Inasmuch Assembles 11,000 Meals for the Hungry

November 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

In October the Inasmuch ministry assembled more than 11,000 meals to feed hungry people in Haiti with the help of people who gathered in Fayetteville, NC, and Knoxville, TN, to consider their support for the ministry for 2013.  That’s right; these annual fundraising events became major service events!


Executive Director, David Crocker (left), and Robert Marks, Sr. (right) Board President, enjoy watching the meals being packed.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of non-profits.  It is all  about obtaining the support necessary to keep the organization going.  So, when a non-profit turns its annual fundraising events into  service projects whereby thousands of hungry people are supplied with nutritious meals, it’s noteworthy.

“Our fundraising events each year are the largest gatherings of people who support the Inasmuch ministry,” said David Crocker, Executive Director.  “This year we wanted these events to be more than simply sharing the latest and greatest news about the ministry and asking people to support us so we can keep on doing the good work of Inasmuch.  So we invited Kids Against Hunger to come direct food packing projects in Fayetteville and Knoxville to feed hungry people in Haiti.”


The food packing fun began in Fayetteville…

Participants remarked how refreshing it was to do something to help others while renewing or beginning their support for a ministry that is based on the idea of believers serving “the least of these.”  While some were treated to a delicious meal, others packed food for Haiti.  After about half an hour, the groups rotated so that everyone had a chance to help out.  5,040 meals were packed in Fayetteville and 6,024 meals in Knoxville.


And the fun continued in Knoxville!

“We had a about a 60 percent increase in attendance at our fundraising events this year and I am convinced it was because we offered folk a chance actually to do something to serve others,” said Crocker.  “Everyone had a blast.  It was fun and productive and will make a huge difference in the lives other lots of people.  We didn’t just feed ourselves; we fed many more who will never have what we ate at those events.”

He added:  “We are already talking about what we will do next year.  We may go for 20,000 meals!  Wouldn’t that be something?!  Of course, I’m hoping people will see that Inasmuch is about serving people in need . . . anytime, anywhere, any way, even when the ministry has needs ourselves.”

“We are very excited about the future of Inasmuch,” he says.  “With continued and some new support, there is no telling what God will do with this ministry!”

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NC Inasmuch Builds House In One Day!

September 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When Keith Guinn was asked to head up his church’s first Inasmuch Day this past spring, he said “I can’t do it, but with God’s help, we’ll get it done.”  After Euto Baptist Church of Marshville, NC, mobilized almost half of their average Sunday attendance in April, Guinn exclaimed, “It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever been a part of!”Euto Baptist Church of Marshville, NC Inasmuch Day

One of the 19 projects conducted by the Euto congregation was building a house in one day!!  “The foundation was poured beforehand, but we completely dried-in the house—walls, roof, doors and windows—in one, long Inasmuch day,” says Guinn.  He says that about a month before Euto’s Inasmuch, one of the church members asked if the church could build his grandfather a house.  The elderly man in his mid 80s had recently lost his wife and he needed to live closer to his son but couldn’t afford to hire a contractor.  The church agreed to include the ambitious project among their list of ministry opportunities and God took over from there.  The man’s family purchased the materials and church volunteers provided the labor.

When David Crocker trained members of Euto Baptist to conduct an Inasmuch Day, he said, as he always does in these training sessions, “When we do what God tells us to do, He always has more in mind.”  Remembering that line, Guinn now says, “I am a witness to that truth.  I saw it in April of this year, and we’re already planning our next Inasmuch for 2013.”

Euto Baptist Church of Marshville, NC Inasmuch DayEuto Baptist Church involved 155 people from their church in their Inasmuch Day which is just under half their congregation.  They served more than 200 people, and the most amazing result of their day of service was that nine people became followers of Jesus as a direct result of the compassion ministry they rendered through Inasmuch!

