Churches demonstrate ‘a heart’ for local communities
- Mar 16, 2009
BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches, Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union and other Tennessee Baptist mission groups recently participated in the annual “We Have a Heart for You” community service day emphasis.
Churches could observe the emphasis on Feb. 14 for Valentine’s Day or anytime during February.
“We Have a Heart for You” is a community service day promoted by the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Churches, associations, families, small groups and missions organizations are encouraged to meet physical needs and to share Christ with the lost in their community through simultaneous ministry evangelism projects.
“Several missions groups and churches participated and registered their reports online at http://www.heartforyou.org but more reports are requested,” said Vickie Anderson, “Heart for You” team leader.
Here is a sampling of some of the reports that were registered on the website.
Six members of the men’s ministry team of French Broad Baptist Church, Dandridge, supplied breakfast Feb. 14 for 40 employees of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Justice Center and Jail, Dandridge. The team presented several sheriff and correctional officers with a certificate of appreciation for their service to the community.
“We wanted to do something for the people in the community who service us so that’s how the Sheriff’s Department officers were chosen,” said Robert Bartee, men’s ministry director of French Broad Baptist.
“These people patrol in our county and also around our church.”
More than 85 people from First Baptist Church, Hohenwald, were involved in 14 projects on Feb. 14 which ministered to over 350 people in the community, according to Lisa Anderson, church office manager and women’s ministry director.
The projects ranged from raking leaves, offering free oil changes for single moms and senior adults, doing a winter car wash, serving hot chocolate/coffee to those getting their cars worked on and several other projects.
“We found out that there were several senior adults in our area who couldn’t remember the last time they had the oil in their cars changed so we did quite a few senior adult oil changes too,” said Anderson.
Anderson noted that other projects done by the members also generated gratitude. “The oil changes and car wash were a huge success. Our students worked hard on washing cars, and God provided a lot of sunshine as they worked on Saturday.”
“Overall, we were thrilled with the response from our ‘Love Your Community Day’ as we called it. We are a relatively small church with an average worship attendance about 260 and to have that many volunteers was exciting. We had a share night Feb. 15 at church, and God worked through our people on that Saturday.
“After our share night, we were all in agreement that this shouldn’t be just a once a year event. God gives us opportunities every day to touch someone’s life and share His love. We were all made more aware of that through this effort. Thank you for prompting us to participate in ‘sharing the love’ in our community.”
The WMU of East Union Baptist Church, Jackson, sponsored a prayerwalk around Rose Hill Middle School, Jackson, which is located across the street from the church. Ten women and two men prayerwalked the school on the afternoon of Feb. 15 when teams were practicing in the gym.
“That afternoon the prayerwalkers asked the people at the school if they could come in and prayerwalk the halls, and the people let them in,” said Jimmie Lynn Phillips, East Union Baptist assistant church secretary and WMU prayer chairman. “We prayed for the individuals who pass down the halls and the ones who use the lockers. We also prayed outside the class rooms.
“I asked God to send someone to the almost 600 student body to tell them about Jesus. We also delivered 60 goody bags for the teachers and the support staff, which included Christian DVDs, candy, lotion, etc.”
The WMU received a thank you note Feb. 24 from a Rose Hill teacher, which noted the goodies. The teacher added that the prayerwalkers “came at a perfect time when our spirits needed lifting. I know that God will bless you for your good deeds.”
This article is reprinted from the March 4, 2009, issue of the Baptist & Reflector, the newsjournal of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.