The Missions Team of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention recently partnered with the churches of the Red River Baptist Association to hold the annual Fall CONNECT student missions event in Arkadelphia on Oct. 17-19. Matthew Stubbs, campus minister at the Little Rock Baptist Collegiate Ministry, served as speaker while Elliot Andrews, worship pastor from First Baptist Church in Batesville, served as worship leader for the event.
CONNECT saw 130 students and their adult leaders from 10 Arkansas Baptist churches come together to learn about missions, serve the community and share the good news of the Gospel. The churches of the Red River Baptist Association (RRBA), under the leadership of Associational Missionary Joe Burt, provided 19 ministry projects. Volunteers from the RRBA Disaster Relief feeding team provided the morning and evening meals on Saturday.
Park Hill Baptist Church served as the host church, providing lodging and worship space as well as a place to eat and congregate between activities. In addition, the church provided a safe space for participants to ride out the storm that hit the area late Saturday afternoon. Tornado warnings, along with heavy wind and thunderstorms, forced participants to head back to the church early in the afternoon. They gathered underground in the hallway of the church where they prayed and hung out together until the weather had cleared.
Despite the bad weather, CONNECT participants were able to complete all 19 ministry projects which included laying concrete, painting the inside of the CALL’s building, laundromat ministry, canvassing, cleaning and several yard projects. Students were trained to share the Gospel and equipped with John 3:16 witnessing bracelets which they were challenged to give away to those they witnessed to. Over 50 Gospel presentations were reported with many pledging to share with friends and family when they returned to their local communities. Five students surrendered to the ministry with one young man sharing that his experience during CONNECT made it clear that this (ministry) was what he was made for.
We hope you will make plans to join us in 2026 where CONNECT is scheduled to be in the Conway area in April and Blytheville in October. Student leaders, you are invited to bring your group or just come hang out with us during one of the weekends to see if CONNECT is something your group should be a part of. Registration for 2026 will be available starting in January. Go to www.absc.org/connect or contact Travis McCormick at [email protected] for more information.