Berea Baptist Church

We just wanted to take a few moments to let everyone know about all the "new stuff" at BBC Jax.  In March of this year we ordained Jeff Rudd as our new Associate Pastor.  We started a new series of Bible studies from Day of Discovery that have been very educational and has greatly enriched our lives.  In July of this year we installed a brand new sign out front, and just today we had a new outdoor building installed which will give us more storage room and a place to host outdoor gatherings on the church grounds.

We've also made new friends this year, seen new blessings, and face many new challenges as a family.  We are certain we will see our members face more challenges before the year's end, but we are also confident we will see many more blessings and that God will continue to poor out His unmeasurable grace on our church and our lives, and will continue to use us to encourage and support one another.  We hope that God will bring others to us to be a part of our family and to face all the "new stuff" with us. 

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"  Matthew 7:11 (ESV).

I am so excited about BBC Jax's involvement with OCC, particularly as I look back at the last few years and then see what God is doing through Berea this year.  I can't help but think "if He is moving this much in just our church, what is He doing on a national and international scale?" 

For those that don't know, my "office" is a multi-purpose room that serves also serves as the office for the Sunday School materials and money counting.  In my office is also a small closet.  And in that closet, you will find a truly beautiful sight.  Sure, it is just a plain, dimly lit, often forgotten closet...but in that closet right now you will find a hundred or more toothbrushes, bars of soap, tubes of toothpaste, wash clothes, and countless other items.  All given by members and friends of BBC Jax for the sole purpose of filling up shoe boxes to send to precious children all around the world.

I didn't want to push our members beyond their ability so we opted to fill 100 boxes this year.  I believe if I had asked them to pack 150 at the beginning of the year they would met that just as well as they've met the goal of 100.  There will be millions of children who will have hygiene items, school supplies, toys, candy, and more all because Christians around the world loved them enough to take the time and money to buy the little items we take for granted in America.

It's not too late to help.  Check out our home page for an update on what we are currently collecting and feel free to join in.  Or if you are viewing our website outside of the central Arkansas area, find a local church that participates and join in.  Or if you want to support us with a monetary donation, you may mail a check to the address on the home page.  And of course, we always need your prayers.

Click here for more information about Operation Christmas Child and how you can help, and feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Jeff Rudd, Associate Pastor - BBC Jax

We recently changed web hosts and therefore lost our previous blog, so I thought now was as good a time as any to recap of what we've experienced at BBC Jax in the last few years...especially in light of the fact we are quickly approaching our busy time of the year where we are moving full steam ahead and pushing towards our OCC packing party, and soon we will be collecting items for the Care Channel of Jacksonville and special offerings for missions and ABC Homes.

In the fall/winter of 2009, we collected 30 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child in our efforts to help meet the needs of children around the world and share the Gospel with them and funded the shipping for all but 7 of those boxes. 

We also collected over 180 cans of green beans to support the Care Channel of Jacksonville in their effort to feed the hungry of Jacksonville, Arkansas and gave money to the Dixie Jackson and Lottie Moon offerings and to the Arkansas Baptist Children's Homes.

In 2010 we collected 50 shoe boxes for OCC and over 150 cans of green beans for the Care Channel of Jacksonville while again supporting the Dixie Jackson, Lottie Moon, and ABCHomes with special offerings. 

This year, we are planning for our biggest year yet as we’ve been engaged in a yearlong project to collect enough items to fill 100 shoe boxes for OCC.  We have also been actively collecting food items each month to support the NPBA Care Center at Berea Baptist Church and will continue to support the Care Channel of Jacksonville if called upon along with the other offerings we normally support.

If you would like more information on any of the ministries we support and how you can be a part of changing lives, please visit the Ministries section of our website and click on the ministry or ministries you are interested in.  We invite you to be a part of what God is doing.