Dixie Jackson Digital Planning Guide | 2024

PLANNING GUIDE

COMPASSION IN ACTION “Seeing the people, He felt COMPASSION for them...”

—MATTHEW 9:36

DIXIE JACKSON

ARKANSAS

MISSIONS OFFERING

2024

COMPASSION IN ACTION

REACH

MOBILIZE

RESOURCE

SERVE

HOW YOUR GIVING FUNDS ARKANSAS MISSIONS THROUGH THE DIXIE JACKSON OFFERING RESOURCE

YOU

YOUR CHURCH

ARKANSAS BAPTISTS

MOBILIZE SERVE REACH

ARKANSAS MISSIONS

“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Seeing the people, He felt COMPASSION for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’ ”

—MATTHEW 9:35–38

PROMO RESOURCES FOR YOUR CHURCH Discover tips and tools for promoting the Dixie Jackson

Arkansas Missions Offering in your church beginning on page 8, including downloadable videos, teaching plans, prayer guides, and a special pull-out section filled with promo ideas.

YOUR DIXIE JACKSON OFFERING FUNDS A FULL RANGE OF ARKANSAS MISSIONS zz Disaster Relief

zz Arkansas Baptist Builders zz Block Party Ministry zz CONNECT Student Missions Weekend zz Christian Men and Women’s Job Corps zz One Day Mission Trip zz One Day Serve Local zz Medical and Dental Clinics zz Literacy Missions zz Bible Storying zz Hunger Ministries zz Pregnancy Care Centers zz Jail and Prison Ministry zz Prison Initiative

DIXIE JACKSON

ARKANSAS

MISSIONS OFFERING

2024

zz Woman’s Missionary Union zz Missions U zz Family Missions Day at the Zoo zz Man UP! zz Delta Initiative zz Engage Missions Camp

SEE THE VISION?

MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINICS HOSTED BY ARKANSAS BAPTISTS ARE A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW THE DIXIE JACKSON ARKANSAS MISSIONS OFFERING IS HELPING TO PUT COMPASSION IN ACTION.

“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their

That verb saw is the key. Jesus interacted with the people around Him

synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing

as they went about their everyday lives, and in the process, He truly saw

every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. SEEING the people, He

them. He saw them for who they really were and felt compassion for

felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited

them. Then He acted on that compassion.

like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’ ” —MATTHEW 9:35–38

E

veryone loves a good superhero story. It does not have to be a story about a hero with superhuman capabilities. Sometimes the story follows a doctor, nurse, or first responder as they fight against

the unexpected. A soldier or police officer saves a life, or a schoolteacher captures the mind of a child on which everyone else had given up.

Whether supernatural or every day, every superhero story has a common theme. A need arises right in front of the hero, and the hero responds to meet that need.

How many times do we read stories or hear testimonies of fellow believers who have experienced God working through them in phenomenal ways and wish we could be that kind of hero?

Whether it is stories from Scripture about Jesus and the apostles, stories from the mission field, or even stories shared about how God is working right here in Arkansas, we marvel at the way others seem to know how to serve God. Fortunately for us, we have everything we need to make that wish come true. Jesus showed us the answer through His own life. He went where the normal, everyday people were. He went to their towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues. Most of all, He saw them.

As you hear stories about God’s work through medical and dental clinics in Arkansas, it is easy to think of the people involved as superheroes who have an extra special sense to help them know how to be in the right place and do the right thing to accomplish God’s mighty works. But the truth is that they are people just like you and me. The only difference is that they recognize the power of the Holy Spirit within them to see like Jesus saw and respond as He did.

The greatest heroes are not those who are more talented or stronger or wealthier or any other form of “better.” They are, instead, those who see the needs, choose the compassion of Christ, and act.

Sometimes we need a little nudge to help us learn how to see.

Participating in medical and dental clinics or Acts 1:8 One Day Missions Experiences, volunteering in pregnancy or job corps centers, or engaging in other such ministries can teach us how to see the needs right in front of us. Then we can take that vision back to our own towns and churches.

But the key is not just the vision. It is what we do with that vision. Seeing the people and putting compassion in action just like Jesus. If we see the needs but do not act, we will never see lives changed or the Kingdom of God expanded.

This year’s Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions testimonies show how participation in organized events throughout the state can help us see needs, feel the compassion of Christ, and act on that compassion. See the vision? Are you ready to be a part of showing Compassion in Action?

