CENTERTOWN – The members of New Hope Baptist Church here helped to organize a back-to-school supply giveaway for their community, Aug. 3.
The church has participated in this outreach event since 2005, working in partnership with a local ministerial alliance. Since the church is located about 7 miles north of Centertown, the school-supply giveaway is held elsewhere in town.
New Hope Baptist works with area schools to find out what supplies students need for their classes, and they work throughout the year to gather the necessary supplies. But, according to Pastor Dennis Maxwell, they not only give away school supplies, but they also provide bottled water, coffee, donuts and Bibles.
“There are a lot of people that are able to take advantage of this,” Maxwell told The Pathway. “There are a lot of people in need. … But it’s open to anybody and everybody.”
He estimated that this year’s event included roughly 65-80 children, alongside parents.
“It’s been a really good ministry,” Maxwell said, but it’s not the only ministry that the church does throughout the year. Among other things, they welcome children to VBS each year, celebrate a “high attendance” Grandparents Sunday, and also collect Christmas gifts for needy children.
“We do a monthly, outreach effort – a visitation of the community,” Maxwell added. “And our church has grown through that. We’ve seen some new people join the church in the past few years.”