EVANSVILLE, Ind. (BP) — Pastor Steve Brown had his doubts. When a fellow Evansville pastor invited him to help lead a grill walk — an outreach event combining food and gospel conversations — he wasn’t even sure what it was or what to expect.

But May 2 in Evansville, standing in the middle of a public housing complex with boarded-up homes and barefoot children, all those doubts melted away.

His team had come to serve burgers and share the love of Christ. What they found was a neighborhood aching to be seen.

One man stood out. He was an older gentleman from Mississippi, soft-spoken, humble, unable to read. His home was full of children. Though he had heard about Jesus, he wasn’t sure where he’d spend eternity.

So Brown, pastor of Evansville’s Friendship Southern Baptist Church, gently walked him through the gospel. The man knew Jesus had died and risen again but had never personally placed his trust in Him. Right there, surrounded by kids and neighbors, with tears running down his face, the man prayed to receive Christ.

During the Send Relief Serve Tour stop in Evansville on May 2-3, that Mississippi man was one of six who came to faith in Jesus during the grill walk near Brown’s church.

Brown, a 50-year veteran of jail ministry and an experienced personal evangelist, said the event changed how he sees the neighborhood around his church.

“I just got rejuvenated,” said Brown. “This is what I need to be doing, because I know how to do it. I had neglected that neighborhood right around my church. This reminded me this is what I’m called to.”

The Evansville event was a two-day Send Relief Serve Tour stop that mobilized more than 750 volunteers from 65 churches across 14 states. Together, they completed 41 service projects across the city and reached more than 13,600 people and sparked more than 1,100 gospel conversations. By the end of the weekend, 36 individuals had made decisions to follow Jesus.

But for many leaders involved, this wasn’t just about two days of service. It was the start of something bigger. Churches in the region are already discussing how to maintain the momentum, with plans for future cooperative outreach events and a renewed focus on their own neighborhoods.

“I pray that what took place this past weekend would not be the type of moment that stands all alone or that is viewed by any of our churches as anything approaching a finish line experience,” said Kenny Kidd, director of missions for the Southwestern Indiana Baptist Association. “It has great possibility to be a catalyst for future activity, for partnership in ministry, for serving together in God’s kingdom work in our Southwestern Indiana region.”

Volunteers served in a wide variety of ways: from construction projects at local churches to landscaping at schools, hosting block parties, crocheting hats for children, and operating a free dental clinic. Every project was designed to meet tangible needs while creating opportunities to share the hope of Christ.

“We’ve loved having the opportunity to work with our ministry partners to host these Serve Tour stops throughout the nation,” said Josh Benton, vice president of national ministry for Send Relief. “In Evansville, we saw volunteers come from 14 states, and they ministered to thousands of people in the community. We pray for the people of Evansville and for the Christians who will continue reaching their neighbors for the sake of the gospel.”

Larry Lewis, pastor of Evansville’s Covert Avenue Baptist Church, participated in another grill walk on the southeast side of town. As part of the effort, volunteers handed out free hamburger lunches at a nearby apartment complex.

One of the final doors his team knocked on belonged to a man who was clearly frustrated.

“I’ve had a bad day,” he told them. Lewis responded gently: “Sir, I’d like to make your day better.”

The man’s demeanor softened. He turned out to be one of the property’s maintenance workers — off duty and overwhelmed after a long day of people asking for help.

Inside the apartment were eight children and four adults. Lewis’ Serve Evansville team returned moments later with 20 burgers and a box of potato chips, just enough to feed the household and lift the burden in a small way. The pastor also had the opportunity to share the Good News about Jesus.

Stories like that were repeated across the city as churches stepped outside their walls to serve their neighbors. For many, it wasn’t just about showing up but about stepping up.

“At Oak Hill, I saw church members who had served before, but this time, a few stepped into leadership in ways I hadn’t seen from them before,” said Alan Scott, pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church. “It was a chance for spiritual growth, taking more ownership, pushing themselves, and leading out in service. That was really exciting to watch.”

The 41 projects throughout the city had something for everyone. For example, Cinda Stonecipher, a 74-year-old from Community Central Church, led a group of women to make hats for school-age children in need.

“I think it went fabulous,” Stonecipher said. “I met 17 new friends who made 76 beautiful hats with me to give to children in Evansville. Every year more and more children don’t have warm enough clothes to wear, and this is just one piece of clothing we can donate to help families in our city.”

Ryan Strother, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, noted that Serve Tour Evansville displayed a unique kind of Southern Baptist diversity.

“We had everyone from a 6-year-old to a 90-year-old serving together,” Strother said. “That kind of multi-generational, multi-state cooperation doesn’t happen often.”

Strother is hopeful that the cooperative spirit on display continues in the days, months, and years ahead.

“This is just the start of what could continue,” he said. “We’re already hearing people ask, ‘Could we do this in other ways?’ There’s so much more that could come if our churches keep that cooperative mentality.”Send Relief, a collaborative ministry between the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board, is Southern Baptists’ global compassion ministry. Upcoming Serve Tour stops include Columbia, South Carolina (Aug. 22-23); Lima, Peru (Sept. 5-12); and Fort Collins, Colorado (Sept. 26-27). For more information on future Serve Tour stops, visit www.servetour.org.