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COMPASSION IN ACTION

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COMPASSION IN ACTION

DR. JOE BARKER Volunteer Dentist

Arkansas Baptist medical and dental clinics

PASSION ACTION

COM

J

oe Barker describes compassion as “giving back, loving on folks and meeting them where

“WHEN JESUS WENT TO TOWNS, MOST OF THE TIME, HE WAS MEETING THEIR NEEDS. HE WAS LOVING ON THEM. HE WAS MEETING THEM RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE.”

they are.” It is something he has demonstrated many times over the years through his involvement with the Arkansas Baptist State Missions Team’s medical and dental clinics.

For multiple years, the Searcy dentist has offered his skills for the clinics, traveling to where there is a need and providing dental care. He has participated in at least three Acts 1:8 One Day Missions Experiences as well as multiple medical and dental clinics throughout the state. Joe said there is a whole population of people who are underserved, and he feels a sense of fulfillment in taking care of them and loving them.

For Joe, community missions provide an opportunity to give back. And in giving back, the people he serves, as well as some of his employees, are given a chance to hear about Jesus and see His compassion in action. It is that opportunity to give back and share the Gospel that prompted Barker to participate in the clinics.

A friend of Joe’s once told him, though he did not coin the phrase, that “sometimes the best preaching is seen not heard.” A sentiment Joe takes to heart. Joe referenced Jesus traveling through towns and villages demonstrating compassion, like in Matthew 9:35–36.

“When Jesus went to towns, most of the time, He was meeting their needs. He was loving on them.

He was meeting them right where they were,” Joe said, adding that is what they get to do through the medical and dental clinics. “It is just fulfilling.”

The clinics give churches and congregations an avenue to care for the underserved and share God’s love. Clinics are just one of the many missions opportunities throughout the state made possible by the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.

All the money given through the offering goes directly to Arkansas missions. It stays in the state, which is one of the reasons Joe said it is important to contribute to the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering. It goes toward helping Arkansas Baptists share the Gospel with the lost and better reach and serve those in need, meeting them wherever they are within the state.

“It allows us to provide better care,” Joe said. “There are so many facets to Dixie Jackson. Medical and dental clinics are just a small part.”

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COMRESOURCES PROMO COM COM COM RESOURCE ORDER FORM PRAYER GUIDE

Order printed resources for your church including Prayer Guides, posters, offering envelopes, additional Planning Guides, and DVDs of videos. Resources may also be downloaded online.

View an online version of the Prayer Guide designed for use during the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Week of Prayer, September 8–15, 2024.

PROMO VIDEOS

TEACHING PLANS

DIGITAL PLANNING GUIDE

Four Dixie Jackson promotional videos ready to show at your church and share on social media.

HELP YOUR CHURCH GET

Download videos and all resources at

ABSC.ORG/DJ

Help your church grasp the vision of the 2024 Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering and encourage your church to be on mission. Tailored for Preschool, Children, Students, and Adults.

View and download the digital version of the piece you’re holding, the Planning Guide for the 2024 Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.

PROMO IDEAS The goal of each year’s Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions emphasis is to guide

Arkansas Baptists to see the needs around them so they can act on what they see, demonstrating Compassion in Action. Your role in this process is to get the information into the hands of your church members.

With the aid of this Planning Guide, combined with the resources online at absc.org/dj, you will be able to guide church members to the many opportunities available to them. Here’s how to get started.

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE

This Planning Guide includes mission stories related to God’s work through a medical and dental missions event. These stories help Arkansas Baptists visualize ways God is already working through believers whose hearts have been moved to Compassion in Action. You will find suggestions for sharing these stories and other Dixie Jackson State Missions information with your church.

The next step involves learning how to act in your own community and be involved in ministry around the state. This guide includes suggestions for helping your church be moved to Compassion in Action.

For easy access to all the available resources, be sure to visit absc.org/dj

RECRUIT HELP

Once you have familiarized yourself with the resources available to you, it is time to build a team that will help you mobilize your church to Compassion in Action. No matter how large or small your church is, your task will be easier if you have partners to help you accomplish your goal. Choose at least two or three people who can help you promote the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering and Week of Prayer, implement some of the ideas for getting your church involved in missions activities, engaged on social media, and brainstorming additional ideas relevant to your church and town.

TAKE ACTION!

