Summer has officially arrived in South Carolina.
The humidity hangs a little heavier in the air. Mosquitoes have joined us as uninvited guests in backyards across the Midlands, and the gnats along the coast are preparing to test the patience of vacationing families. Peaches are ripening on the trees, cucumbers are ready for slicing, and watermelons are appearing at roadside produce stands across our state.
This summer also carries special significance as our nation celebrates 250 years of freedom. Yet as grateful as we are for summer memories and celebrations, the most important work happening this summer is found in churches across South Carolina faithfully sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ through summer evangelism.
One of the greatest highlights of summer outreach is Vacation Bible School. In cities, small towns, and rural communities across our state, churches of every size are opening their doors to children and families with the gospel. For generations, VBS has been one of the most effective tools for reaching children with the good news of Christ.
At my church, VBS brings our entire church together with the goal of telling others about Jesus. The impact extends far beyond the children who attend. Entire families are touched through these ministries. Year after year, we see children place their faith in Christ and publicly profess that faith through baptism. What a joy it is to witness God at work through the faithful efforts of His people.
Summer also means camp season. Across South Carolina, thousands of children and students will attend SummerSalt and KidSalt camps hosted by the South Carolina Baptist Convention at Charleston Southern University, Camp La Vida, and Camp McCall. Last summer, nearly 7,400 children and students attended these camps. Even more encouraging, 284 campers sensed God’s call to vocational ministry or missions. What an incredible reminder that God is still calling laborers into His harvest field.
In addition to VBS and camps, summer provides countless opportunities for missions engagement. Churches across our state will send teams to serve locally, throughout the United States, and around the world. My church will send high school students to New York City to partner with church plants and ministry partners. We will also send an adult mission team to Romania to support gospel work internationally. Similar stories are unfolding in churches throughout South Carolina as believers answer God’s call to go and make disciples.
As one family united by one gospel, let’s join our hearts together in prayer for God to do what only He can do. Pray that one more child, one more student, one more parent, and one more neighbor would hear and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ. Gospel saturation will never be accomplished by a single church. It will take every church faithfully serving where God has planted them. And when one church celebrates a salvation, every church can rejoice because the kingdom of God has advanced.
Here are some specific ways we can join our hearts together in prayer:
- Pray for God to send more workers into the harvest fields (Matt. 9:37–38).
- Pray for God to transform hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (Ezek. 36:26).
- Pray for renewed passion in our churches for the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20).
- Pray for boldness in our words and witness (Eph. 6:18–20).
- Pray for open doors for gospel conversations throughout South Carolina (Col. 4:3).
- Pray for God to draw people to Himself through the power of the gospel (John 6:44).
PRAYER
Father, thank You for saving us through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Open doors for gospel conversations in our lives, our churches, and our communities. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us boldness to speak clearly about Christ. Grant us wisdom to know how to answer each person and to love them in a way that reflects Your heart. Prepare the hearts of those we encounter and draw them to Yourself. Use our words, our lives, and our churches to point others to Jesus. May Your name be glorified, Your kingdom advanced, and many come to faith in Christ this summer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
— Ryan Pack, senior pastor of Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Irmo, is 2026 president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.