversation.
Congratulations to these two amazing volunteers!


August First Friday comes to downtown Mount Vernon tonight!
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon was a guest on The Morning Thing today. She shared a preview of August First Friday.
Click HERE to hear her conversation with WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart.
She shared highlights of tonight’s schedule, entertainment, food and activities. She also shares information on parking and road closures.
Tonight’s event is from 6pm – 9pm. We hope to see you for a celebration of the “Dog Days of Summer”!