Compassion in Action involves not only seeing the need and having compassion but acting on those needs! It’s important to encourage your church to pray and to give. The prayers are completely essential, and the money collected each year paves the way for ongoing ministry throughout the state. But none of that is enough without Arkansas Baptists willing to take action. So, use the ideas and suggestions found in this guide to mobilize your church to action.

Need more ideas? Head to absc.org/ministries to see all the ways Arkansas Baptists are showing Compassion in Action.

where you will find digital versions of all of the information in this Planning Guide as well as a wide range of additional resources including lesson plans, videos and picture sets, a social media kit, and more!

Download promotional resources + discover more about Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions:

ABSC.ORG/DJ

DIXIE JACKSON

ARKANSAS

MISSIONS OFFERING

2024

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SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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CHURCH IDEAS The funds raised during the annual Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering

laundry, but it helps to have ways to practically help with the task at hand.

are critical to ongoing missions events and projects throughout the state.

Here are some suggestions:

But funds only work if there are people to utilize those funds, people whose

zz Set out a change collection bucket to help pay for laundry.

hearts are in tune with the work of seeing the lost of Arkansas come to know

zz Gather laundry supplies such as detergent, dryer sheets, and laundry bags.

Christ. It’s not “others” who do that work. It’s you and your fellow church

zz Collect books, games, or other activities to entertain children while they

members!

As you promote the Dixie Jackson Offering and Week of Prayer, find ways to encourage your congregation to see the needs around them, have compassion for the people they encounter, and take action.

Here are some ways to help encourage your congregation to show Compassion in Action.

wait with their parents. Make this even more personal by offering to play with the children. zz Offer to help fold clothes. zz Fill a basket of snacks and water bottles to share.

DIXIE JACKSON ARKANSAS MISSIONS PRAYER STATION Go beyond the annual Dixie Jackson Week of Prayer emphasis and promote

HOST A MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINIC

prayer for state missions throughout the year.

The focus of this year’s Dixie Jackson emphasis is medical and dental

Start by visiting absc.org/ministries to see the many ministry activities that

missions. This ministry needs clinic sites as well as volunteers. Encourage

happen continually around the state. Choose a dozen of these ministries,

your church to consider hosting an upcoming clinic. Visit absc.org/ministries/

prioritizing those that fit best with the culture of your church. Learn more by

medical-and-dental-missions to learn more about the facility requirements

clicking on the title to open the ministry page to read details and find contact

and host church responsibilities.

information. Use that information to highlight one ministry each month. Next,

ONE DAY MISSIONS EVENT Participation in a One Day Missions Event is a fantastic way to help your church learn what Compassion in Action looks like. Visit absc.org/oneday to learn more.

LAUNDROMAT MINISTRY Does your town have a laundromat? Laundromat ministries are a fantastic way to show Compassion in Action and connect to needs in your community.

A laundromat ministry can either be a semi-regular event, such as once a month or quarter, or it can be an ongoing opportunity for various church members to commit to a weekly time slot. The priority should be times of engagement and conversation with the customers as they process their

create a prayer station using the following suggestions. zz Choose a visible location and set up an information display that can be updated each month. zz Include a prayer list for that month’s focus ministry, with copies available for people to take home. zz Include information about how individuals or groups can participate in the focus ministry. This may include sign-up forms for training, contact information for ministry leaders, or dates for special events such as One Day. zz Consider adding two or three chairs to encourage church members to stop and pray together.

As you set up displays to promote the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions

zz Above the glasses, add the header Seeing Compassion in Action, then

Offering and Week of Prayer, focus on helping your congregation see that

write Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions below the glasses. Put prayer

people in need of compassion are right in front of them every single day.

guides, offering envelopes, and extra information about Dixie Jackson

READY-MADE PROMOTION RESOURCES

In this Planning Guide and online at absc.org/dj, you will find a variety of resources already prepared to help you promote Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions. Here are some ways you can use these resources to create displays. zz Use the Resource Order Form to request posters to place in high traffic areas. zz Using pages from the Planning Guide or printouts of the PDFs found online, create informative displays using the stories, giving guide, and offering breakdown information. zz Choose a high traffic area such as a foyer. Set up a television or a laptop with a large external monitor and play this year’s Dixie Jackson videos. zz Use the Dixie Jackson Prayer Guide and Picture Sets to create a prayer station for the month leading up to the Week of Prayer.

