IRONTON – More than 40 people from churches in the Meramec Baptist Association went on mission at the Baptist Homes of Arcadia Valley here, May 22-25.
During this mission trip, the association’s church members built benches and picnic tables for the Baptist Homes campus, painted rooms in the historic Riggs Scott building, cut brush and limbs, removed old fences, prepared elevated flower beds around the campus and planted vegetables that everyone in the Baptist Homes neighborhood could enjoy.
“They probably got two years of work done for us,” Dan Stiles, administrator for the Arcadia Valley campus, told The Pathway. Though 15 people stayed overnight on the Arcadia Valley campus, a total of 43 showed up on campus ready to serve during the day.
Stiles said the Meramec Baptist Association’s churches not only helped to beautify the Arcadia Valley campus, but they also blessed everyone living on the grounds. They spent time with them, led them in a worship service, fellowshipped with them during a fish fry and made them “feel loved and needed.”
“It was absolutely a huge blessing,” Stiles added. “It enriched the lives of our neighbors (that is, those living on the Baptist Homes campus).”
Walter Heyer, director of missions for the Meramec Baptist Association, said more than 50 percent of the association’s churches were involved in the mission effort at the Baptist Homes of Arcadia Valley.
“It was great,” Heyer said, adding that church members across the association have already asked when they can go again. “I’d recommend (a mission trip like this) to other people.”
Spencer Hutson, church relation specialist for the Baptist Homes, said opportunities abound for Missouri Baptist associations and churches to partner with The Baptist Homes.
The benefit of these opportunities for Missouri Baptist associations is that churches can join hands for missions without the expense and difficulty of traveling far, Hutson said. Meanwhile, those who work and live on Baptist Homes campuses are blessed by the free labor, ministry, fellowship and joint worship that Missouri Baptist mission volunteers bring to them.
To learn how your church or association can build a mission partnership with The Baptist Homes, contact Hutson via email at shutson@bhhm.org.