Arkansas
Students at Union Valley Baptist Church, Beebe, Arkansas, missed out on a lot during the past year because of COVID-19 restrictions, and they were more than ready to reconnect not only with each other but also with God. A Disciple Now weekend in April kicked off the re-connection with 59 students, including many who were unchurched. By the end of the weekend, 13 students had made professions of faith and were baptized, the Arkansas Baptist News reported.
Florida
After a February fire destroyed the sanctuary of Morningstar Baptist Church, Fort Myers, Florida, an unexpected partnership with a nearby church emerged from the ashes. Today, Crossroads Baptist Church, “a partner in the gospel,” is helping Morningstar with weekly worship services, various ministries and outreach opportunities. The two churches also are partnering on a formal revitalization process for the congregation that lost its building but not its God-given mission, the Florida Baptist Witness reported.
Louisiana
Eighty boys learned how to rope cattle and ride a mechanical bull while hearing the gospel message at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth, Louisiana, during the recent Royal Ambassador Congress. Leaders used the example of taming an unbroken wild horse to help present the gospel. By the closing session, nine boys had made salvation decisions, the Baptist Message reported. Participants also learned how cowboy churches are helping to further the gospel.
Mississippi
Mississippi College, a Baptist college in Clinton, Mississippi, opened its on-campus Food Pantry on April 1. Pantry volunteers offer food and hygiene products as a free service to MC students and employees. During the first few weeks, more than 55 students shopped at the Food Pantry, which relies on donations and partnerships to keep its mission going. Food insecurity is a problem on many college campuses nationwide.
South Carolina
The special needs community, often overlooked in churches, has a “safe haven” in the Sonshine Club of Spartanburg, which meets the first and third Saturday of each month in the dining hall of Spartanburg First Baptist Church. COVID meant that the ministry, which started in 2011, had to adapt to a virtual event, but even with the change, Sonshine Club continues to meet the needs of special needs individuals and their families in the community, the Baptist Courier reported.
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