December 6, 2024
VERSAILLES, Ky. (KT) – The nine youth who were baptized last Sunday at Versailles Baptist Church was a celebration that came about through a gospel investment.
The youth program at Versailles, led by youth pastor Kevin Hash, teaches gospel truths throughout the year in Bible studies and in school clubs. When a decision about salvation and baptism are being made, it comes with a firm foundation.
“I think we have a rhythm,” Hash said. “I don’t know that we press super hard for baptisms all year long.”
Like with most churches, summer camp is the culmination of a year’s worth of work with youth. Versailles Baptist attends Crossings Camps.
“Camp has been where all the fruit of that falls off the tree,” Hash said. “Our unofficial motto is we want kids to be so full of the gospel that if you cut them, they bleed gospel.”
Hash has led a school club study at Woodford County High School – Yellowjackets for Christ – for the past seven years. About 30 regularly attend. He also leads a club at the Woodford County middle school with around 70 coming.
While Wednesday night youth services are often sacrificed for sports, Versailles is running good numbers.
“We had our Color Wars Wednesday night and had 80 kids total, which was great,” Hash said. “That’s a Wednesday, where everybody says you can’t do anything. Our Wednesdays will drop (because of sports) but we encourage everyone to get involved at a different time. Woodford is a busy town. We tell them, 'If you can’t come to Sunday School, I’ll be at your school.' It’s a full schedule.”
Hash, who grew up in Frankfort where he was a member and eventual staff member at Buck Run Baptist Church, isn’t your ordinary youth pastor. He is 10½ years in the position at Versailles Baptist after serving 11 years as a senior pastor at Burton Memorial in Bowling Green. He credits former Versailles pastor Michael Cabell, now with the Kentucky Baptist Convention as Assistant to the Executive Director for Convention Relations, with paving the way early for him.
"His first Sunday as senior pastor was my first Sunday as youth pastor," Hash said.
Hash is 50 years old, a relatively eye-raising age for a youth pastor. But he is able to maintain the strong youth group by staying extremely active and with some additional help.
“He’s an incredible student pastor with a great heart for those students and families as well,” said Versailles Senior Pastor Connor Alford. “He truly works tirelessly and cares for souls very well.”
Alford, who has been the senior pastor for two years, said the church enjoyed the day of nine baptisms with many guests helping completely fill the auditorium, giving him the opportunity to preach the gospel to new faces. There were even some who had to watch the service from a spillover room.
“The baptisms added to the people in attendance," Alford said. "Normally, for the last several years, we have a baptism service with all of our students who had gone to camp.”
Three youth were baptized in July and three more are scheduled next weekend, Hash said.
Hash, who also volunteers as a track coach at Woodford County High School, has been teaching the gospel truths in the youth area for the past five years, he said.
“On nights when things get emotional, our conversations are really grounded (because of studying the gospel truths). So many times a year, we do a Gospel 101 where we ask our students to invite a friend. We will feed you Canes (chicken) and mac-and-cheese. It’s about an hour and 20 minutes of me explaining, largely, Romans. If a girl on the soccer team has five friends that need to hear the gospel, we will do a Tuesday Gospel 101. We are fortunate to see the fruit.”
Alford is excited about what is happening with the youth group at Versailles.
“The Lord has blessed us,” he said. “I heard a pastor say once, ‘What’s celebrated is what’s cultivated.’ It’s taking the next step and serving the Lord.
“The Lord is doing something special with this generation.”
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This story was first published by Kentucky Today.
