Smithville First Baptist Church helped spread its love of God and holiday cheer through the Christmas Backpack program. Church volunteers came together Saturday (Dec. 12) to hand out backpacks filled with toys, clothes, blankets, toiletries and the Bible to children in the community.
“We’re big on missions here at the church,” Pastor Chad Ramsey said. “Our mission statement is “Love God, Love Others.” 2020 has been one of those years where we couldn’t go and do some of the mission projects, even some of the community days that we do here at the church. We continue to help out with the Hope Center on a weekly basis, but we’re also trying to find different creative ways to continue to minister and share the gospel and share about Jesus.”
Over 200 children were registered for the event, but the church maintained safety precautions for the pandemic. Only eight people at a time were allowed to enter at a time, masks were recommended, and temperature checked. Church members also shared the story of Christ’s birth with children and parents attending.
Smithville F.B.C. worked in conjunction with the Tennessee Baptist State Convention and the North American Mission Board.
“Our church filled about 130 backpacks,” Ramsey said. “People around the state made a big donation throughout the last couple of months, and we got 110 from the state convention too. It was a good time to come together and share and reach out to our community.”