Guinn’s unchurched neighbors were astounded at what the church did in one day.  They attended a breakfast gathering of the volunteers prior to the start of their projects and were moved to ask:  “Why are y’all doing this?”  They returned to their home that day with nothing but praise for a church that has shown, not just told, their small community God’s love.

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WORLD Magazine Mentions Inasmuch

June 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The June 16 issue of WORLD Magazine mentioned the recent North Carolina Inasmuch event in it’s Human Race section.

Here’s the article:  

The entire Human Race page (from WORLD’s online version of the magazine) follows. The Inasmuch mention is highlighted:

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NC Unites to Build Record # of Ramps

May 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

The following article was published May 2012 under Convention News in the North Carolina Baptist website.

The article discusses the statewide Inasmuch United (called NC Operation Inasmuch) – and the huge success of the Rampin’ Up initiative to build a record number of wheelchair ramps in one day!

Rampin Up!, Operation Inasmuch successful in community outreach

By: Melissa Lilley

Photo credit (all photos): Melissa Lilley, BSCNC Communications

After just a couple hours working, Vicky Coerper couldn’t believe the team’s progress. Before the day’s end the wheelchair ramp would be finished, giving her mom a new sense of freedom.

“I am very thankful. This will help keep my mom, and her caretaker, safe,” Coerper said. Coerper’s mom, who has dementia and cannot care for herself, came to live with her and her husband about three years ago in their North Raleigh home. Coerper said adding the wheelchair ramp to their home will help her mom be able to get outside on days when the weather is nice, instead of being stuck inside all the time.

Coerper’s mom has a wheelchair but it is difficult to navigate in and out of the house, and even inside the house.

Coerper’s family is just one of many across the state that benefited from “Rampin Up!” on April 28. “Rampin Up!” was an effort among North Carolina Baptists to build wheelchair ramps for aging adults, as ramps consistently rank among the highest needs of the aging-adult population.

In one day, nearly 3,000 volunteers from North Carolina Baptist churches built 327 wheelchair ramps.

North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry (NCBAM) partnered with NC Baptist Men to coordinate the initiative as part of the larger statewide Operation Inasmuch. Operation Inasmuch is an event that encourages churches to choose one day and minister to those in need in their communities through hands-on, practical efforts.

After May 5, when more volunteers will participate in community outreach, the total number of participants for this year’s Operation Inasmuch will include more than 170 North Carolina Baptist churches, representing about 50 counties.

NCBAM Director Sandy Gregory called April 28 an “independence day” for aging adults in North Carolina.

“People of all ages can find themselves confined to a wheelchair. But as we age, the number of people unable to leave their homes because of a lack of mobility increases. They are trapped until someone builds a wheelchair ramp for them,” Gregory said in a statement released by NCBAM.

NCBAM reported that six people prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior through “Rampin Up!”

A ramp costs usually costs $700 and takes about eight hours to build. Some churches built more than one ramp on April 28, and Eastern Baptist Association in Sampson County built more than 20 ramps.

Members from Bay Leaf Baptist Church, known as the Bay Leaf Builders, built two ramps April 28, including Coerper’s. The group includes mostly retired adults.

“Just about every week we build a ramp. We are able to share our faith with the homeowners and pray with them,” said Reece Dillard.

Dillard said Bay Leaf Builders began in 2008 because people saw the need for such a ministry and wanted to serve others.

In addition to “Rampin Up!” North Carolina Baptist churches participated in a variety of outreach efforts through Operation Inasmuch. Members of First Baptist Church in Cary volunteered with Dorcas Ministries, an organization that began in 1968 and is dedicated to helping meet physical needs and to sharing the gospel.

Dorcas Ministries serves the community through a thrift store, food pantry, crisis ministry and adult education scholarships. In the past five years Dorcas Ministries has helped more than 42,000 people and provided more than $2.2 million in financial and food assistance.

“This is more of a calling than a job,” said Howard Manning, Dorcas Ministries executive director. “It’s a practical way to put God’s commands into action.”

