Faithful Inasmuch Church Rises from the Ashes

September 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment

2015 fire @ Bethlehem Baptist

Just weeks after completing their seventh year of conducting an Inasmuch Day on July 18, 2015, most of Bethlehem Baptist Church of Taylorsville, NC was destroyed by fire. All that was left was the lower part of the fellowship hall. For several months while smoke damage was repaired, the church met at a nearby elementary school. However, before the year was over, they were able to meet again on the church property in what was left and salvaged of the fellowship area.

For over four years the church continued to make do while new facilities were built and on Sunday, August 4, 2019 the new sanctuary was dedicated and fully in use. Through those years of rebuilding from the ashes, the church continued to faithfully conduct their annual Inasmuch Day. As coordinator, Milton Good, said, “we never once thought about not doing Operation Inasmuch. It is so much a part of who we are and what we do. It is fulfilling one of Jesus’ commands from Matthew 25:40…to do unto the least of these.” [Read more…]

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Simply Show Up

July 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Sometimes, all we need to do is share a story. Thanks to our friend, Hal Melton, Associate Pastor of Missions and Senior Adults at Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC for sharing this wonderful testimony from Rev. Elizabeth Burgess and the project she led on their Inasmuch Day April 25 of this year.

 

“Prior to departing for our Inasmuch Wake Med adventure, our group gathered to momentarily reflect on why we were going. More than a project, it was our hope that this morning would bring opportunities to share the love of God and the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Together we acknowledged that failure to bear and share fruit in the Christian life is to keep others from being blessed as God intended.

As it turned out, I believe our hospital visit that morning was on the calendar long before any one of us knew we would be going. Among our first encounters was a family going through a crisis. A member of our group found these weary and worn souls camping out in the critical care waiting area. For them, a warm breakfast provided much needed comfort and sustainment. Our team members with the gift of hospitality were quick to serve. Others stepped up to offer words of encouragement. [Read more…]

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It’s Conference Time!

March 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Operation Inasmuch, Inc. is hosting the first Compassion Revolution Network Conference August 2-4, 2018 in Knoxville TN. We’ve mailed out nearly 2,000 Conference brochures, have been posting information on our Facebook page and website www.operationinasmuch.org, AND NOW, the conference website is up and running where you can learn more, register, and make hotel reservations at www.compassionrevolutionconference.com.

On Friday and Saturday of the conference we will be offering over 30 break-out sessions featuring George Bullard of Faith-Soaring Churches and the Columbia Metro Baptist Association in Columbia, SC, Eddie Hammett of Transforming Solutions, and Mark Tidsworth of Pinnacle Leadership Associates, all leading church consultants and coaches sharing thoughts and ideas about mobilizing congregations into the future. There will also be sessions led by Executive Director, John Daugherty, and Founder, David Crocker, about various aspects of Operation Inasmuch. We have other great presenters addressing various outreach and ministry opportunities. There will be several sessions with panel discussions on Inasmuch project and promotion ideas, managing Inasmuch United, and more from Inasmuch experiences.

But we still want to hear from you! We have some folks lined up for the panel discussions, but we’d like to extend an invitation for more of you to serve on a panel discussion group. If you have great project ideas, thoughts on funding, really creative promotion ideas, or have been involved in Inasmuch United in your communities we’d like to hear from you and have you participate. [Read more…]

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10 Years and Going Strong in Essex County, VA

August 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Any one who has ever started something knows how hard it is to keep it going.  New events, organizations or programs usually begin with an exciting vision—dreams about what is possible, about how the world (maybe just the community) will be better as a result of the vision–but that vision almost always fades with the passing of time.  And its initiators are left with less going for them than when they began.

So, when a handful of “dreamers” in Essex County, Virginia on the southern shore of the Rappahannock River not far from the Atlantic began Inasmuch United Essex in 2008, their vision was many of the congregations of various denominations and races working together to serve people in need in their community.  David Crocker, Founder of Inasmuch says: “I remember clearly the training session in early 2008 in Tappahannock.  One percent of the total county population turned out to participate!  I knew then that something unusual was afoot in that small Virginia community.  It is no surprise that ten years later Inasmuch United is still going strong there.” [Read more…]

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What About the Next 10 Years?

February 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

In the article by our founder, Dr. David Crocker, celebrates and remembers the ten years since the beginning of the full-time Inasmuch ministry. Incredible things have occurred because of the faithfulness and blessing of God over these last ten years.

Dr. Crocker ended with this, “What do the next 10 years hold for Inasmuch? We don’t know…”  And he’s correct, it is impossible to project ten years down the road. However, in the Fall of 2015 the board and ministry leadership gathered for a “futuring” retreat led by consultant, George Bullard. From our conversations and dreaming, George “sketched” out a possible story for ten years from now. With those broad-strokes we are moving forward with some goals, hopes and yes, dreams for the future.

