Each spring for the past 16 years, student groups from across the state have come together in April for a weekend of missions and ministry through CONNECT.
Students and their adult leaders partner with churches, associations and various non-profits to learn how to live on mission as they meet needs and share the good news of the Gospel.
This year, CONNECT took place April 11-13 with First Baptist Church in Walnut Ridge serving as the host church. Two hundred and fifteen volunteers from 18 different churches participated during the weekend.
Students came from all over Arkansas with one group driving over five hours from Emory, Texas. Participants shared the Gospel 30 times and completed 21 ministry projects which included a block party, Bible clubs, replacing a deck at the ministry center at the prison, preparing meals for foster families through Connected Foster Care and The Call, and many other projects. Twelve students made professions of faith while seven other students expressed a call to missions/ministry.
Throughout the weekend, several of the participants shared their excitement for the Kingdom work. Amy Miller of Plant Baptist Church wrote in a text, “We had such a wonderful time. My group is so excited to evangelize. We are presenting to 150 children tomorrow at a boys and girls club. And all the kids (CONNECT participants) are coming to serve at the club. The Lord is working in these kids.”
Thomas Little of First Baptist Church in Royal shared that one of their students, who he has been visiting with for a while, came to salvation. Additionally, he had three come forward for prayer and three respond to a call to missions. “It was a great weekend. God is good,” Little wrote in a text.
In an email following the event, Pastor Jake Guenrich of First Baptist Church in Walnut Ridge said, “Our church staff is working through some discipleship material. The challenge for this week’s discipleship lesson was to share your testimony with someone. Our music minister, Nick Weber, was inspired by the students sharing the Gospel this weekend. Nick shared his salvation story with one of the teenage boys during a guitar lesson on Sunday night and he placed his trust in Jesus! This young man attended our church’s preschool years ago–the same preschool that a couple of our groups worked on Saturday. There’s no telling what little kids will come through that preschool, have some connection to our church and end up coming to Christ years later. I could keep rambling and telling stories, but those two just came out this morning.”
The next CONNECT will be in Arkadelphia on Oct. 17-19. Go to www.absc.org/connect for more information or contact Travis McCormick at tmccormick@absc.org