Florida
Grace Connection Church, launched in 2014 in South Florida as one church in two locations, is now expanding its reach with a third location recently donated by a sister church in decline, the Florida Baptist Witness reported. Since its inception, Grace Connection Church has reached mostly Haitians. The church’s vision is to be a multicultural church engaging all generations and cultures with the gospel.
Today, through the generous donation of facilities owned by Naranja Park Baptist Church, Grace Connection is living out its calling by expanding its reach to Homestead, Florida. Naranja Park Baptist Church, a Hispanic church that had been in the Homestead community for more than 50 years, had seen its membership dwindle. Even as Naranja Park Baptist Church closed its doors, it wanted to ensure a Christian witness would continue in the community and decided to donate its facilities to Grace Connection Church. The new Homestead location will make it possible for the Grace Connection family to reach a younger population that, in addition to Haitians, will include other nationalities and ethnic groups.
“We are extremely happy not just with the building, but that God has opened up the doors for Grace Connection church to cross the cultural boundaries,” said Pastor Jackson Voltaire.
South Carolina
Since First Baptist Church, Cowpens, South Carolina, was destroyed by a fire the Saturday after Christmas, “God has come through,” said Pastor Kermit Morris. “It’s just been blessing after blessing.”
One blessing came through seven-year-old Jensen Graves, who, with tears in his eyes, watched the church burn. The little boy wanted to help the church and organized a yard sale that raised more than $5,500, the Baptist Courier reported.
Another blessing came through a pastor who called Morris and said his church had a surplus of $12,000 that he gave to help the Cowpens church. “Now that’s God’s family taking care of each other,” Morris said.
Another blessing came through a neighborhood woman who slid money in the pastor’s hand when he was greeting her across the street from the destroyed church building the Monday after the fire. Later, the pastor and church treasurer went to a local bank to open the church’s disaster relief fund, only to discover that $100 was required to open the account, the exact sum the woman had passed to him. “God knew we needed $100, and we didn’t even know we needed it,” Morris said.
Other individuals and churches are also helping the church in its recovery efforts, such as donating sound equipment, chairs, staging and other items. A local Methodist church has offered its former parsonage to use for office space.
Looking ahead, Morris said, “From this point forward, we look forward to what God’s going to do in our midst, and how He’s going to take this and build out of the ashes.”
Tennessee
Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous cancellations and postponements over the past 10 months, First Baptist Church, McMinnville, Tennessee, baptized 25 new believers in 2020 and welcomed an additional 20 new members, more than double the growth the church experienced in 2019, the Baptist and Reflector reported.
Pastor Jeff Owens said the growth can be attributed to the church’s decision to continue to emphasize evangelism and to be intentional about it, despite challenges created by the pandemic.
Wanting to enhance its ministry to children and youth in 2020, the church “pulled off variations of VBS and summer camps – and that’s where we saw many of those salvations and baptisms,” Owens said. The church also explored new areas of ministry, such as a college/career ministry, leading to numerous baptisms.
“The success of this year has, no doubt, reminded us that the work of sharing the gospel and seeing lives changed for Christ isn’t hindered by crisis or conditions, so long as believers are living and sharing their faith,” Owens said.
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