LifePoint Church in Dillon sponsored a second annual back-to-school bash on July 31. The church partnered with local organizations and service providers to offer free health screenings and school supplies. This year the church met its goal of giving away 1,000 filled backpacks to community students.
Event coordinator and church member Shannon Jensen said the event reaches people who really need the help. “If we can show that Jesus loves them and that we love them because Jesus loved us first, hopefully that will help to change their life,” Jensen said.
“This is the story of a little church with a huge vision,” said Tim Rice, an Acts 1:8 strategist with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, who also attended the event. “LifePoint Church cares about its community, and shows God’s love in all kinds of ways. They are exactly what a church should be, a presence of Jesus in the community.”
The event was held at the Dillon Community Wellness Center, and the church partnered with local businesses and healthcare professionals to offer free health, dental and vision screenings, immunizations and haircuts. Representatives from Gideons International, Girl Scouts, Department of Juvenile Justice, Walgreens, and Healthy Learner were on hand, along with backpack safety instructors.
A LifePoint church volunteer distributes backpacks.Jensen said the first hour of the event was by invitation only, so that needy families and those the church is already ministering to definitely received a backpack. Every kindergarten to 12th-grade student was given a “passport” that required them to stop by certain stations to make sure they participated, and then they were given an age-graded backpack. Each family also received an invitation card to attend worship at LifePoint Church, and those who brought the card with them to church the next morning were given an additional gift.
At only 18 months old and with a membership of around 80 people, LifePoint Church is still a new addition to Dillon. Pastor John Keen said a community event like this is exactly what the church is all about. “It is part of the DNA of our church to show the love of Jesus by being his hands and feet. A lot of times people are not going to come to church to experience his love, so it is our job to take it to them,” he said.
“There was a man at the back-to-school bash with some teenage grandsons he is also raising. He said that ‘a lot of people talk about showing love, but this is it.’ This ministry is a privilege for me to be a part of,” Jensen said.
Keen believes any church can do something like this. “We have limited resources, but we work together and shop smart to make it happen. The blessing that comes from helping a family and the community far outweighs any cost.”
It is a goal of the South Carolina Baptist Convention for every church to adopt a school for prayer and hands-on ministry. “I would encourage churches to partner with local schools. If you are looking for the pathway to the heart of your community, this is it,” Rice said.
For more online information about school partnerships, including video podcasts, go to www.scbaptist.org/missions or contact Tim Rice at 800-723-7242. – SCBC