ABSC Mission Assistant Team Leader Clint Ritchie shares the most important aspect of One Day at the pre-event leadership banquet. Photos by Mary Alford
JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – More than 1,500 Arkansas Baptists from across the state descended on north Pulaski County to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.
The One Day Acts 1:8 Missions Experience provides an annual opportunity for Arkansas Baptists to impact lostness in a specific area within the state. This year, the location was in north Pulaski County.
Arkansas Baptists traveled from across the state to Jacksonville on Saturday, Oct. 5. The day was comprised of numerous prayer walks, community outreach projects, block parties, senior adult and kids’ ministries, home repair projects and more.
In the five hours of ministry, Arkansas Baptists shared the Gospel and witnessed at least 432 people trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Leaders gathered in the evening on Friday, Oct. 4, for a banquet, where they enjoyed a meal, worshipped, and prayed for a successful One Day that glorified God. The speaker for the night was evangelist John Yates.
“I heard somebody say … it’s not what you gather but what you scatter that tells of the life you lived. Think about that tomorrow. You never know where that seed is going to go and what is going to happen,” Yates shared during his presentation, which included appearances of a few ventriloquist figures.
During the kickoff Saturday morning held at the Jacksonville High School football stadium, Arkansas Baptist State Convention Missions Team Leader Sam Roberts and Assistant Team Leader Clint Ritchie told participants that is what the event is all about.
“Bottom line, we’re serving today. Jesus modeled service by washing feet and that is basically what we’re doing today. Maybe serving those that no one else serves. Going to areas no one else wants to go. We’re going to be the hands and feet of Jesus today. Let’s serve like only Arkansas Baptists serve,” Ritchie told the hundreds of Arkansas Baptists sitting in the stadium bleachers. “Let’s saturate this area with the good news and record decisions and conversations and anything that can be used in follow up.”
After additional words from Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Executive Director Dr. Rex Horne, Arkansas Baptists dispersed throughout Jacksonville, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Sherwood, and surrounding areas.
Tiffanie Hearn of DeWitt First Baptist Church served with a block party team at Unity Bible Baptist Church in North Little Rock. It was her second year participating in One Day.
Hearn said the block party provides an opportunity to interact with children and families and show them that Jesus is fun, talk to them and share the Lord with them.
“Salvation is the ultimate goal. So, it’s exciting when you get to hear the numbers of the day. Just making people feel warm and welcome and maybe after an outreach like this they feel more comfortable to come to a church,” she said.
LaDina Brister, the pastor’s wife at Unity Bible Baptist Church, said in addition to the block party, which featured games, food, face painting and more, the church also hosted a no sale yard sale and had a crew walking through the neighborhood, knocking on doors, and sharing the Gospel.
“We are on mission, setting up in communities and loving on the people. We’re sharing the love of Jesus,” Brister said.
In a follow up One Day video shared on social media, Ritchie said they saturated the area with many ministries with each one pointing people to Jesus.
“Know today, that people have entered into a relationship, unchurched people have been discovered and invited to church. … The impact today has been great but the impact in eternity, I believe, will be even greater. Thank you, Arkansas Baptists, for serving today,” he said in the video.
One Day is made available because of the generous giving of Arkansas Baptists to the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.
Ritchie encouraged Arkansas Baptists to mark their calendars for Oct. 4, 2025, to participate in the next One Day Acts 1:8 Missions Experience in Jonesboro.
