Messengers find resources for missions, ministry at convention exhibits

Messengers find resources for missions, ministry at convention exhibits

It’s about more than popcorn and candy. The Alabama Baptist State Convention exhibit area showcased exhibitors that were eager to share with attendees ministry opportunities, missions literature, church resources and local programs.

Brightly colored displays and tables of goodies attracted many people to the booths where the exhibitors disseminated information about their respective programs and services.

One of the most popular exhibits was the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH) booth. In conjunction with their theme, Shaping Lives: Seasoning with Care, the exhibit was set up to resemble a kitchen with red and white check tablecloths. The exhibitors passed out recipe bookmarks that had miniature cookie cutters attached, which created quite a buzz among the female attendees.

Getting people to the booth was just the first step, said Bob Murdaugh, director of communication for the ABCH. Like many others, the exhibitors were promoting additional services of their organization that churches might not be familiar with.

“We value the contacts we make here with the pastors. What we are communicating to the pastors today is that Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries cares for families. Although our primary focus is children, our 30 professional counseling sites have trained, licensed professional counselors who help adults, children, teenagers and all ages,” Murdaugh said.

Exhibitors expressed numerous reasons for having a booth at the convention including increasing name recognition, generating awareness about needs, launching new programs, distributing material and meeting those who have contributed time and money to their program.

Missionary couples from Uruguay and the Philippines were representatives at the International Mission Board (IMB) exhibit. The Uruguay couple dressed in native costumes and attracted a crowd of interested people. Then the missionaries informed the people about the work and needs of the IMB, according to Wendy Jennings, IMB church planter in the Philippines.

“Historically Alabama has sent out a lot of international missionaries. We just want to put it in front of the churches that we still need missionaries. The task isn’t finished. As a large convention, Alabama should have a lot of members going as missionaries, not just praying,” Jennings said.

From costumes to screenings, the exhibit area offered people a variety of activities. After visiting booths people could either shop at the LifeWay bookstore or sign up for health screenings.

The Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) in partnership with the Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Parish Nurses and the Annuity Board sponsored osteoporosis screenings as well as cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. The response was a steady flow of people the entire day.

The WMU booth distributed envelopes, prayer guides and posters advertising the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. One of the main goals of the WMU booth was to put a face to WMU.

“The value of the booth experience is that we get to meet people from Alabama Baptist churches. We get to put a face with WMU and those we work with,” said Andrea Knight, Alabama WMU communication specialist.

The exhibit area was scattered throughout the day with groups of friends talking. The opportunity to talk with “old preacher friends” was the main draw for the exhibit area. Many people carried bags of materials, information and yes, candy.

Talking with several people revealed that the aesthetics of the booth, the goodies offered and a person’s interest in the organization contributed to the choice of booths a person visited.

The efforts of the exhibitors to make the booths relevant to the needs of the attendees was noticed and appreciated.

Gloria Self of RiverEast Baptist Church in Gadsden was attending her first convention. She was impressed by the material she received and expressed her surprise at the extent of Alabama Baptist involvement. “I am amazed at the education I am getting from the booths. I wasn’t aware of the depth of all the areas that the Alabama Baptists contribute to.”

Other organizations participating in the exhibits included Samford University, Shocco Springs, the University of Mobile, Baptist seminaries, the North American Mission Board, Judson College and numerous offices of the State Board of Missions.