The Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries exhibit drew visitors down the hall and into the exhibit area with the enticing smell of popcorn.
Dispensing information and fresh popcorn, the booth was a busy place during the two days of the annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
The 50 exhibits included Southern Baptist offices and entities ranging from schools to insurance for church staff to help for weary pastors.
The State Church Libraries, a division of the office of discipleship and family ministries of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, offered help for local churches.
Eva Nell Hunter, librarian at Central Baptist Church, Decatur, encouraged representatives from churches to fill out cards requesting assistance from the group.
She reported talking to several people who have no church library and others who need help with their libraries.
“We are here to tell people that help is available at no cost to them,” Hunter said. “We have five librarians across the state who can help. I am in north Alabama; there are two in Montgomery, one in Birmingham and one in Mobile.”
A display of miniature shoes highlighted the theme for the group’s annual conference, If the Shoe Fits, to be held at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega in May 2006. Hunter expects a record turnout.
Valerie Shirley, events and ministries coordinator at Shocco Springs, handed out bottles of water to and fielded questions about activities and recreation from visitors to her booth. She said the facility is busy but still looking for additional ways to serve.
“We are trying to reach more nonprofits, not just Alabama Baptist groups,” Shirley said.
“We are already booked for this summer, but we are still reaching out and growing. There is always room for improvement.”
Around the corner, Melissa Marlowe, administrative associate with LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, N.C., displayed several brochures that took people by surprise.
“There is a lot of interest in our special packages,” Marlowe said, noting that a lot of pastors are not aware of Ridgecrest’s affordable price.
The price is also available for any paid church staff member and employees of Southern Baptist Convention affiliates.
Gena Heatherly, state literacy missions coordinator for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, also reported a great deal of interest in her booth.
The literacy missions ministry offers training for Alabama Baptist churches in adult reading and writing, English as a second language (ESL) and tutoring for children and youth.
Heatherly was eager to share information about literacy missions.
“Every time we are mentioned in The Alabama Baptist, we get more interest in our work,” she said. The influx of people into Alabama from Mexico has impacted the needs of Alabama churches, according to Heatherly.
“We have seen an increase in ESL everywhere,” Heatherly noted, pointing out that each of the three areas of ministry impacts the other. “When you have adults who don’t read and write and people who don’t speak English, you have children who need tutoring,” she said.
In addition to the obvious aid to people who need the help the group offers, the ministry documented 130 professions of faith and a new congregation as direct results of the literacy missions ministry.
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