Using their expertise

Today Jerry Jones, 69, and Nancy Jones, 67, make six or seven trips each year to churches of all denominations across the Southeast to lay tile.

“The only requirement we have is that they preach Jesus as the way and provide us somewhere to sleep,” Nancy Jones said. The Joneses say their free labor saves churches quite a bit of money. The churches provide the ceramic tile and supplies but the couple provides the labor free of charge. Tile projects range from foyers to restrooms and normally last two weeks.

One of the couple’s larger projects was at Gadsden Christian Fellowship, an Assembly of God congregation in Gadsden. This project required three trips for the Joneses. The total tile project covered 8,000 square feet, an estimated savings of about $26,000 for the church. According to Jerry Jones, the average rate for laying ceramic tile is $3.25 per square foot in Alabama.

In another project, the Joneses were able to put their expertise to use to help their home church when Ridgecrest began construction and renovations recently. The two tiled about 3,000 square feet, which yielded a cost savings of almost $10,000.

“Jerry and Nancy are … a perfect example of when you’ve got extra time, you should use it to serve the Lord,” said Ridgecrest Pastor Jim Hill.