ASHLAND, Va. — A washing machine, toys, power tools, handmade jewelry and clothing were just a few of the items filling the parking lot of First Baptist Church in Ashland on a recent Saturday, as this congregation tries “one new way” to connect with the people in its community.
First Baptist, Ashland, is one of the churches in the Dover Baptist Association participating in the Dover Connections Project, an effort to connect people to Christ through helping churches begin new ministries. Each congregation identifies needs and interests of its unchurched community and chooses a new way of reaching people fitting the personality and gifts of its church.
A community yard sale
Geri Gleeson, leader of the Connections Team at First Baptist, says they started by looking at demographics. The church has benevolent ministries that benefit the community, but demographics indicated the majority of people living within a 2-mile radius have above average incomes. So the team’s choice was a “sowing” project aimed at meeting the needs of both groups.
The Ashland Community Yard Sale at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Va.
|
Two Saturdays a month from July through October, the Ashland Community Yard Sale attracts First Baptist’s neighbors. Booths are rented for $15.00. The first sale attracted nine sellers and this has steadily grown to 32 by the end of August. Local residents set out their yard sale items and collect their own money.
Each Saturday “ambassadors” are on hand to connect with people. Every seller is personally thanked and given a free ticket for a Wednesday dinner. Ambassadors explain the outreach aspect of the sale and are informed that rental fees will be used for benevolent ministries at First Baptist. The church has a food pantry, houses and feeds the homeless for several weeks each year through CARITAS and serves a free Thanksgiving Dinner for those who may be alone or unfortunate and want to share the holiday with caring people.
Ambassadors and staff mingle with buyers. Church volunteers sell coffee and baked goods, direct parking and staff an information table with brochures and flyers of ministries and upcoming events.
“God has called us to win our community for Christ. The yard sales are a first step in getting to know our neighbors, sowing some seeds, and having some fun in the process,” says Gleeson. It’s not just about promoting the church, but a new way of sowing the gospel through simple acts of helpfulness, kindness and love.
A holiday celebration
Everyone loves a parade and Parham Road Baptist Church in Richmond connected with its community through an Independence Day parade and festival. Pastor Spencer Dillard was raised in a small town and recalls an annual July 4th parade where neighbors pulled wagons, rode lawn mowers and paraded homemade floats down country roads. So as Parham Road began exploring “a new way” to reach its community, a parade with a festival on the church grounds was selected.
Neighbors line the streets for the Independence Day parade sponsored by Parham Road Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.
|
The church began by prayer-walking the neighborhood. It secured a parade permit and set a goal of 500 people attending and collecting 100 names for follow-up. It prepared a float promoting its upcoming Vacation Bible School. But the congregation was soon to see that God’s plans were bigger than theirs.
“I never thought I would see Parham Road Church with every inch of grass full of people,” Dillard says. As he approached the church on July 3, he saw hundreds of people and a line of cars waiting to find parking. Crowds were walking down the road headed toward the church.
The police estimate over 1,000 people came for the festivities. As the parade made its way down Parham Road, the streets were lined with people cheering and enjoying the floats. People were in their yards barbequing and getting to know their neighbors.
Over 675 names were collected at the registration booth. “People who live in our Jerusalem,” says Dillard. Follow-up included phone calls and mailers and invitations to VBS. As a result of the parade, says Dillard, there were more neighborhood children at VBS this year than from the church.
When its roof collapsed in 2004, Parham Road Baptist Church faced an uncertain future. Exodus 9:16 reads: “I have raised you up for this very purpose that I might show you my power and my name might be proclaimed among all the earth.” Dillard says God has raised up Parham Road Baptist Church to proclaim his name. “At one time we were known as the church ‘where the roof fell in,’ ” he says. “Now we’re the ‘parade’ church.”
Fun for Fido and the family
Some people may now think of Goochland Baptist Church as the “dog” church following its Dog Days on Aug. 7, an event sponsored to connect with its neighbors and their four-legged friends.
As the Connections Team considered the church’s gifts, passions and the transitioning community around it, a member mentioned to Pastor Dean Frazeur a blessing of the animals that she had attended at a Richmond church. Realizing Goochland was a very dog-friendly area, that became the seed for an outreach event with dogs as its theme.
A member of Goochland Baptist Church dressed in dog suit offers “people candy” with Scripture verses at Dog Day.
|
The most effective publicity tool for the event, says youth pastor Adam Phlegar, was traveling signs–banners displayed on vehicles that were moved from place to place. A website was created for Dog Days and a mass mailing was sent to homes nearby the church. Every child attending VBS was given a flyer.
Goochland Baptist welcomed 600 neighbors and 200 dogs on Aug. 7. Canine friends weighed from three to 200 pounds. Members wore white shirts with a dog emblem and each had a tag displaying a photo of their pet.
Dog Days featured a wellness fair with local businesses that support animals. Dog rescue organizations and animal adoption groups came. Dogs from the Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association were put through their paces for the crowds. A mobile unit was on hand to bathe and groom dogs.
Self-portraits were made of dogs with their owners and every dog received a goody bag with treats. Special arrangements had been made for shady areas with food and water for pets and cans for pooper scooping.
In the morning and afternoon, Pastor Frazeur conducted a blessing of the animals, as participants gave thanks to God for the creation of animals and their canine companions.
Lunch was served in the church’s new multi-purpose room and pets were welcome inside. Bags with brochures were distributed. It was a great opportunity for church members to get to know attenders and vendors.
An email survey was sent to those registered asking feedback on “Five Simple Questions,” with responses on what they liked the most and least, what came to mind when they heard the word ‘church,’ and what ways Goochland Baptist could minister to them.
Through Dog Days, Goochland Baptist Church raised awareness in the community to the reality of Christ by presenting itself beyond the typical image that many people share of the church.
Six dogs were adopted or found “forever homes” on Aug. 7. Frazeur says, “The Kingdom of God is about people finding forever homes.” And Dog Days was a new way for Goochland Baptist to step out of the box and develop relationships to encourage its neighbors to take the next step in their spiritual lives toward a forever home with God.