Friends of Children: Serving with all your heart

We are reminded in Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

This verse came to life across Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH) campuses this fall. The sounds of pressure washers, chain saws, mowers, hammers, and most importantly—the joyful noise of volunteers filled the air. Friends of Children is such a treasured season for BCH. From Oak Ranch to Kennedy Home, Mills Home, Odum Home, and Cameron Boys Camp, hundreds of volunteers from across North Carolina came together for a one-day mission blitz.

With hands of all ages and skills, our NC Baptist family, neighbors, and friends worked side by side—cleaning, landscaping, painting, cooking, repairing, and cutting wood. Yes, many projects were completed, but more than that, countless relationships were built and strengthened. To step onto a BCH campus is to experience the breadth and depth of this ministry in a way words can hardly capture.

At the close of each service day, staff, children, and volunteers gathered in fellowship, celebrating together all the Lord has done and continues to do—through BCH. These moments remind us that while the work itself matters—painting a room, cleaning a cottage, sorting donations, or fixing a fence—the true purpose is much greater. The end goal is not the completion of a task, but the growth of God's Kingdom. Each project becomes a vessel for the love of Jesus to shine.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we labor to break the chains of sin, to shatter cycles of abuse and trauma, to offer hope to the hopeless, and to bring restoration to the broken—all through the redeeming power of Christ. This is the greater mission you join each time you serve with BCH.

We are deeply grateful. Every prayer whispered, every dollar given, every hour sacrificially offered is a priceless gift. On this side of Heaven, we may never fully know the impact. But we trust that God multiplies each offering for His glory.

Let us continue to serve together with all our hearts—working not for ourselves, but for the Lord, and sharing the life-giving good news of Jesus Christ.

Written By Kristyn Butts, BCH Director of Volunteer Engagement