In 2001, the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee instituted the Impact Your World award. It is presented to the church that expands the kingdom of God by dealing with social/moral issues through local community ministries.
Dan Austin, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, Chesterfield, accepts the Impact Your World award on behalf of his church. Robert Dickard, left, presented the award.This year’s recipient is Hopewell Baptist Church in Chesterfield. Pastor Dan Austin leads this congregation in a host of ministry opportunities.
While the local National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq, the congregation of Hopewell held three special recognition services to minister to and encourage soldiers’ families. They also provided phone cards to the families so they could talk to their loved ones overseas, and last Christmas, they sent more than 40 gift boxes to Iraq for soldiers to distribute.
After Hurricane Katrina, the members of Hopewell made a financial commitment to assist the churches in Louisiana’s North Shores Baptist Association. In addition to an initial gift of $7,000, they committed to send $250 per month for one year. They also promised to pay for one pastor and his wife to attend a pastors’ school in Georgia next spring.
Members are available to help in any emergency. They participated in disaster relief efforts in South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. With a conscientious effort to set a good example of Christian responsibility, the adults include the youth and children in their activities. RAs cleaned yards. Acteens cleaned a home to welcome a displaced family from the Gulf Coast. Kids for Christ collected winter coats for needy families.
Pastor Austin said Hopewell is an average-sized church in a rural community, but recognizes that the people of Hopewell – with their love for Jesus and their desire to impact their world for our Savior – are anything but average.