Fairview Baptist Church in Spartanburg held an appreciation day Dec. 14 for pastor Ty Childers, shown here with his family. Dennis Hall, chairman of deacons, presented a monetary gift from the congregation.
The congregation of North Conway Baptist Church, Conway, contributed more than 80 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and served as an area collection site. More than 3,600 shoeboxes were shipped from the church. The WMU group also collected 59 Christmas stockings for the Salvation Army, put together 33 prisoner packets and served as a collection and shipping site for more than 1,000 prisoner packets for Waccamaw Association.
The Celebration Choir of North Conway Baptist Church, Conway, presented its 2008 Christmas cantata, “Hope Has Hands,” on Dec. 10 for nearly 200 people from Ocean Lakes Campground. A group from the campground comes each year to hear the Christmas cantata.
Members of North Conway Baptist Church, Conway, gave out more than 1,500 cups of hot cocoa during the Conway Christmas parade Dec. 13. This was the church’s third annual hot chocolate giveaway.
The Women on Mission group of Forest Hill Baptist Church, Anderson, completed several projects last year. Most recently, the group made tissue-box covers for the women at the Rehabilitation Center of the Shalom House in Belton. Mary Jo Slice is director of the group, which meets once a month to select a project.
A project with the Youth on Mission spread to the Women on Mission and then to the entire church at First Baptist Church, Bishopville, this past year. Dolls on Mission became one of the most cooperative efforts ever undertaken – even using some of the least active women to work at home, stringing the plan of salvation beads for each doll. On one finishing night, the women and the youth met at the church to paint faces, stuff, and braid hair to complete 323 unique creations. After pastor Tom Rutan dedicated the dolls, they were taken by a former church member to the North American Mission Board near Atlanta to be distributed to the appropriate missionaries as tools to teach the love of Jesus.
Averie Brown of Fellowship Baptist Church, Lexington, raised more than $350 for World Crafts during a mission project for the GAs. Averie set up a table each Wednesday night for two months to sell these homemade crafts, which give artisans and their families around the globe hope for a better life.
Coronaca Baptist Church, Greenwood, presented “The Shepherd’s Song” as its 2008 Christmas cantata on Dec. 14. The presentation was led by Andy Ellis, worship leader, and Jackie Shirley.
Frankie Tanner, pastor of Mechanicsville Baptist Church, Darlington, baptized six new Christians Dec. 17. It was the 12th baptismal service – one each month – for 2008, during which a total of 85 people were baptized.