Beatrice Church dives into Children’s Homes’ ministry

Beatrice Church dives into Children’s Homes’ ministry

Anna Black is a lady who loves to buy school supplies.

“When I became an aunt and my nieces and nephews started school, I would purchase them supplies to start their new school year,” said Black, a member of Beatrice Baptist Church in Pine Barren Baptist Association.
But in 2006, God decided to expand her flock to a few more school-children.

“God placed on my heart the needs of others whose families were not able to care for their children, much less purchase them school supplies,” Black said.

So she bought some notebooks, pencils and markers; boxed them up; and sent them to the Mobile campus of the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH).

And then, Black said, everything changed.

She went to her pastor, Jeff Robison, who works closely with ABCH, and told him she felt God leading her to minister to the children there on a more regular basis.

He was elated.

And Black’s new passion for the ABCH’s work lit a fire in Beatrice Baptist for an ongoing ministry. After she spoke with her Women on Mission group, the women decided to sponsor a child for Christmas that year. Later those same women and other members of the church bought bags for the children to take with them to summer camp, monogramming the bags for the girls.

Ministry opportunities kept coming and when Black told ABCH campus leaders they were interested in donating baked goods for the open house this past Christmas, they asked Black if her church would be interested in taking on the whole catering project for the event.

The church wholeheartedly agreed and decided to move its Sunday worship to the campus and have it as a time of service for the congregation instead.

“The group from Beatrice met us where our need was,” said Bobby Joe Smith, director of ABCH’s southwest Alabama region, which includes the Mobile campus. “They gave of themselves. They prepared the food, served it and were gracious hosts and hostesses. They were very supportive.”

And the church is already planning for next year. (TAB)