Southern Baptist seminary students walked the streets, presenting the hope of the gospel. Churches hosted block parties for their neighbors. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary held an appreciation event for local law enforcement. These events barely scratch the surface of all that took place during the Serve Tour + Crossover outreach events for New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
In an interview, New Orleans Police Chief Michelle Woodfork said the seminary “always wants to help, always wants to do something with us and for us, and we want to do things with them and for them, too. It solidifies our partnership; it makes it stronger.
“We’re building bridges,” she said. “Our community partners are our best partners. They’re the most important. They’re the ones we serve. They’re the ones who support us the most. We love stuff like this. It’s why we’re all here.”
Infinite Blessings, a local nonprofit, sought to encourage the officers in attendance along with NOBTS by serving food and creating a lively atmosphere through music and games. Terrica White, who founded Infinite Blessings in 2020, began the group’s efforts by giving out groceries to families through small projects throughout the city during the coronavirus pandemic.
A dentist wraps up dental care for a patient at the Epiphany Baptist Church at a free clinic. (Photo by Sonya Singh)
“New Orleans is such a beautiful city, but it’s also a really broken city,” White said. “So we thought, why not be the hands and feet of Jesus and love these officers and love the people in our surrounding areas right where they are?”
The event at NOBTS was one of a number of similar outreach efforts that took place throughout the city, as Send Relief, the compassion ministry arm of Southern Baptists, worked with local partners to meet needs and create opportunities for sharing the gospel. Among those projects was a Send Relief medical and dental unit to serve those who have had difficulty accessing health clinics.
“Southern Baptists are at our best when we are working together for the sake of evangelism and mission opportunities,” said Tim Dowdy, vice president of evangelism at NAMB. “The state convention, local associations and churches, along with NAMB and Send Relief, came together for Serve Tour + Crossover, and the gospel was shared hundreds of times.”
Dozens of Southern Baptist seminary students also discovered the value of boldness and the power of the gospel as they worked through local churches to make a kingdom impact by sharing the Good News of Christ Jesus and inviting people to neighboring churches for events and services.
Conner McDonald, a student at NOBTS as well as the student minister at Bluff Creek Baptist Church in Clinton, La., was out with a group of his peers when he shared the gospel with a pair of 12-year-old boys near an iconic New Orleans cemetery in the community.
“We prayed right there with them,” McDonald said. “These two kids rode away from the physical graves and also their own spiritual graves. It’s been an awesome week. We’ve seen a ton of people come to know Jesus, not because of anything we’ve done but just because we’ve been faithful, going out and sharing Jesus.”
Serve Tour + Crossover invited a number of volunteers from outside the state, such as Jonathan Dixon, the worship leader at University Church in Lakeland, Fla. He, along with his parents, wife and infant son served at the Baptist Friendship House, prayer walking and preparing bags of food and hygiene supplies ahead of a block party the BFH hosted for the neighborhood homeless population.
Most of the events intentionally served local churches and directed those who heard the gospel to connect with those churches in their communities.
— Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. Daryn Sinclair with Send Relief contributed to this report.