Church volunteers bless others with brushes and cans of paint

During a recent sermon, my pastor was preaching on Ephesians 4:7–16 and he shared this quote by Richard J. Foster:

“Service is not a list of things we do, though in it we discover things to do.It is not a code of ethics, but a way of living.”

I wholeheartedly believe these words and would take it one step further and say,

“It’s a way of living out of the overflow of our love and obedience to the Lord.”

The women of First Baptist Church Welcome live in just this way, which is evident in their service with the Baptist Children’s Homes.

During my first few months of service as the Director of Volunteer Engagement, I was invited to share during a FBC Welcome WMU meeting. I immediately knew that these were women on mission for the Lord. While the church congregation has blessed BCH in a multitude of facets through gifts, service, and love, the ladies have consistently been an instrumental part of Fancy Finds at Mills Home in Thomasville.

Fancy Finds is so much more than a resale store. It’s a service that takes timeworn furniture and décor and breathes new life and purpose into it. DIY classes, estate sale services, and consignment services are also offered with all proceeds going to support the ministries and programs of BCH.

The group of ladies, led by Judy Yarbrough, serve at Fancy Finds twice a month. Judy shared that during a Baptist Aging event, she was connected with the previous manager of the store—and the rest is history.

Some of the ladies who come to serve have been faithfully serving for months and years. Others are new to serving, but it is a multi-generational group who love Jesus and want to serve Him with their talents and time.

When asked what made serving at Fancy Finds so special, Judy shared:

“Because I love children so much (a retired school teacher), I feel like we are giving something back to the children in a simple way that we can do.The camaraderie of working and serving together is so special. We have become like sisters.”

Charlotte Edwards, who has served as the manager of Fancy Finds for the last seven years, recalled how in 2020 when everything shut down for COVID, the ladies of FBC Welcome still wanted to serve. So, they came monthly to Fancy Finds wearing their masks and social distancing.

“We painted. We laughed. We worshiped, and we built a family bond which continues today.”

With gratitude and affection, Charlotte said:

“We could not do it without them. They get all of our painting done which is such a blessing.”

FBC Welcome has served with excellence as the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing hope and changing lives one brush stroke at a time.

Throughout this past year, BCH has had more than 1,800 volunteers serve across the state in some capacity—from raking, cleaning, sorting, stocking, hosting cookouts, throwing parties, and so much more.

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we believe that BCH has the very BEST volunteers who serve sacrificially out of their love for Jesus and the ministry.

Thank you, volunteers, for generously sharing your time, talents, and treasures and finding your spot to serve with Baptist Children’s Homes. It has truly been a joy to serve with each of you during my first year.

If you would like to learn how you too can find your spot to serve, please visit: www.bchfamily.org/volunteeror contact Kristyn Butts at kbutts@bchfamily.org.

Written by Kristyn Butts, BCH Director of Volunteer Engagement