COMPASSION VISION Follow these steps to create a “compassion glasses” display showing Compassion in Action through Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions events. zz Go to absc.org/dj and download the Picture Sets or look at the link for various pictures of Arkansas Baptist compassion ministries. Print several of these images. zz Using poster board or construction paper, create an extra-large set of glasses frames that you can attach to a display or bulletin board. zz Cut or overlap the pictures so that they fit into the lens areas of the glasses frames, then fasten your compassion glasses to the display board.

ministries nearby.

COMPASSION IN YOUR TOWN Compassion in Action happens when we see needs right around us. Create a display that encourages your congregation to notice and act on everyday needs of the people around them. zz Search for pictures of people going through normal life activities such as grocery shopping, visiting the doctor, having dinner with their families, etc. Print out several of these images. zz At the top of a piece of poster board, write “Compassion in Action” with “Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions” underneath. zz Use one half of the poster board to list ways to show compassion to people in your town. Use the images you chose to help you think of ideas.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started: zz Ask cashiers and servers how you might pray for them. Often you can’t pray immediately without interrupting their work, but if that’s the case, promise that you’ll be praying as you walk to your car or while you wait for your food. zz Carry groceries for a mom who is juggling bags and children. zz While in a waiting room, ask the Lord to point out a person who would benefit from having someone to talk to. zz On the remaining half of the poster board, affix the images you printed, providing visuals to help grab attention and nourish additional ideas.

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DISPLAY IDEAS

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SOCIAL MEDIA IDEAS Social media can be a very frustrating and discouraging place to spend our

zz Digitize your church displays! If you have someone skilled in graphic

time, but it also offers a fantastic avenue for encouraging one another to

design, create digital versions of any displays you create. Or just keep it

demonstrate Compassion in Action. And what better way to use your church’s

simple and snap pictures of your displays to have them ready to share.

social media account than to share ways God is working around the state?

Here are some tips to get started.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS

Unless you are the manager of your church’s social media accounts, chances are you will need to recruit the person who does manage it to join your promotion team. The tips below will help you work together to gather material, develop a publishing schedule, and keep up with posting and managing comments.

If your church does not have a social media account, recruit a handful of church members who enjoy social media and would be willing to use their personal accounts to promote the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering and Week of Prayer.

GATHER RESOURCES

Images and videos are good ways to grab attention on social media. Having these resources prepared in advance makes it very easy to quickly create and share posts. zz Visit absc.org/dj to download this year’s Social Media Kit. This kit includes images, tips, sample text, and hashtags to make posting easy.

zz Keep the prayer guide handy so you can regularly share prayer emphases.

POST EARLY, REGULARLY, AND REPETITIVELY

Because of the ease of creating posts, social media offers a great opportunity for promotion long before you have church displays ready to go. So, start as early as possible! Pay close attention to the Arkansas Baptist social media accounts and share their Dixie Jackson posts as soon as you see them begin to show up. Then add in additional posts along the way.

Try to post at least two or three times a week, if not daily, to keep the information flowing and present. If you have access to an account that allows post scheduling, this can make the process even easier. Also, don’t hesitate to be repetitive! Even creating a half-dozen posts and putting them on a twoweek rotation can make a world of difference.

Remember to use hashtags! You will find suggestions in the social media kit mentioned above, and you can also add in hashtags that connect to your church or local association.

Finally, if a personal account is being used, make sure to set the posts to public so the information can be widely seen and even shared by others.

zz Follow Arkansas Baptist accounts on Facebook (Arkansas Baptist State Convention) and Instagram (@arkansasbaptists) and share posts you find there. zz Has your church participated in any Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions events or local missions activities over the course of the year? Gather images and stories from those activities to share on your social media accounts.

Share Dixie Jackson on social media with these hashtags:

#CompassioninAction #DixieJackson2024

13 131 488 137 MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINICS HELD IN 2023

CHURCHES INVOLVED

VOLUNTEERS

PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

We are excited to continue offering our online

resource for the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering that accepts gifts online! Designed for individual church members, this tool allows anyone to give to state missions through the Dixie Jackson Offering and connects the giving records to local churches. If your church needs an online giving option for this year’s Dixie Jackson Offering, visit absc.org/GiveDJ. Online gifts with identifying church information will be included on annual church giving statements provided at the end of the year. We hope this easy-

818 884 183 2 PATIENTS CARED FOR

ONLINE GIVING OPTION AT ABSC.ORG/GIVEDJ

TEETH EXTRACTED

CLEANINGS

OTHER SPIRITUAL DECISIONS

to-use tool will provide even more flexibility as your church plans for 2024! It’s important to note this tool is designed for individuals to give.

