As North Carolina Baptists prepare for the upcoming ServeNC Week on Aug. 2-9, one of the things they’re praying for is open doors to gospel conversations and connections.

ServeNC Week challenges churches to show Jesus not only in action but in word, to share the good news in every encounter. 

“Telling a better story to our communities means that we speak truthfully about the hope of the gospel, even as we live that gospel out by meeting tangible needs,” said Todd Unzicker, N.C. Baptist executive director-treasurer.

That’s what happened at First Baptist Church (FBC) in Kinston. 

After last year’s first ServeNC Week, Jon Hoover, senior pastor at First Baptist Kinston, connected with Great Commission Catalyst Dennis Conner about finding ways to serve their community more consistently. Together they looked at the church’s available resources and the community’s needs. 

The church had a large gym. Kinston had many residents that enjoyed pickleball and not enough courts. A church member worked with the city and connected the church with Kinston’s parks and recreation department. 

Last fall, FBC Kinston opened their family life center to the community to play pickleball several nights a month, while providing childcare. They continued until participation and interest slowed down in the winter.

“What can churches do that add value to their community and also build relationships with people in the community?” Hoover said. “Pickleball was a vehicle for driving relationships.”

FBC Kinston connected with a professional tennis player at a local country club who helped promote the family life center as a pickleball location and taught clinics there. After pickleball ended in the winter, he started coming to the church and quickly realized his need for Christ. He began attending a men’s Bible study, and within a few weeks, both he and his wife put their faith in Jesus. The couple was baptized and are now part of a connect group at FBC Kinston.

“Pickleball may not have been forever, but it was meant for that time to bring him to Christ,” said Hoover.

The church connected with other non-Christians through the outreach, some with whom Hoover is still in touch. Pickleball “clearly established some relationships pretty easily and pretty quickly,” he said.

“We often want to just present the gospel and go along our way and leave off relationships. I want to encourage churches: Think through how you can do ministry in such a way that is relational, that gives you opportunities to share the gospel.” 

Hoover encouraged churches to “look at what resources you have available, and use what you have.”

“Use the skills, the time, the talent, the treasure that your church has, and let the Lord use that … and trust that He knows what He’s doing with it.”

Act of service connects volunteer to local church

At Cedar Rock First Baptist Church, a mission trip to serve with a rebuild team in western North Carolina brought a family to church back at Cedar Rock in Castalia. 

In 2022, Cedar Rock partnered with Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville to be on mission in their community. Faith Baptist commissioned several families that lived in or near Castalia to Cedar Rock to help reach their neighbors.

Last fall, two of those men who had joined Cedar Rock went to serve with Baptists on Mission to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. A friend they knew through local sports heard they were going and asked if he could join. He wasn’t a Christian but “had a blast hanging out with these believers.”

After the trip, he started attending services at Cedar Rock. Then he brought his grandchildren, then his wife and daughters, and then more family joined. A few of them were baptized this spring.

These men were an “example of wanting to live on mission in your own community,” said Nathaniel Williams, pastor at Cedar Rock. “These guys stepped up and stopped what they were doing and went out there to serve and were willing to think missionally.

“The heart to be present in your community, to be involved locally, I think played a big part in that,” Williams said.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Join N.C. Baptist churches in serving your community during ServeNC Week on Aug. 2-9. Sign your church up today at servenc.com.)