When Manning retired from GlaxoSmithKline he did not plan to enter the workforce again, but serving at Dorcas has provided unique opportunities. “It’s a way to exercise your true beliefs everyday. It’s Matthew 25, ” he said.

First Baptist Cary member Andrew Major has volunteered at Dorcas and is also involved with Touching Lives for Christ, First Baptist’s annual community outreach.

“One of our visions is to do local missions in North Carolina, and to do missions in the United States and internationally. Touching Lives with Christ and Operation Inasmuch help us get families involved with missions projects,” Major said.

In Scotland Neck, Dawson Baptist Church also found a creative way to serve the community. Their “Relief at the Pump” outreach took place at the Shell gas station on Main Street, where youth and adults spent the morning pumping gas and cleaning windshields.

That morning the station discounted gas 25 cents, with the church making up the difference. “It was busy all morning long. There was already a line when we got there,” said youth pastor Will Matthews.

Matthews said the idea for the outreach came after church members saw a television news report about poverty in the Scotland Neck area. “It got us to talking about what we can do to reach out,” he said.

Operation Inasmuch allowed the church to help meet a need and to share the gospel.

“Just about everyone asked why we were doing it, which gave us a really good opportunity to share Christ.”

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Campbell U’s Inasmuch Day – the Complete Story!

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following post appeared April 27, 2012 on Campbell University’s blog Service @ Campbell (Campbell University is located in Buies Creek, NC).

Inasmuch Day Recap

Inasmuch volunteers gather on Academic Circle. Photo by Sara Acosta

On the morning of April 14 a familiar sight filled Academic Circle: professors holding project signs, bleary-eyed students bee-lining for the donut table, and a sea of matching t-shirts.

As the smell of Sherry’s donuts wafted through the brisk air, the fifth annual Inasmuch Day was about to begin.
 “But Inasmuch Day is not about us,” said Campus Minister Faithe Beam as she offered encouragement and motivation with opening remarks to the crowd of volunteers. “It’s about loving our neighbors and meeting their needs. Today is about giving ourselves to the community.”
Campus Ministry’s Terry Tucker, ministry associate and coordinator for serving and sending ministries, echoed that the goal for this year’s Inasmuch Day was two-fold, to expand impact and to communicate the importance of putting others first.
“We wanted to increase our project base as well as see a broader volunteer base regarding the number of faculty/staff versus students.  We saw this happen this year as we added five new projects and approximately 60 faculty/staff participate over the 25 from 2011,” she said.
“My hope was also that our volunteers would see the significance in serving others as Jesus calls us to in Matthew 25:40. To whatever area of service we are drawn, it involves the lives of others.”
Tucker added that the five new projects were Appleworks School, the Harnett Food Pantry, S.A.F.E. of Harnett County, Triton High School, and Kicking4Hunger.

Campbell students at Cape Fear Christian Academy.   Photo by Billy Peterson

While pictures tell a thousand words, the numbers for Inasmuch tell a story of their own. One of only two universities in the country participating as a campus body, Campbell’s Inasmuch Day engaged 450 volunteers in 30 projects that served approximately 23 thousand people. The day’s work and projects are valued at $10 thousand.

Campbell further expanded Inasmuch Day by incorporating it into Accepted Students Day, giving high school seniors seriously considering Campbell a glimpse into life as a student. The approximately 200 accepted students volunteered with Kids on the Run and Backpack Buddies, and made children’s busy bags for hospital emergency rooms, hygiene kits for Beacon Rescue Mission, and treat bags for Facilities Management.

Arc of Harnett County.                           Photo by Billy Peterson

An event of such magnitude doesn’t just happen. In January Tucker convened a team of 14 faculty, staff, and students to organize the day.

