For the last year and a half, churches of the Rowan Southern Baptist Association have prayed about doing more together to reach their community.

“We’re trying to build up His church, trying to reach people for His kingdom,” said Dale Kinley, a Rowan Association board member. “It’s not about this church or that church.”

Fourteen churches in the association partnered together to kick off ServeNC Week on Aug. 2, with a back-to-school event. Volunteers gave more than 400 backpacks to students and shared the gospel with those who came. At least 20 individuals responded and put their faith in Jesus.

Every church played a different role, from providing resources and supplies and coordinating day-of details to praying with people. Bilingual members connected with Spanish-speaking families.

Volunteers from Stallings Memorial Baptist Church packed 72 backpacks with school supplies and Bibles, directed families to stations and assisted with children’s activities. Larry Gilbreath, Stallings Memorial’s senior pastor, said that by working together, they were able to reach more families, offer more services and create an atmosphere that reflected Christ’s love.

“Watching families receive their bookbags, seeing the joy on children’s faces and hearing heartfelt words of thanks reminded us of what it means for the church to come together as one body,” Gilbreath said.

Rowan Association leaders and pastors met again Aug. 6 to coordinate follow-up communication with the families they connected with. They assigned contacts to churches based on their proximity. 

Scott Faw is pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Salisbury and serves as Rowan’s interim associational mission strategist. He hopes this is the start of the churches continuing to reach their community together. 

“We’re never going to agree about every secondary issue, but the main things we do agree about, we can all work together on — ministries to reach Rowan County together,” Faw said.

About 500 N.C. Baptist churches took part in ServeNC Week from Aug. 2-9, with many completing projects at other times this summer. This was the second year of the ServeNC emphasis, a statewide initiative that invites local churches to serve their communities in tangible, practical ways. 

Churches served across the state, providing meals, hosting clothing closets, offering free laundry services, delivering baked goods to first responders and through various other ways. Volunteers of all ages and generations served together and had opportunities to have meaningful gospel conversations with their neighbors.

Several churches encouraged members to give financially or collect donations if they couldn’t physically join on-site. Southside Baptist Church in Elm City collected bedding for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization that builds and delivers beds to children in need.

God glorified and joy multiplied

Caleb Waller serves as a Great Commission catalyst for North Carolina’s regions 5 and 7. Over the last few weeks, he traveled the region to visit churches as they participated in ServeNC.

“My time with our churches has reminded me that God has strategically placed His people right where they need to be — in the midst of lostness, brokenness and hopelessness — so that He might be glorified and joy multiplied, from our neighborhoods to the nations,” Waller said. 

“ServeNC has equally reminded me of the beautiful gift of serving King Jesus together. There are few things that demonstrate the transformative and authentic power of the gospel as like-minded churches locking arms together and believers serving side by side.”

As districts prepare for a new school year, many churches focused on assisting local schools during ServeNC Week. Ten volunteers from Lake Church in White Lake built a deck and ramp and painted doors at Elizabethtown Christian Academy. Some walked through classrooms to pray. Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mount Airy distributed backpacks and provided vouchers for students to receive free shoes, which were contributed by a neighboring church. 

Churches partnered with local ministries and other organizations already meeting needs in their communities. Catalyst Church in Jacksonville supported their local YMCA’s Community Day by distributing school supplies, preparing and serving food, and setting up and overseeing activity stations.

First Baptist Church of Kannapolis provided new teachers with lunch and gift bags, and helped set up classrooms in Kannapolis City Schools. In Raleigh, New Hope Baptist Church served alongside the Raleigh Dream Center and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin to distribute backpacks. 

ServeNC Week offered opportunities for collaboration. The Cabarrus Baptist Association worked with local ministry partners on a back-to-school fair while hosting the Baptists on Mission mobile health screening unit. In Stokes County, several churches also worked together to organize another back-to-school event.

Blaise Baptist Church in Mocksville mobilized about 126 volunteers to participate in 17 events. They built on ministry already happening year-round. Volunteers joined existing efforts like one member’s weekly visits to a nursing home, another’s involvement with Storehouse for Jesus’ gardening group, and a group’s weekly meals for Celebrate Recovery. New participants joined regular volunteers, offering more people a window into service that can continue beyond ServeNC Week.

Emily Angell, who coordinated the week’s events, said ServeNC helped their church family grow together. 

“I learn things working beside people in a project that I would not learn otherwise,” Angell said. “I learn why they’re passionate about going to the senior living home or about packing these backpacks. It really strengthens our relationships and our community.”

Memorial Baptist Church in Williamston is using ServeNC to support new church plants in eastern North Carolina. A team traveled to Pillar Havelock, a 2-year-old plant, to tackle needed renovations and repairs. While Memorial hopes to become a sending church, they’re already investing in church planting by serving Pillar, First Love in Tarboro and Gospel Hope in Greenville through three dedicated projects.

“ServeNC Week was a beautiful reminder that ‘on mission together’ is more than a slogan. It’s who we are,” said Todd Unzicker, N.C. Baptist executive director-treasurer. “I’m so grateful for every volunteer and local church that poured out their time and energy to serve.

“Together, N.C. Baptists have shown communities across the state that Jesus brings healing for today and hope for tomorrow, and that His love is put on display when we work side by side.”