Florida
This fall as college and university students arrived on campuses throughout the Sunshine State, Florida’s Baptist Campus Ministries geared up with new opportunities to reach and disciple them for Jesus Christ. As a result, many students have made professions of faith or renewed their commitment to Christ, the Florida Baptist Witness reported. “Because of rising COVID-19 cases and restrictions on campus, the level at which freshmen would engage with campus ministries this year was uncertain,” said Nathan Schneider, Florida Baptist lead catalyst for next generation ministries. “Instead, the hand of God has been obvious in bringing students to our campus ministries, local churches, and to a saving relationship with Jesus. People have been praying for this school year and the students at Florida colleges and universities, and the result has been God’s favor upon our ministers and their ministries. We have seen worship and event rooms full of college students, and we have seen students pray to receive Christ,” Schneider said. To read more, click here.
Georgia
Trying to decide how to use her summer for the kingdom of God, Truett-McConnell University student Makenzie Hoyt discovered the opportunity to work at LaVerne Griffin Camp in Alaska, reported The Christian Index. Hoyt soon convinced her friend Annie Noel to join her on the Alaska adventure. The girls joined the camp’s behind-the-scenes team, and discovered ministry opportunities as they served food, ran the snack shack and even monitored archery. During the first week, the camp hosted Native Youth Camp for children from Alaskan villages, and Noel learned Alaska has one of the highest rates of child neglect in the country. Watching the Alaskan youth during their last night of worship, Noel said, “I can’t imagine what heaven will be like if that was just a little piece of it at a little camp.” Click here to read more.
Kentucky/South Carolina
Recognizing the high poverty rate in Harlan County, Kentucky, North American Mission Board missionaries George and Robin Lewis, South Carolina natives, run Freedom Center Ministries, reported the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Harlan County was once known for its coal mining, but with the mines closing over the past 20 years, poverty has grown exponentially. During the summer, teams from S.C., including Pastor Tyler Caines of Wampee Baptist Church, joined Freedom Center Ministries to host a back-to-school bash, a carnival-like event that provides fun for families and two full outfits for every child. Caines described how volunteers wash the feet of each child before presenting the child with a new pair of shoes. Volunteers close the event by sharing the gospel and praying for the children and their parents. George and Robin Lewis said the volunteers “encouraged children and their parents with prayers, shared Jesus’ love, and met physical needs.” Click here to read more.
Louisiana
Lindsey Crawford had not realized how prevalent sex trafficking was in her community until she met a young mother who was a former victim. Prayerfully, Crawford launched Freedom13, a jail ministry that focuses on outreach to formerly trafficked people in northeast Louisiana, the Baptist Message reported. At Freedom13, based on Galatians 5:13, “We want to provide opportunities for women to start over,” Crawford said. “But more than that, we want women to know how important they are to the Lord, to us, and to the Body of Christ. We hope they will find or be reminded of their gospel-centered, God-given purpose and walk it out, every day.” Since its founding, Freedom13 has helped rescue more than 20 women and children from the sex trafficking industry and offers them resources to gain a new life through a 12-month trauma-informed program. To read more, click here.
Mississippi
The Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief ministry continues to offer support in Louisiana and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas, reported The Baptist Record. MBDR was asked to staff an incident management team to organize and assist chainsaw operations in the hard-hit area around Covington, Louisiana. Hubert Yates, Mississippi Baptist DR director, reported that Mississippi churches have sent teams on their own to minister and assist where needed and that donations continue to be collected. He reported that 12 recovery sites in southeast Louisiana are being staffed by volunteer teams from 19 state conventions. There have been 8,379 ministry contacts with 513 gospel presentations by Southern Baptist volunteers, resulting in 87 professions of faith, Yates reported. Meals prepared by all Southern Baptist disaster relief operations totaled 638,660, as of Sept. 19. In addition, Southern Baptist volunteers completed 494 chainsaw work/debris removal orders, and placed 141 tarpaulins on damaged roofs. Click here to read more.
North Carolina
Inspired by Christ meeting physical needs to meet spiritual needs, North Carolina Baptists’ health screening ministry, housed in a mobile unit, allows health care providers to use their skills to minister to people in their communities in a practical way. “It’s a great way [for healthcare providers] to share the love of Christ through their training,” said Crystal Horton, health screening ministry coordinator. Ministry volunteers offer patients basic health exams: diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol, assessing the risk of heart disease, screening for mental health, and offering eye exams. “We can give them things to do at home that will impact their health tremendously,” Horton said. Churches are able to host health screening ministry in church parking lots, establishing a caring presence in their communities. To see more, click here.
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