“The logistics include working with community partners to secure projects, enlisting projects leaders, online registration, assigning 450 volunteers to 30 projects, project leader training, media, service day check-in procedures to insure all teams are equipped to move out into the community, and much more.”"This was also our second year of working alongside Admissions to include the accepted students” she added.
Beam echoed that the day also wouldn’t be possible without stellar volunteers.
“I am so proud of our students, faculty, and staff who volunteer to wake up early on Saturday to share their time and resources with the community,” she said. “Days like this make me especially proud of Campbell.”
Junior biology pre-professional student Erica Hammond is one of those volunteers, one of many to host Arc of Harnett County’s developmentally disabled children and their families at the Irwin Belk Track for an afternoon of inflatables and snow cones.

Project Leader Melissa Psaltis.           Photo by Courtney McGown

“I chose the Arc project because it’s a great way to give back to the community and to interact with special needs kids to help them feel accepted and special,” she said. “They are just such optimistic kids and a joy to be around.”

Arc project leader Melissa Psaltis, a student in School of Counseling, said that the fun and games go beyond entertaining the kids.
“It means as much to the parents as it does to the kids. Seeing their kids smiling and happy means a lot to them,” she said. “And we wouldn’t be able to do this without all the volunteers.”
While the volunteers sign up with a motivation to bring joy to others, project leader at Beacon Rescue Mission and physician assistant student Jessica Robbins found that what goes around comes around on Inasmuch Day.
“When we went to pay for lunch after finishing the project, our waitress came up and told us that ‘good deeds do not go unnoticed’ and that a couple had seen our shirts and paid for our group’s lunch and left before we could thank them or see who they were.  It is so touching to know that people recognize what we are doing and appreciate it,” she said.

Arc of Harnett County.                        Photo by Courtney McGowan

MBA student Rebekah Barker led one of this year’s new projects, a partnership with local non-profit organization Kicking4Hunger, whose mission is to run free soccer clinics in exchange for food donations that go back to the local food bank.

“It was so rewarding to put on this Kicking4Hunger camp in conjunction with Inasmuch. We ended up raising 127 pounds of food. Gabe Whaley, founder of Kicking4Hunger, mentioned that the food we raised was enough to feed five families of four for an entire week—it was more than we could have ever asked for,” said Barker.
Campus Ministry Graduate Assistant and divinity student Tyler Ward summed up the Inasmuch experience.
“Inasmuch allows us the chance to serve with the greater community. It’s a great opportunity for the campus community and our neighbors to serve together,” he said.
By Sara Acosta, AmeriCorps VISTA with reporting by student Courtney McGowan

Click here to view the complete photo album on Facebook.

For more information on Inasmuch at Campbell, e-mail Terry Tucker.
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Virginians Serve with NC Churches

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

GoDanRiver.com, the online newspaper serving Danville, VA and Reidsville and Eden, NC (Rockingham County), published the following article on May 1, 2012:

Touching Lives

By STEVE LAWSON

As usual, Sunday services at churches involved in last Saturday’s Operation Inasmuch were filled with testimonials concerning the reactions of people helped during the one-day missions blitz – as well as the blessings received by those doing the helping.

But Cathy Cardwell of Mayodan First Baptist Church said reactions began for her well ahead of Saturday’s multiple projects. Cardwell oversees the Hands of God food pantry housed at First Baptist and was responsible for helping prepare 100 bags of groceries for distribution Saturday.

One of the first things Cardwell noticed was the sharp increase in the cost of filling those bags. Two years ago, purchasing enough food for 100 bags took $1,400. This year the amount grew to $2,200.

“It attracts a lot of attention when you go to buy that much food,” Cardwell said.

When she started through the checkout line at Wal-Mart with carts filled with canned goods and other food items, Cardwell said people started asking her why she was buying so much.

“When I told them about Operation Inasmuch and giving away 100 bags of food in one day, everyone wanted to help,” she said. “It was really a blessing to see that kind of response even before the event itself.”

But the pre-event blessings were far from finished. Cardwell said she had to send her husband, Doug, to Food Lion to pick up some remaining items one day last week.

