Alco marks 50 years with new outreach efforts

For Alco Baptist Church, Brewton, in Escambia Baptist Association, 2007 has been one of the busiest in its 50-year history. As the church celebrated its golden anniversary, members looked back on all that has been accomplished for God’s kingdom. But they also ushered in a new era of outreach to their community and world.

According to Pastor Doug Coburn, two new Sunday School classes have been added, and a Sunday night discipleship class was recently begun. Guests are now welcomed with a Sunday morning coffee-and-doughnuts fellowship time, and the church has transitioned to a blended worship service, designed to attract more young couples and youth.

Along with changes to existing programs, Alco Baptist has also experienced many “firsts” during 2007. This past summer, eight members traveled to Reynosa, Mexico, on the church’s first foreign missions trip. In the early fall, several members participated in the church’s first community outreach, placing a copy of the Gospel of John and church information on every door in the Alco community.

But for all its accomplishments, said Coburn, there is still much to be done, and building on the church’s current successes is vital to reaching more people. “Like all churches, we sometimes struggle with complacency,” he said. “My prayer is that we at Alco remember, and never forget, the reason for our being here: to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”