The Super Support of Churches
Since the beginning of our ministry, the local church has been an essential partner in our mission to care for children and families in need across Alabama. There’s no telling the amount of lives that have been impacted by the work of these faithful men, women, and children too, over our 128-year history. As we celebrate “heroes” to our ministry, we’ve highlighted a few churches below that reflect the ultimate superhero to our kids—Jesus Christ.
CONCORD BAPTIST CHURCH
Ever since Janara Parrish was young, she’s held a special place in her heart for the kids in our care. “I remember when I was a child and there was a Children’s Home in Troy, and a lot of the churches would go and bring canned goods,” said Janara.
Her involvement continued into adulthood, including joining our Ambassadors program when it first started. Ever since then, she’s rallied churches across the Judson Baptist Association to get involved, including her home church, Concord Baptist Church in Headland. With roughly 35 members, they have found many creative ways to help.
Recently, Janara heard through Kim McGainey, Area Director for Southeast Alabama, that our ministry was looking to relocate our Dothan office space and needed a down payment. Hearing this, Janara brought this need to her church, and one of the ladies came up with the idea of the bake sale.
“It all came together, and the Lord just blessed every part of it,” said Janara. “Even the girls in the campus home at Dothan baked some cookies. The day of the bake sale was not a pretty day, yet so many people came through.” They ended up raising $1,106 by the end of the day!
When speaking with Janara, you can hear just how much her church truly cares for our kids. “Sometimes the kids will ask, ‘Why are you helping?’ and we’re able to share, because God loves them,” said Janara. “Even though they may be going through a hard time or we may not look the same, we love them because they’re God’s children.”
THORINGTON ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH
“I remember going to Walmart with a brother and sister in our care, and the little girl was having a come-apart,” said Crysta Trull, reflecting back on her time as a foster parent with her husband, Michael. “One of our church members happened to be there, and she asked if I needed help.” This church member was with them for 15 or 20 minutes to help her grocery shop.
It’s moments like these that Crysta recalls how a helping hand really made a difference during their journey as foster parents. Due to their parents’ health issues, the Trulls are no longer able to foster, but that hasn’t stopped them from helping children in foster care. Michael, pastor at Thorington Road Baptist Church in Montgomery, and Crysta, Administrative Ministry Coordinator, have used their experience to help their church minister to families currently fostering.
For example, this past Christmas the church helped provide gifts for children placed with three of our families. Crysta split the wish list for each child on little cards and put them on clothespins for members to take and sponsor. Everyone was so eager to help, that the cards didn’t stay on there for long!
Their involvement didn’t stop there, though. Earlier this summer, the church hosted a Foster Parent’s Night Out. Volunteers provided free childcare, and church members pitched in to provide gift cards for foster parents to use for dinner and fun activities, such as attending a Montgomery Biscuits baseball game. Also, they took a picture of each family, and when the parents returned, they received their picture in a rustic-style frame.
“Our foster parents really loved it,” said Jessica Palmer, Administrative Assistant in our Montgomery office. “[The church] really went above and beyond, and especially providing small touches like the picture frame.”
“The people here are just really sweet and really giving, and it just gives them another opportunity to be able to [serve],” said Crysta. In thinking of the best ways to help foster families, Crysta shared some insight. “Ask them, ‘How can I help you?’ Sometimes, they need help with a certain task, or they just need you to pray for them. Anything you can do to help out, I think they really appreciate it.”
CHALYBEATE SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH
For many people, Thanksgiving is a holiday they look forward to. Some of the kids in our care, though, can find the holidays difficult, especially in times of transition. That’s where Chalybeate Springs Baptist Church in Hillsboro has stepped in to help make the holiday something to look forward to. For several years now, members have provided full, home-cooked Thanksgiving meals from Kroger, often adding in some extra homemade desserts for all of our campus homes in Decatur. “It is a blessing to be able to help,” said Kathy Alexander, member at Chalybeate Springs. “We’re not looking for credit . . . we just try to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Even the kids at Chalybeate Springs have provided a helping hand. Every year during VBS, they make ABCH the missions focus and donate much needed items to our Decatur campus. One year, we had a need for peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches, so the boys brought peanut butter and the girls brought jelly. Another year, they all brought Little Debbie snacks. This past summer, the kids brought in hygiene products, since that was a huge need for us.
The church’s involvement stemmed from their former pastor, Bill Pullen. Several years ago, he joined our Ambassadors program, and to this day, is still very involved. He encouraged the church to find ways to help the kids in our care because he saw firsthand how it impacted children. “He shared how he loved seeing ABCH minister to all the children at Camp of Champions, and how amazing it was to be a part of it,” Kathy shared.
She also shared how church members enjoyed attending our annual Open House in December, “I remember . . . we were in one of the homes with the girls and there was one small child. She opened my heart even more than what I thought it could. You could feel the love in the house when you walked in.”
These are only a handful of the hundreds of churches that have poured in their time, talents, and resources. We are so thankful for our church families and how God is using them!