Churches still need

927 38 23 32 X-RAYS

MAMMOGRAMS

SCHOOL PHYSICALS

VISION SCREENINGS

to send their gifts by mailing a check to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention office as in the past.

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LIVES IMPACTED Your 2023 giving to Arkansas Missions through the Dixie Jackson Offering impacted thousands of lives.

Check out these results from medical and dental clinics alone, one of more than 20 ministries funded by the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.

COMPASSION IN ACTION

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PASSION ACTION

COMPASSION IN ACTION

COM COM COM COM CANDICE

Mother of patient; Ministered to by Grace Cowboy Church medical and dental clinic

W

hen Candice Belcher brought her daughter to a medical and dental clinic at

“BY GIVING, YOU’LL BE BLESSED, AND YOU’RE HELPING SOMEBODY ELSE. BY GIVING TO ARKANSAS MISSIONS, YOU’RE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED.”

Grace Cowboy Church in Warren to receive a physical, she had no idea she would experience an encounter that would change her life.

While there, Candice met Pastor Chris Barnes. They spoke about her struggles, church, and God. Chris prayed for her, and Candice said she felt “the demon come out” of her. She devoted her life to Christ and currently attends a local church in town.

“It was a relief. The demon was killing me, taking me to hell,” she said. “After [Chris] prayed for me, I got to feeling good and talking about God and praying. When I was with that demon, I wasn’t able to pray. I was depressed. I was crying. I was sad.”

When she was younger, Candice remembers her mother teaching her right from wrong and attending church. But she fell away from it and started doing “bad stuff.” She said, “When you don’t follow Jesus, I just say that’s bad stuff.”

Now, thanks to that encounter at Grace Cowboy Church where she experienced compassion in action, Candice is back with God. “I am so happy that I have found the Lord. I just hate that I found Him later on in life. I wish I could have stayed with Him when I was younger. He has so much wisdom. He has blessed me. He brought me out of predicaments that I thought I would never come up out of. God is amazing,” she said. “His love is so everlasting, and His mercy and grace are so wonderful.”

Filled with God’s love, Candice is spreading His compassion throughout her community. She recalled one instance recently at Walgreens. A lady shared with Candice that her mother had lung cancer. Candice stopped right there and prayed with her.

By giving to the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering, which funds the medical and dental clinics and other missions events throughout the state, Candice said people can continue to show others that same compassion. She described compassion as “giving from the heart and having sympathy for people.”

“By giving, you’ll be blessed, and you’re helping somebody else,” she said. “By giving to Arkansas missions, you’re giving back to the community to help people that are in need.”

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COMPASSION IN ACTION

PASSION ACTION

COM COM COM DON AND PAM STEWART Volunteers

Arkansas Baptist medical and dental clinics and Acts 1:8 One Day Missions Experience

G

rowing up in Arkansas, Don and Pam Stewart both knew of the Dixie Jackson Arkansas

“MISSIONS ISN’T NECESSARILY GOING TO MEXICO OR COLORADO. MISSIONS IS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD. YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK.”

Missions Offering, but did not become fully invested and involved with the offering until about 12 years ago.

The Batesville couple attended the One Day Acts 1:8 Missions Experience in Harrison to help with the children’s ministry. Don said the church’s long drive was soon packed with vehicles and people.

“The cars just kept coming in and in, and I fell in love with it—One Day—right then because it was more like seeing people come to a Razorback’s football game than coming to a ministry. It was just amazing to see that many people coming in to serve God,” Don said. Pam said it poured all day, but it did not deter anybody.

“Missions isn’t necessarily going to Mexico or Colorado. Missions is in your own backyard. You just have to look. That is why I’m so fortunate to be involved with Dixie Jackson and Acts One Day because it gives us the opportunity to serve within our own homeland,” Pam said. “It’s not hard to get us to talk about One Day or Dixie Jackson.”

Throughout One Day, participants take part in multiple ministries including block parties, prayer walking, food distribution, medical and dental clinics, and much more. The Gospel is shared throughout it all. Even during the clinics, Pam said the doctors and nurses spread the Gospel.

“That’s the one thing that God told us to do—go tell people about Christ, and that is what Dixie Jackson enables people to do,” Don said.

