Friend Day @ Beech Street

We had a great Sunday at Beech St yesterday! While every Sunday is a "friend day", each year we pour lots of effort and resources into one day that focuses on taking the opportunity to intentionally invite friends to church. Our guest for the day was Grant Ethridge. He serves as Pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, Virginia (www.lbcmin.com). Grant served here in Arkansas at one church - First Baptist Lavaca - for almost 20 years! He has been in Virginia for approaching 3 years and God is doing some great things in that place. I got to know Grant when I had him come to Immanuel in Warren for a week of revival services back in 2003. His friendship has been a great blessing to me. His leadership and mentorship to me as a young pastor has meant so much. This Sunday was Grant's first time to be away from Liberty since going there. Getting him to Texarkana was really a "God" thing! And God used him yesterday to encourage folks greatly with God's Gospel and truth.

Boz the Big Green Bear was also our guests for Friend Day. Our preschool/children loved him and his show. Emily Smith, our Children's Minister, worked for the production company in Dallas that handles Boz while she was going to SWBTS in Ft. Worth. She used her connections to get the "Big Green Bear" to Beech St! Connecting with kids has been a huge part of our growth of young families...seeking lots more of that in the days ahead.


Our h2o Student Ministry led by Sean and Rob brought in the band, KingsDown, from Little Rock for a concert during the small group time Sunday morning. They rocked it out! The students worked hard inviting friends, in fact we had 100 students Sunday with several friends in small group and worship.

One-Day events like Friend Day are a lot of work and will wear you out, but they are worth it in the end. Praise God for showing up yesterday! May He do it again this Sunday...for another "friend day"!