CHARLESTON – It sounds like a no brainer, but a sometimes forgotten ingredient to a healthy and growing church is love. But it’s not forgotten at New Beginnings Fellowship, a Baptist church plant in Charleston. They have love in spades.
“I’ve never met a group of people who love so much,” said pastor Ron Aldridge.
The church plant began a year ago in Charleston with an eye toward reaching those who may not be comfortable in a more traditional church environment.
“We reach a different segment than a lot of churches,” Aldridge said. “Some of our people are down and out, and maybe they have a checkered past. But the thing is, when they come to our church, they tell me they feel loved. I keep saying it, but they’re just the loving-est bunch of people.”
Aldridge said part of the church’s early success an emphasis on “doing church biblically,” and not being tied to man-made traditions.
“We’re not big on tradition,” he said, “but we are big on Bible. “We stay away from ‘well we’ve always done it that way.’ Not too many people would give up the air conditioning for a hand-held fan or car for horse and buggy, so why not stop relying on traditions and just do everything biblically? We don’t have business meetings; if we have business, we just get together and talk. We don’t have any standing committees.”
Since July 2010, New Beginnings Fellowship has seen eight professions of faith and baptisms and has a thriving men’s Thursday night Bible study. They have been sharing a building with Shining Light Baptist Mission on Sunday mornings, and recently met in First Baptist, Charleston’s building when flood relief workers had to set up shop in Shining Light.
But Aldridge said God is moving to get New Beginnings into their own building.
“God just never ceases to amaze me,” he said. “He gave us a great location in an old fireworks warehouse. We just needed to do some interior work. Now it looks like we’re going to be in the building within the next two weeks. God is just blessing us hand over fist.”
The building is still an old fireworks warehouse, and could use some more renovations and fixtures to make it easier to “live in.” Aldridge asks for prayers, volunteers or donations of materials if possible. To contact New Beginnings, call Aldridge at 573-427-9997 or go to their website, www.nbfcharleston.com.