Bowen Baptist Association churches show love of Christ through 'Servolution'

Thirteen Bowen Baptist Association Churches served in their communities during a one-day emphasis called “Servolution”. The participating churches plus an associated ministry spent the day doing intentional acts of service without accepting any reward. 

The purpose of Servolution is to move churches outdoors and into their communities as visible servants of Christ. The Scriptural basis for the day arises from Matthew  23:11 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

During Servolution, hundreds of people across the five-county area of southwest Georgia were served by volunteers of all ages, from toddlers to senior adults. Churches of all sizes from twenty-five in worship to hundreds in worship joyfully participated in the day of serving. Here is a synopsis of the ministry carried out on that day:

• Antioch Baptist cooked outdoor washpot chicken pilau and delivered plates in the community and to shut-ins.
• Bainbridge FBC men performed repairs on Bowen’s Nueva Vida Mission Church. In other areas across Bainbridge, members gave away hot dogs and drinks while another team sang at a local retirement home.
• Bethel provided Thanksgiving food and a gracious financial gift for a family who had just received several foster children at once.
• Colquitt FBC had a city cemetery cleaning crew who cut overgrowth and cleared graves. Another group fed the Miller County Hospital employees.
• Eldorendo created and delivered 85 pantry boxes in the Eldorendo community.
• Faceville held a free yard sale and gave away hot dogs and fixins’.
• Grace Community adopted their Recovery Volunteer Fire Department and delivered 28 gift boxes to the department and shut-ins.
• Iron City partnered with FUMC of Donalsonville for a Manna Drop.
• Jakin held an appreciation meal for Jakin's City Council Members and Volunteer Firefighters.
• Lake Seminole gave out Thanksgiving boxes, along with Bibles and prayers.
• Morningside did a Laundry Love at area laundromats where they paid for laundry and shared the Gospel.
• Zion gave away 90+ hotdogs at the Industrial Park fire station, to workers at the new truss company, and to others who stopped at the food wagon on Hwy 27 at Brinson Airbase Rd.
• Spring Creek delivered 20 turkey thanksgiving dinners, and they grilled and handed out 100 hot dogs and 100 hamburgers to the community.
• Alpha Pregnancy Center of SOWEGA shared the Gospel with dozens of Moms, Dads, Grandparents, etc. and gave away over a hundred packs of diapers and wipes. (APC is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist in Albany and a community ministry of Bowen).

The inspiration for Bowen’s Servolution came from First Baptist Church, Bainbridge as they had been doing this for some time. When Associational Missionary Tim VanLandingham saw the video of FBC’s 2020 event and consulted with FBC’s pastor Chris Humphries, he noted that Servolution is something all of the Bowen churches, regardless of size, could do.

Kathryn Mejia Collins of FBC had brought the concept with her from Las Vegas where her dad Isaiah Mejia was a NAMB and Associational Missionary. He and his wife Jan started “Loving Las Vegas” based on “Servolution” which began in Alabama. FBC Bainbridge adopted the mission and put together a series of ministry points for their own Servolution.

After learning more about the event from FBC, VanLandingham presented the project to the Executive Committee. The association adopted the project, t-shirts were designed, and thirteen Bowen churches set out to plan their first day of serving, Servolution.

This expression of Christian servanthood took place on Saturday, November 20.

Appreciation is lifted to our Lord for all those who prepared for and ministered on that day. The 2022 Servolution is already in the works and will be held the Saturday before Thanksgiving.