SIKESTON – Old Bethel Baptist Church (OBBC) here stepped up, Aug. 24, to show love for the community, offering a number of free services.
Pastor Brent Horton said 460 people from the area attended the event, where 130 church members reached out to welcome them.
During the hours of the community service event, the church offered 40 oil changes and more than 60 haircuts, which were offered at no charge. The church also offered for free an eclectic arrangement of services – a car wash; marriage, family/parenting, and financial counseling; a health clinic, new clothing, diapers and food. They also served a lunch.
There was also a booth with professional counsel, offering suicide prevention awareness and home healthcare opportunities.
Perhaps most important of all, six people made professions of faith in Christ.
“The event, held at the church, was an overwhelming success, drawing in over 400 attendees who came to receive much-needed assistance and experience the love and care of their neighbors
“We were witnessing door-to-door before the event, and we asked the community members if there was anything we should add. We offered things for free to bring walls down.
“I wasn’t sure if anyone would use the counseling, but it was used,” Horton said.
Visitors went in a circuit to the various stations and chose what they wanted to do.
Old Bethel Baptist had two surprises from the community. One doctor came just to see what the event was. He hadn’t taken part of the church’s planning for the event, yet afterwards he made a donation to the church. Another community member came and shot video and posted it on her own social media site.
An eye clinic was scheduled, but the people canceled due to a family member in a cancer situation. There were several requests for dental help, but OBBC wasn’t able to work out the details for dental care this year.
“We’re definitely going to do this again next year,” Horton said.
He said the prayer room was the last station.
“Before people got to the prayer room, the gospel had already been shared. Our people were telling them, ‘We’re doing this because we love Jesus’. The community could see the love of Jesus in all the stations, so it was easy for them to go to the prayer room and it was a testament that the church was loving them,” Horton said.
Various Scripture cards were also handed out at each station.
“We implemented God’s Word in everything we did,” he said.
The church budgeted $8,500 for this, but Horton said with the salvations, “it was worth all we spent on it.”
Three other association churches were doing backpack giveaways, but at the last minute, some backpacks and supplies were given to OBBC.
Horton said several families have already started coming since the event.
Old Bethel averages about 180 in Sunday morning services and 140 each in Sunday night and Wednesday night activities.