Arkansas
Having just launched a building campaign, Pastor Carl Fair of Dardanelle First Baptist Church in Arkansas didn’t know what to expect from his congregation when COVID-19 hit. But Dardanelle First did not disappoint, reports Arkansas Baptist News. Fair explains how the Lord provided as giving increased during the pandemic. The church is hosting a building dedication service Aug. 15. “This building is all about telling people about Jesus, being a bridge to the community,” Fair said.
Florida
Scott Whetstone, the new pastor of Moore Haven’s First Baptist Church in Florida, plans to embrace both the past and the future of his new congregation, reports the Florida Baptist Witness. Before Whetstone, the congregation had gone two years without a pastor, but they welcomed him and his wife. “We desire to live with an awe of God and obedience to Him. We will cultivate that in everything we do as a church,” Whetstone said.
Georgia
Youth groups are looking for ways to encourage students and provide them with community. Twenty-seven churches gathered 514 students together at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, for Impact Camp, where 15 made a first-time decision to follow Christ and 33 felt the call to full-time ministry. Impact aims “to create an atmosphere in which students are able to grow spiritually,” reports the Christian Index. The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is focusing on the next generation’s spiritual health.
Kentucky
When the restaurant at the Pendleton Hills Country Club, a staple in the community, burned, Abram Crozier, pastor of Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Butler, Kentucky, knew he had to do something, reports Kentucky Today. The restaurant partnered with Trinity during the pandemic to feed first responders and essential workers, so “now it’s our turn to help them,” Crozier said. He started with gift cards for the employees, but Crozier plans to adjust as he hears specific needs.
Louisiana
First Baptist Church in Bossier City, Louisiana, is no stranger to struggles. In 2018, most of the church’s facilities were destroyed in a fire, reports the Baptist Message. Pastor Brad Jurkovich said, “I believe God is giving us a season of victory at this time so that we are stronger than ever to share Jesus with our city, nation and world.” The church has experienced blessing after blessing in this new season, including baptizing 35 students at camp and on campus.
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