Outside of One Day, medical and dental clinics are held several times throughout the year and state. In 2023, more than 100 souls came to Christ through the ministry. And that’s just one of the many ministries benefiting from Arkansas Baptists through the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.

Dixie Jackson also allows Arkansas Baptists to show Compassion in Action through disaster relief, pregnancy care centers, hunger ministries, Christian Men and Christian Women’s Job Corps, and numerous opportunities for Arkansas Baptists of all ages to be involved in God’s mission.

“It’s not our money. It’s God’s money. But you have to be faithful with your money, and by supporting Dixie Jackson that allows the state convention to support ministries throughout the state,” Pam said. “And I think it is a worthy cause because with the way the world is today, we need all the Jesus we can get.”

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COMPASSION IN ACTION

CHRIS BARNES

PASSION ACTION

Pastor, Grace Cowboy Church, Warren, AR

COM COM Arkansas Baptist medical and dental clinic host church

F

or Grace Cowboy Church Pastor Chris Barnes, compassion is showing Jesus to a world

“WE GET TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT IS FREE, AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS OFFERS. THAT’S THE ROOT OF COMPASSION— IT IS SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.”

that does not see Him. And he is able to do just that through partnering with the Arkansas Baptist State Missions Team to host medical and dental clinics.

The clinics, which are funded through the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering, serve as an avenue for the local church to meet needs, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. and fulfill the Great Commission. Community volunteers, dentists, and other healthcare workers team up to offer various services, including dental cleanings, tooth extractions, health checks, mammograms and more. Additionally, each patient sits down with a volunteer, who shares with them the Word of God. Some people who may otherwise never step foot in a church come to the clinics looking to receive something for free not knowing they are coming to get Jesus, too.

“The medical and dental clinics bring people through these doors that we get to love on, that we get to care for, and we get to give them something that is free, and that is what Jesus offers.

That’s the root of compassion – it is something for nothing,” Chris said.

Grace Cowboy Church has so far hosted three medical and dental clinics. Chris said they developed a desire to host a clinic after helping with one at a church in Dermott, where they provided horse rides and witnessed to people. A doctor with Grace Cowboy Church saw the operation and said, “We’ve got to do this.”

“It’s been so great to watch people’s lives when you share the Gospel with them and for them to get to thinking about their life choices and dying without Christ,” Chris said.

Touting Mrs. Dixie Jackson, a Christian woman who lived the Gospel and the namesake of the Arkansas Missions Offering, Barnes said it is incredible to carry on her legacy. A legacy of compassion in action.

“To be a part of that, something that has lasted almost 100 years, is pretty humbling. Most of the time, stuff comes and goes in ministry and to be part of something of this particular magnitude is amazing,” Barnes said. “Dixie Jackson is the hands and feet of Jesus. I know it. I’ve seen it, not just here but all over the state. In a world that is full of unaccountability, this ministry is by far one of the greatest things you could ever give to.”

A MESSAGE FROM DR. REX HORNE The theme of our Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering this year is “Compassion in Action.” The theme is taken from Matthew 9:35–38.

There, Jesus is going through cities and villages preaching the Gospel while healing sickness and disease. As Arkansas Baptists we know our commission is to preach the Gospel, make disciples, and minister to people.

Throughout the year, you do this as a local church. You also have a part through the Cooperative Program ministries you approve and support through the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. You do this through new churches, revitalizing existing churches, on college campuses, in prison and through medical and dental missions. It is common and always a blessing when I get a text detailing that a medical and dental clinic was held in one of our Arkansas towns or villages. The report tells how many people came, the nature of their treatment, and how many prayed to receive Christ! Like Jesus, Arkansas Baptists are preaching the Gospel and meeting needs.

The Matthew passage ends with Jesus looking on the multitudes with compassion. He saw them weary, scattered, and without a shepherd.

He remarks that the harvest is plentiful, but there are not enough laborers. Your gifts through the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering help send people who are ready to serve to people in need.

Their greatest need is for salvation. This need is met because of your faithfulness to support those who are faithful to serve.

Please join me in a generous gift to the Dixie Jackson Offering. Your commitment will touch the lives of many of our fellow citizens. Pray as you give. Pray for compassion for those who are weak and without a shepherd and for those who minister to them in the name of Jesus.

DR. REX HORNE

ABSC Executive Director

ARKANSAS BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION

10 Remington Drive Little Rock, AR 72204 501-376-4791 absc.org