Arkansas
Arkansas Baptists gave more than $10 million to the International Mission Board in 2020, surpassing the 2019 amount given by more than a million dollars. The increase came as a result of Arkansas Baptists exceeding the state convention’s annual budget as well as an increase in its Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The annual budget uptick resulted in an additional $187,051 sent directly to the IMB according to the state convention’s Cooperative Program giving formula. The state’s LMCO surpassed its 2019 total by more than $900,000, Arkansas Baptist News reported.
Florida
When Pastor Shelly Chandler saw hundreds of people waiting in their cars for a COVID-19 vaccination, he saw an evangelistic opportunity. Chandler, pastor of First Baptist Church, Bonifay, Florida, worked with his staff to devise a “car-to-car evangelism” plan and returned to the line of cars later that day, stopping at each vehicle to talk, pray and share the gospel, the Florida Baptist Witness reported.
Georgia
About six years ago, Chris Pritchett, lead pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bowman, Georgia, began serving as a volunteer firefighter and chaplain, which inspired his church to launch a multifaceted community ministry. To minister to people in crisis, the church has bought a covered trailer, the Hope Trailer, and stocked it with everyday items. The church also built the Neighborhood of Hope, five houses ready to provide temporary shelter, the Christian Index reported.
Kentucky
Big Spring Baptist Church, a small congregation of only six members, is making a big impact, Kentucky Today reported. Since September, one-third of the church members — Kelly McCowan and Dale Fleenor — have gone door to door in their community, sharing the gospel more than 300 times. “We’re only two guys from a small church, but we want to do our part,” Fleenor said. “It’s our honor to do it for the Lord.”
Tennessee
Because of COVID-19, Emma Worthy’s senior year in high school and her path to becoming a college freshman at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, were anything but ordinary. Worthy’s parents are International Mission Board missionaries in Tuscany, Italy, and Worthy attended a Christian boarding school in Germany. A lockdown kept the teen and her parents hundreds of miles apart for months. They finally reunited at a German airport to fly to America for Worthy to begin college, the Baptist and Reflector reported.
Share with others: