Tom and Beverly Toone of Birmingham see their mission as serving. Since the 1980s they have worked as “doers” in different missions projects at their church and with the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association. The projects have included giving Christmas stockings to needy children in the Birmingham area and distributing bags of essential items at migrant worker camps in South Alabama. The couple are currently coordinators for those two ministry efforts. Tom holds a master’s degree in project management, and Beverly has been a legal secretary.
Ministry title: Doers
Church: Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham, Birmingham Metro Baptist Association
Life verse: Beverly: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).
Tom: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).
Ministry description: For Beverly, service has included teaching and directing Mission Friends for 42 years. For Tom, service included teaching fourth grade Sunday School for 18 years, teaching a men’s Bible study for 15 years and serving as a deacon and trustee, among other things. He has been in the church’s orchestra since its inception in 1985.
Q: What has God been teaching you lately?
A: Tom: A work in progress … striving to be more patient and tolerant of people. I am often not very patient, but God has been working to fix that.
Q: If there were one thing you could tell your younger self about faith, what would it be?
A: Beverly: One thing I would tell my younger self is how important daily Bible reading is to strengthen our relationship with God.
Q: Who was or is one of the most influential people in your faith life? Why?
A: Tom: One of the influential people in my faith life was my men’s Sunday School teacher at Lakeside in the 1980s and 1990s. Mr. Wallace Daniel, a knowledgeable Bible teacher and deacon, made Sunday School enjoyable and a learning experience. He also answered many questions and provided insight about the deacon ministry at Lakeside. Beverly: As a newlywed, I had a Sunday School teacher who took me under her wing when I moved far from family and friends and helped me grow in my faith.
Q: Does your church have any special traditions that mean a lot to you? What are they?
A: Lakeside has always provided us with monthly publications that were influential in our Christian walk. Those publications included Journey, Stand Firm, Homelife, Mature Living and The Alabama Baptist.
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