A major hallmark of Baptist life is cooperation. In the three years since Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries was restored as an entity of the Missouri Baptist Convention, cooperation has been a basis of untold blessings to this ministry. In Numbers 17:1-5, the question of “Whom will we follow” was raised by the tribes of Israel. God responded by instructing Israel, “For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house. Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom.” In verse 8 one we read, “Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.” When God is at work, we not only see signs of life, and indicated by the buds, we enjoy the fragrance and fruit of His presence.
I am pleased to share how God’s work and presence through Baptist Homes through our cooperative efforts is budding, blossoming, and producing ripe fruit on behalf of the aging and our churches. Let me share a few examples of this cooperation in action.
At Arcadia Valley, a Campers on Mission volunteer is assisting with facility repairs, thus keeping the facility attractive and reducing deferred maintenance down the road. In the coming weeks, several churches have volunteers to assisting with a major repurposing project to create affordable senior care apartments on the second floor of the historic Riggs-Scott building.
At our new campus in Independences, a local church as adopted the campus courtyard. Once completed, residents and families will enjoy an attractive space for prayer, fresh air, sunshine and natural beauty.
Church and Associational partnerships saved the Smithville projects thousands of dollars in labor for demolition. Once completed in early 2023, this campus will focus on the needs of aging veterans. Church and Associational volunteers move thousands of pounds of old furniture, fixtures and old ceiling tiles prior to construction.
Missouri Baptist University marketing majors conducted a review of Baptist Homes communications and marketing resources. Their recommendations from this effort continue to inform upcoming changes and improvements.
The Missouri Baptist Foundation provided seed funding for the upcoming Welcome Home capital campaign. The foundation continues to be an going source for encouragement, financial insights and stewardship.
The list of cooperative activities could go on for pages. From church choirs leading concerts for residents (one is at our Ashland Campus while I am writing) to Bible Studies lead by pastors at each campuses, the cooperative spirit of Missouri Baptists is evident every day at each campus. On behalf of all of residents and employees of Baptist Homes & Healthcare, let me once again say, “Thank you” for welcoming us back to the Missouri Baptist family of ministries.