MONTICELLO, Ark. – Arkansas Baptists gathered at First Baptist Church in Monticello on Sunday for ARise, an Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) event to come together in different regions across the state to celebrate God’s work.
The night was comprised of worship led by a choir of members from various churches in the region, including the children’s choir of First Baptist Church in Monticello. University of Arkansas at Monticello Baptist Collegiate Ministry Minister Jeremy Woodall read scripture from 1 Thessalonians and led attendees in prayer. ABSC Executive Director Dr. Rex Horne brought a message on togetherness. He focused on scripture from Acts 2.
A portion of the scripture, Acts 2: 44-47, said, “Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
“Let’s move forward together for the good of people, for the glory of God and for the safety of the Gospel,” Horne told those in attendance.
First Baptist Church in Monticello Pastor Kelly Jones called ARise a great event for Southeast Arkansas and their churches. He said it was a joy to gather with others and celebrate what the Lord is doing in their region and across the state.
At the end of the evening, participants were invited to a reception. Dessert was prepared by the women of First Baptist Church in Monticello.
“The combined choir, the children’s choir, and the partnership of worship leaders from multiple churches proved Dr. Horne’s challenge that being together in our faith and ministry is a powerful thing,” Jones said.
“The time of fellowship before and after the service was also so encouraging,” Jones said. “Sometimes it is hard to get together with fellow believers from other churches. This event gave us the opportunity to come together and worship, be challenged from God’s Word, and enjoy some wonderful sweets afterward. That is a successful event in my opinion.”
Jones said they were thrilled to be able to host the event at First Baptist Church in Monticello and grateful to Horne and the ABSC staff who invested time and effort in organizing this event for their area of the state.
Southeast Arkansas Baptist Network Associational Missionary Joe Day said most of the people at ARise were the backbone of their small or normative size churches.
“Just like the pastors who were there, those workers rarely get the chance to simply worship and be blessed. They work the nurseries and kitchens. They run the sound system and displays. They keep the yards mowed and lot clean and worship is rarely free of the necessary distractions that they deal with,” Day said.
“But this last Sunday, the ABSC did the majority of that background work. I sat in the back row, a rare thing for me, and watched couples worship together. I saw men and women alike free of distractions celebrating their Savior’s love. I can’t wait to do it again whenever the next one is.”