Fayette church assisted by Carpenters for Christ

When Southside Baptist Church in Fayette needed assistance on a building project, Pastor Robert Parrish turned to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
   
“Last year around April or May, I put our project on the North American Mission Board’s Web site after hearing about it from Tommy Puckett,” Parrish said. “At the same time, a Carpenters for Christ team in Alabama had just completed a project and was looking for a new one.”
   
Puckett, director of the office of men’s ministries for the SBOM, said there are some 120 Carpenters for Christ teams across the state, and his role is a matchmaker of sorts.
“What I do is try to develop a relationship with Carpenters for Christ leaders to help match teams with the churches. The ownership goes to the teams or the church,” he said.
   
Puckett also provides facilitating and negotiating roles if the need arises. “I am a little fly on the wall that helps in the matchmaking,” he said. “The rest is up to the ministry teams.”
   
The matchmaking paid off when more than 60 men completed a two-story, 10,000-foot building for Southside in eight days in June.
   
“We had the plans, the slab was ready and the materials were on site,” Parrish said.
   
The Carpenters for Christ team completed the framing, roofing, shingles, wiring, plumbing and hung most of the sheet rock, Parrish said.
   
“This building connects the church and gym, and they also worked on tying the two together,” he said.
   
At first Parrish was told Southside was third on the list. “I was surprised when they called me and said God must be working on something because the other two projects fell through.”
   
With a population of around 5,000 and an economic environment that couldn’t financially support the entire project, Parrish knew the church didn’t need to go in debt. “We had several needs for our church and really needed a new building,” Parrish said. The new building could not have come at a better time for Southside — Parrish said 21 people have been baptized in the last three months.
   
Not only did a grocery store clerk attend a recent worship service after being invited by a Carpenters for Christ crew member, but the entire crew had prayer for the community.
   
“While the crew was here, the tragedy of the Fayette police department shooting occurred. When they broke for lunch, they asked if they could go by the police station to have prayer for the families and city officials,” Parrish said.
   
The crew also took up a love offering for the families. “Carpenters for Christ had a lasting effect on the church and this community,” Parrish said. “They ministered while they were here. Their attitude and desire to reach people for Christ while they are here doing all the work is a blessing.’”
   
The Carpenters for Christ team, led by Dave Tidwell, is hosted by Cherry Street Baptist Church in Attalla and includes volunteer members from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois.
Tidwell said he believes construction projects give an opportunity for men to contribute to ministry.
   
“We have a lot of guys that are not well-versed Bible students but are good Christian men.”
   
And just like other forms of service in ministry, Tidwell feels the Lord sends volunteer labor to each project for more than just construction. “You do it for the same reason as a pastor or missionary serves, because you are called to it.”