Perhaps the largest goal driving our work is the development of a Compassion Revolution Network of churches who are part of the Inasmuch family of churches. These are the 2,000 or so churches who have conducted Inasmuch Days, Inasmuch United Days and who are embarking on Inasmuch Life. Our hope is that this network will serve as a support fellowship for churches driven to live out the compassion ministry Jesus has called us to and exampled for us. [Read more…]

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What’s in Your Toolbox?

November 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Every minister that has been at it for a while has a toolbox of ministries—ideas, programs, “tricks of the trade” he has used in prior places of service.  These are tried and true ideas he can implement in a new place of service which will enhance his church’s effectiveness as well as the congregation’s confidence in their pastor.

Pastor David Grinnell of People’s Memorial Christian Church, Burlington, North Carolina has Operation Inasmuch in his toolbox and he knows how to use it!  It served him well in a Baptist church in Jefferson and Hickory, North Carolina and it has “worked” well again recently at People’s Memorial where 136 volunteers completed 24 projects serving 972 people in need in the Burlington community. [Read more…]

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Inasmuch Facilitates Public-Private Partnership

July 19, 2016 by 1 Comment

Public-private partnerships are the rage in communities—collaborative efforts involving public or governmental entities, private agencies and churches.  Just such a partnership took place in May in High Point, North Carolina and Inasmuch was the tool that brought it together.

When David Crocker visited with the principals of this partnership in June, they were thrilled with how well their Inasmuch event went.  They had more volunteers than they needed.  They saved the City many thousands of dollars since the home repairs were done by volunteers.  The president of the Home Owners Association in the neighborhood where the projects took place said more owners have joined the HOA and a general sense of pride in the neighborhood has been on the rise since the Inasmuch event.  A well done video tells the story of this amazing partnership.  It may be seen above or by clicking here. [Read more…]

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Schools Get Boost from Inasmuch

May 19, 2016 by 2 Comments

United Sweetwater

Increasingly, public schools are considered off-limits for churches and church groups.  Not so in Sweetwater, Tennessee.  At their May meeting, the Sweetwater School Board recognized four churches that held their first Inasmuch United Sweetwater for the work they did on behalf of several of their schools in April.  Three hundred volunteers from First Baptist, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist and First Assembly of God fanned out throughout the small town between Knoxville and Chattanooga conducting 26 Inasmuch projects and serving their community including work done at the schools.

In 2015, First Baptist, Sweetwater conducted their first Inasmuch Day with two-thirds of their members participating.  Encouraged by that success, they wanted to make it bigger and better this year, so they invited the 3 other congregations to join them.  David Crocker trained a team from all the churches how to expand the Inasmuch Day to an Inasmuch United.  At least six other congregations in Sweetwater have already asked if they can participate in 2017!! [Read more…]

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“Training Up” in 2016!

January 19, 2016 by 3 Comments

In Proverbs 22:6 it reminds us how important good beginnings and valuable training are, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (ESV)

John and Logan

New friends, John and Logan.

The picture is of my new friend, Logan, who attended the North Carolina Region 8 NC OIAM 2016 training in Shelby, NC Saturday, January 9.  He is a great “poster-child” for Operation Inasmuch!  But it is because of the example and leadership of his father that he and his brother are committed participants in the Compassion Revolution.

OIAM is involved again in 2016 with NC Baptist Men and NC Baptists on Mission emphasizing “whole church and whole community” ministry through Inasmuch Days April 30-May 7.  David Crocker and John Daugherty are conducting regional training across the state in January and February “training up” folks to be effective in meeting people in their communities at the point of their needs.  Hundreds of churches across the state will be conducting Inasmuch Days and Inasmuch United Days moving from the pews of their churches into the streets of their communities as part of the Compassion Revolution being the hands, feet, eyes and hearts of Christ. [Read more…]

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First Statewide Inasmuch Held in Kentucky

December 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Kentucky Group

2015 marked the first year that Kentucky Baptist Convention churches were invited, encouraged and trained to conduct a statewide Inasmuch effort. Over 130 churches attended regional trainings in preparation for an emphasis for Inasmuch Days in the fall of 2015.

 

KY Landscaping

Through the end of November we know these amazing results. 104 churches have already conducted Inasmuch Days, and some of those were done as Inasmuch United efforts through associations and in communities. Those 104 churches turned out 4,937 volunteers who in turn completed 28,153 projects. Laundry was paid for, gas was purchased, landscaping, painting, home repair, wheelchair ramps, and roofs were completed and repaired. But more importantly, lives and communities were changed!  [Read more…]

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