Stanley Heights Baptist (Chattanooga, TN)

The New Year brings the team back together again, as we begin our next semester in the South. We spent a few days in Greenville to get packed up and practice our music before our first service. Our new team member, Jason Lorch, joined us this semester to head up our teen program, assist in our music ministry, and help Aaron with various projects. Our first week on the road takes us to East Ridge, TN to Stanley Heights Baptist Church.

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Pastor Baughman's desire for our time at his church was to spend the week focused on prayer. Our Sunday services were geared towards this end. On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the church was encouraged to attend a prayer meeting in different families' houses as we took time to sing and prayer together. Aaron gave a message from Hebrews 4 each night about coming boldly before the throne to find grace in the very time of need when we are struggling. What a gracious God to allow us to come to Him… and to come continually! We are grateful to the Baughmans, Framptons and Blantons for opening their homes to the church and our team for the focused prayer meetings.

On Friday night Stanley Heights hosted a teen rally for area-wide churches in the area. Teens from multiple churches came for a huge game of "Do You Love Your Neighbor?" and Broom Hockey. There were a couple times the games got so intense, we wondered if the teens would all make it out alive. We did end up sacrificing a broom or two for the sake of the game. The night ended with a game of Tic Tac Challenge and a skit of "The Lone Ranger". This was performed by the teens themselves (and a couple of sponsor volunteers - if forced participation counts as volunteering) to make a very interesting and entertaining story for the night! Aaron ended the night with a message of salvation. We were so thankful to hear of God reaching out to touch the heart specifically of one of the visitors from the community who surrendered his life to Christ!

During our second week of ministry in East Ridge, our team got the opportunity to minister in a service at the Rescue Mission in downtown Chattanooga. (Each Sunday morning the folks who stay in the Mission on Saturday night come to the service at Stanley Heights on Sunday morning. This time, we got to go to them with the Word!) We provided some special music before Aaron got up to share the Gospel. What a blessing to share the words of hope to physically and spiritually needy people there that night. God worked in a young man’s heart during the service, and Aaron was able to lead Him to Christ afterwards!

Sunday was Friend and Family day at Stanley Heights as the church invited those they knew to the morning service and the Irish concert. The concert was very well attended and as Aaron shared a message on what forgiveness was and how we could receive it. We praise God to see Him at work in East Ridge through Stanley Heights Baptist Church. God gave us a wonderful week of ministry, and we look forward to serving together in the future!

Click here to see our Facebook album from Stanley Heights.