“As he was checking out with another cart filled with groceries, someone asked him what all the food was for,” Cardwell said. “When he told them about Operation Inasmuch, the person handed him a dollar. They told Doug they couldn’t do much, but they wanted to give something to help. Now, that was a blessing.”

Saturday was the fourth edition of Operation Inasmuch for the Western Rockingham County area. Local churches – including Mayodan First, Woodbine and Comer’s Chapel Baptist churches – joined forces to fulfill a wide variety of missions projects. More than 300 people of all ages worked through most of the day to complete tasks ranging from building wheelchair ramps, painting and re-glazing windows, planting a community garden, giving manicures, handing out quarters at laundromats, mowing lawns and cleaning gutters, washing cars or making no-sew blankets.

Bill Scheib directed Saturday’s communitywide missions blitz with the help of his wife, Sherry. Scheib said the event carried a lasting impact, both for those rendering and those receiving the provided services.

“It’s really about reaching out to help others, to demonstrate God’s unconditional love in some tangible ways,” Scheib said. “It’s about making the Bible come to life for our community.”

Operation Inasmuch began in 1995 as a one-day outreach project for Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville. The program grew so successful at involving church members with people in their community that it was soon picked up by neighboring churches. Within a few years, the missions project spread to neighboring counties, states and even to Canada and England.

The project’s primary focus is mobilizing church members to reach out to people outside the church walls. Operation Inasmuch is based on a lesson Jesus taught his disciples on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 25:40 – “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Scheib said the focus of the event was changing lives by working together for even a single day.

“In just one day, you can plant a garden or paint a house, teach a children’s Bible study or build a wheelchair ramp,” he said. “In just one day, you can change a person’s life forever by showing that you care and that God cares.”

At one point Saturday morning, more than 50 people were involved in the Operation Inasmuch ministry at Jacob’s Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Madison. While about 30 people gathered in the dining room to sing hymns and gospel songs for residents, another group was visible in the courtyard through the floor-to-ceiling windows along one side of the room.

The large crew in the courtyard had been busy since early morning completely remodeling the area. The work included building a waterfall feature, planting new greenery and flowers and adding new birdhouses.

While some worked on the landscaping and rebuilding, another crew worked on the walls surrounding the courtyard – painting and re-glazing the windows and trim.

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a few contributions and enough cooperation,” Amanda Cardwell said. “This is going to be such a nice area for these residents to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. I’ve already had several tell me how much this means to them and that’s what this is all about – reaching out to others with God’s love.”

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The Compassion Revolution Moves Forward at Campbell U

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following post appeared April 27, 2012 on Campbell University’s blog Service @ Campbell (Campbell University is located in Buies Creek, NC). Read two inspiring stories from Campbell’s Inasmuch Day here.

Inasmuch Day 2012

Campbell’s fifth annual Inasmuch Day expanded into a partnership with Accepted Students Day and the addition of five new projects. Check out the stats and photos from this year.

Cape Fear Academy / Photo by Billy Peterson

Inasmuch Day 2012 by the numbers:

450 Volunteers

30 Projects

$ Value – 10,000.00

Approximate # of people served – 23,000

Average # of hours worked – 4

Click here to view the complete photo album on Facebook. [Note: the original post included additional photos.]

For more information on Inasmuch at Campbell, e-mail Terry Tucker.
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NC Baptists Moving Out to Serve

April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Scroll down to read several articles about the April 28 statewide Baptist Inasmuch event in North Carolina.

The following article appeared Friday, Apr 27 2012, in Cleveland County, NC’s shelbystar.com.

Hundreds of volunteers branch out for two days of service

Friday, Apr 27 2012, 11:59 am
by Jackie Bridges

This weekend and next, volunteers from 24 churches in Cleveland County will be serving the community by providing meals, building wheelchair ramps, showing appreciation to firefighters and even helping to buy gas for unsuspecting customers.

