Skyrocketing water bill depicts FBC Littleville’s growth

Rather than fixing the “leak” that caused the church’s water bill to skyrocket, Pastor Steve Amos of First Baptist Church, Littleville, grinned and watched the water nourish growth.
   
“The water department came by and checked because our water usage had increased dramatically,” said Amos, a bivocational pastor and farmer. “Then we realized the baptistry holds 900 gallons, and we’ve been seeing souls saved.”
   
The church was leaking the love of Christ into neighboring communities. As a result, the baptistry stayed full.
   
When Amos, who graduated from Auburn with a degree in agriculture, came to Littleville in February of 2000, he found a withering church. But in the last two and a half years, the church has seen its attendance swell from 25 to more than 125 in Sunday School.
   
It was dry at first, but when it rains, it pours, Amos said.
   
“Months passed, and we weren’t seeing anyone saved. I prayed God would work in someone’s life,” Amos said. “Two weeks later, 10-year-old Gabe came forward and asked Christ to come into his life.”
   
Gabe’s decision also marked the inception of a flood of neighborhood children into the church’s ministry. Since that time, the church has baptized 120 new Christians and started ministries to shut-ins
as well as to those in retirement homes and jails.
   
The church has not had to go to two services yet, Amos said, because of a new educational building the church recently completed to house children’s church for the rapidly growing children’s ministry.
   
“Parents are excited when they see the things we do with the kids,” said Amos, who was instrumental in beginning a strong AWANA program at First, Littleville. “People that we have going into the community are letting other people know we love them and care about them. There’s so much opportunity here, and we’ve only scratched the surface.”
   
Bivocational ministry is physically draining, said Amos, who works full time at Colbert Farmers Cooperative. Still under Amos’ leadership the church has stepped up and overwhelmingly worked to fill the church’s outreach needs.
   
Youth Minister Paul Hulsey said the Lord has blessed the church’s hard evangelistic work.
“We’re a work in progress — a piece of clay — but God’s molding us,” said Hulsey, who arrived at First, Littleville, six months after Amos. Since that time, the church’s youth group has grown from averaging 10 to more than 40.
   
Amos said he’s been blessed to see the Lord do such incredible things in the church in Littleville. When some wanted to close the doors on the dying church, one woman prayed she would live to see 100 in Sunday School.
   
She got to see that prayer answered. “People are amazed at what God has done,” he said.
Love and compassion is the basis of First, Littleville’s, ministry, and that love first brought in vanloads of people, Amos said. When the church saw that happening, they wanted to do more.
   
“We have to let them know God loves them,” Amos said. “When we keep our individual lives focused, we keep the church focused.”
   
Dusty Daniel, chairman of deacons at First, Littleville, said the focus there is nothing like he’s seen before.
   
“I’ve been there 20 years, and I love what God is doing — I’m enjoying it. I was there when only 11 people were in services,” Daniel said.
   
Daniel said Amos is a good motivator and leader but most importantly he and his family are dedicated to serving the Lord.
   
“I’m an old country boy, and I speak my Southern English,” Amos said. “But when God’s giving direction, He doesn’t make mistakes.
   
“The Lord has blessed us, and we want to give credit to Him for what He’s done.” It’s the living water, Amos said. “God just used me as a vessel.”