Mount Olive Baptist Church, Hopkins, has received an Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation. Each year, the foundation awards a number of prizes of up to $2,500 each to individuals and institutions – or partnerships between the two – that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading. Mount Olive is a small church in a rural community where the nearest library branch is 10 miles away. In order to give children more exposure to books, the church membership created their own children’s library by going to garage sales and buying books, dictionaries and a set of encyclopedias. Books are also brought in from Richland County Public Library in Columbia, one of the nation’s best libraries. Every week, each child in Sunday school gets to talk about what they are reading. Even adults are coming in to re-read books they read as children.
Beaver Creek Baptist Church, Neeses, recently converted its old fellowship hall into a children’s classroom. Responding to the increasing number of new children in the church, the congregation renovated the fellowship hall, which had been used for storage, in order to ease the church’s “growing pains.” Pictured are Beaver Creek’s longest attending member, Anne Davis Dowd, and her husband Jack as they add the finishing touches to complete the renovation.
The members of Peniel Baptist Church, Timmonsville, recently held an unusual event to raise money for a children’s autism clinic in Myrtle Beach. Thirty-seven tractors were on display at the church’s first annual tractor benefit show, which raised $1,200 for the clinic. “Our church really enjoyed putting on this benefit show,” a church spokesperson said, “and we plan to do so again next year.”
On April 28, the children of Barkers Creek Baptist Church, Honea Path, hosted a “Teddy Bear Tea” for their community. The children raised money to purchase teddy bears for trauma victims. The teddy bears were presented to members of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, who joined the children for the tea.
“Martha’s Messengers” is a newly formed volunteer group at Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community whose mission is to visit those who are in skilled nursing care. According to marketing director Lisa Yarber, their desire is to bring those residents “encouragement, friendship and a feeling of caring. Whether it is reading a scripture, bringing a gift or sharing a moment of prayer, these seniors have become part of the group that never grows old – the volunteer.” Pictured are (l to r) Mary Brooks, Marianne Bower, Curtis Peterson, Miriam Smith, Rebecca Futrell, Betty Coggins, Juanita Alexander, Jim Reeder, Henry Rogers, Thelma Wilson and Ruth Mitchell. Not pictured: Betty Hood.
The GAs at Reedy Creek Baptist Church, Marion, were recognized recently for their achievements and ministry during the Focus On WMU Day held in February.
WSPA-TV meteorologist Christy Henderson (front row, fourth from right) is pictured with the Golden Hearts group of Apalache Baptist Church in Greer. She was the guest speaker at the Golden Hearts’ March 11 meeting.
Marion Baptist Church held a churchwide Bible Drill on April 6. Pictured are (l to r) James Shelley, Austin Teising, Coleman Bryant, Annie Kate Gibson, Lexi Drose and Whitney Baxley. Not pictured: Leaders Karen and Perry Grice.
Pastor Hank Williams and the choir from First Baptist Church, Boiling Springs, visited residents, family and staff at Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community in Laurens on April 25. They honored Rev. Bill Howell, who is from Boiling Springs First Baptist and now resides at Martha Franks.
Four churches in Marion Baptist Association – McMillan, Reedy Creek, Nebo and Little Bethel – were among 111 congregations recognized at the March 2010 meeting of the state WMU for completing sufficient categories within the WMU’s “Triple A” measurement tool. Pictured below is Jean Pace, WMU director at Nebo, with the church’s certificate of recognition presented at the spring meeting of Marion Association WMU on April 12.
The members of Padgetts Creek Baptist Church, Union, recently collected 128 pair of shoes to send to Haiti. Pictured from left are Rod Hewitt, outreach committee; Stephen Stone, deacon and youth coordinator; Carrol Caldwell, pastor; and Tommy Inman, chairman of deacons.
The congregation of Barkers Creek Baptist Church, Honea Path, held a memorial service to honor those who had been impacted by cancer as part of the Relay for Life effort. The program was introduced by Kim McClain. The Little Lambs children’s choir sang two songs for the congregation on May 2. Pictured from left are Kinsley Kay, Allison Seawright, Matthew Seawright and Ethan Young, with choir leaders Anne Taylor and Joie Kay.
Green Hill Baptist Church, West Columbia, celebrated the Hispanic population of their community on May 5 by holding a Festival de la Familia. The festival, held in conjunction with Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana and Mision Bautista Agape, was attended by some 200 area residents and served as the kick-off event for a new Hispanic Bible study to be held at Green Hill.
Cliff Satterwhite, left, was presented the Robert Dixon Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Disaster Relief Roundtable, which met in Wisconsin in early May. Satterwhite has led the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s Disaster Relief program since its inception more than 20 years ago. Pictured with Satterwhite is Mickey Caison, team leader for adult volunteer mobilization at the North American Mission Board.
Hollywood Baptist Church, Saluda, was officially chartered May 16. The church was organized in January and has been meeting in the Pleasant Grove Community Center in Saluda since February. The church celebrated the day with 66 charter members. “It has been a total effort by the congregation, with folks volunteering to do whatever is needed as they work toward getting established,” said pastor Dan Gardner. “The congregation feels that God has ordained this new work and is calling them to be a New Testament church in every way.” Gardner said the church is in the process of formulating its missions and outreach strategy and its internal structure.