Kim Wilson helps homeowner David Walker dig out a place for a ramp outside his home on Gatewood Drive in Fallston for preliminary Inasmuch project in 2010. Photo Brittany Randolph/The Star

The acts of kindness are part of “Operation Inasmuch,” a ministry supported by the North Carolina Baptist Men, said David Brown, county coordinator.

The event, which gets its name from Matthew 25:40 — “Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”  — is a one-day missions blitz that will be taking place Saturday and on May 5 in all 100 North Carolina counties.

Churches participating are Buffalo Baptist, Bethany Baptist, First Baptist Shelby, Zoar Baptist, Second Baptist Kings Mountain, Elizabeth Baptist, Plainsview Baptist, Dover Baptist, Eastside Baptist, Westview Baptist, Carpenters Grove Baptist, New Hope Baptist, Trinity Baptist, Hopper’s Chapel, Sandy Plains Baptist, New Bethel Baptist, Calvary Baptist, Camps Creek Baptist, Second Baptist Shelby, Northside Baptist, Beaver Dam Baptist, Ross Grove Baptist, Zion Baptist and Poplar Springs Baptist.

Ladies of Elizabeth Baptist Church help build a ramp at a home on Gatewood Drive in Fallston for preliminary Inasmuch project in 2010. Photo Brittany Randolph/The Star

Volunteers will be building wheelchair ramps, repairing homes, serving firefighters a steak dinner, giving away clothes and food, picking up litter, raising money for Relay for Life, hosting a block party in the Ramblewood area, working at Special Olympics and sponsoring several other projects for the elderly, families, children and others.

Members of the Cleveland County Operation Inasmuch committee are Melanie Shull, Katie Harris, Janet Brown and the Rev. Jerry Welch.

Sponsors are:

Gold — Hoke Enterprizes, Cleveland County Home Builders and Keeter Ford

Silver — Restco, Monroe Tire, Carolina Crossings Restaurant, First National Bank, Joey Hamrick Construction, Business Consulting Group, Hendrick Appliance, What’s Up Shopper/WOHS, H&H Pest Control, Elizabeth Baptist Church, Trinity Baptist Church and Putnam Distributors

Reach Jackie Bridges at 704-669-3337.

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The following article was published in Dunn, NC’s The Daily Record in April, 2012.

North Clinton Avenue To Hold Operation Inasmuch Event

On Saturday, North Clinton Avenue Baptist Church, along with hundreds of churches in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, will conduct Operation Inasmuch.

According to organizers, Operation Inasmuch is a way for a church to show the love of Jesus Christ in a very real way. The name Inasmuch is taken from Matthew 25:40. Operation Inasmuch began in Fayetteville in 1995 and has spread across theUnited States and into other countries.

North Clinton Church will offer a “yard sale” giveaway. Clothing and household items will be given away to those who are in need in the community. A community garden also will be planted to provide those in need with fresh produce later in the spring. These projects will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

A ticketed barbecue dinner will be served that evening from 4 to 6. Tickets can be picked up onSaturday morning at the church. There are a limited number of tickets available. This will be a dine-in only event.

North Clinton Church is also participating in a Food Roundup for the Baptist Children’s Home. Canned food and other staples can be donated at the church anytime Saturday.

North Clinton Avenue Baptist Church is located at 507 N. Clinton Ave., Dunn, where the Rev. Billy Stines is pastor.

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The following article appeared April 26, 2012 in The King, NC Stokes News:

Pine Hall Missionary Baptist to participate in outreach day

Pine Hall Missionary Baptist Church is preparing for Operation Inasmuch, which will be held on April 28th. Operation Inasmuch is a one-day mission event where hundreds of churches and thousands of volunteers throughout the state share the love of Jesus Christ with people in their communities.

Operation Inasmuch encourages churches to minister to those in need in their communities through hands-on projects. The Rev. Richard F. Lowery, pastor of the church, not only leads members in prayer and gives them their charge before the teams depart for their various projects — he also visits the site of each project during the day, encouraging the members and ministering to those he comes in contact with.

Projects that Pine Hall did previously were to build a handicap ramp and deliver Baskets of Love to law enforcement agents, firemen, EMS workers, and nursing home residents. They also visited the sick and shut-in, repaired an elderly member’s furnace and gave away clothing at Fowler Park.

This year members will do yard work at an elderly member’s home and visit sick and shut-in members to deliver homemade soup to them. Again this year from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., a clothes giveaway will be held at Fowler Park in the heart of Walnut Cove. Also this year, the church has partnered with Ingles Grocery Store to allow customers to purchase items needed at East Stokes Outreach between 9 a.m. and noon. Members will be on hand to collect the items (a list will be displayed of the items most desperately needed), and they will be delivered to the mission after the event.

Operation Inasmuch provides the opportunity to people in the various communities. It is a time to bless others as God has blessed you.

The first Operation Inasmuch event was held in 1995 as an independent ministry of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Since then, Operation Inasmuch has helped train churches to conduct one-day missions events in communities across North Carolina and also in other states.

More than 1,600 churches in 21 states have participated in one-day service events. The outreach takes its name from Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

Anyone interested in more information or volunteering can call the church at 336-548-9556.

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Hundreds of NC Churches to Serve!

April 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following article appeared April 14, 2012 on the North Carolina Baptist’s web site:

N.C. Baptists Prepare for Operation Inasmuch

By: BSCNC Communications

North Carolina Baptists are gearing up for a hands-on, statewide missions event during the annual Operation Inasmuch initiative. Churches and volunteers will participate in the event April 28 and May 5.

On these two days, hundreds of churches and thousands of volunteers will share the love of Jesus Christ with people in their communities.

Operation Inasmuch is a one-day missions effort that encourages churches to minister to those in need in their communities through hands-on, practical efforts such as construction projects, landscaping, painting, block parties and prayer walking.

This outreach in North Carolina is coordinated through a partnership between Operation Inasmuch, Inc. and North Carolina Baptist Men (NCBM).

Gaylon Moss, NCBM volunteerism coordinator, said the event is a unique opportunity for North Carolina Baptists to share the gospel through word and deed. “It’s an opportunity to show God’s love in a tangible way to the people of North Carolina,” he said. “But we also want it to be a service that leads believers to share their faith in Christ with others.”

The first Operation Inasmuch event was held in 1995 as an independent ministry of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Since then, Operation Inasmuch has helped train churches to conduct one-day missions events in communities across North Carolina and also in other states.

More than 1,600 churches in 21 states have participated in one-day service events through the training, resources and coordination of Operation Inasmuch, Inc. The missions outreach takes its name from Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

This year, event organizers are praying for churches and volunteers to serve in mission projects in all 100 North Carolina counties. Churches are encouraged to think of specific people in their communities who need someone to touch their life with the gospel.

Individuals, Sunday School classes, small groups and churches still have time to organize ways to serve their neighbors in the name of Jesus during this year’s efforts.

Rampin’ Up!
One unique opportunity this year is for volunteers to assist in building wheelchair ramps for aging adults.

NCBM and Operation Inasmuch are partnering with the North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry (NCBAM) to conduct “Rampin’ Up!” on April 28, as part of the larger statewide Operation Inasmuch efforts.

The “Rampin’ Up!” campaign is designed to increase awareness of the need for wheelchair ramps and to help reduce the number of ramps needed across the state. NCBAM has a goal to build at least 300 ramps that day.

Wheelchair ramps consistently rank among the highest needs of North Carolina’s aging-adult population. Ramps built by North Carolina Baptists will help relieve a financial burden for those who need ramps but cannot afford it.

Churches and volunteers are still needed to help reach the goal of 300 ramps. To learn more about how to help, visitwww.rampinup.org

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