Five Churches. One Mission. 11,000+ People Served.

What happens when five churches set aside their differences, bring their strengths together, and commit to serving their community side by side? In Fountain City, TN, the answer is powerful.

This year, Inasmuch United Fountain City (IUFC) brought together five congregations – Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, Fountain City Presbyterian Church, Fountain City United Methodist Church, Bethany Baptist Church, and The Church at Sterchi Hills – for a day of serving their community in tangible ways.

Together, 602 volunteers gave 1,201 hours of service, completed 40 projects, invested more than $27,000, and served 11,249 people.

But behind those numbers is a story about something even greater: the Church working together.

Growing from a Small Beginning

David Renfro, IUFC Inasmuch Coordinator and member of Central Baptist, has watched IUFC grow. In 2025, four churches worked together on 30 projects. This year, a fifth church joined the effort, bringing the total to 40 projects.

The collaboration begins long before volunteers arrive at their projects. Each participating church has several members serving on the Core Planning Team. Beginning in late April, the team met multiple times to review the previous year’s projects, identify opportunities to continue serving, and add new projects. Team members then worked with their individual congregations on publicity and volunteer recruitment.

The result is a model of churches working together while still bringing their own congregations into the mission.

For David, that collaboration is one of the most meaningful parts of Inasmuch United.

“We realize that we all serve the same Jesus Christ and feel deeply about fulfilling His command to care for the ‘least of these.’ Our differences seem minor and our common passions are major.”

More than Projects

The 40 projects represented countless ways to serve by meeting practical needs, encouraging people, caring for community spaces, and reminding people that they are seen and valued.

One project provided lunch for approximately 15 women and their children who were experiencing housing, substance, and abuse crises. Volunteers shared a meal, played games, and made crafts with the families. The experience was so meaningful for the volunteers and those they served that the volunteers are already planning to return.

That is the kind of impact that cannot always be measured by a project count.

And it is a reminder that Inasmuch isn’t simply about completing tasks. It is about building relationships and showing God’s love through action.

Serving Together Changes Us, Too

The impact of an Inasmuch Day doesn’t stop with the people being served.

At the celebration held the Sunday evening following the event, project leaders and volunteers gathered together to share stories from their day. Hosted this year by the newest church to join the team, the celebration included ice cream, fellowship, and spontaneous stories about encounters with people throughout the community.

David says those moments consistently become some of the most meaningful parts of the experience. As volunteers share what they witnessed, several emotional moments often emerge as everyone reflects on God’s goodness and the opportunity to serve.

Fountain City United Methodist captured this part of the Inasmuch experience beautifully:

“Missions don’t only reach the people being served. They transform the people who serve, too. They build community, deepen faith, and remind us that when we give our time and energy, we often receive far more than we expected.”

What Can Happen When We Work Together?

David compares the growth of Inasmuch United Fountain City to a mustard tree. What began as a small “mustard seed” of planning and promotion has grown into an effort involving hundreds of volunteers and serving thousands of people.

“It is amazing to see how a huge mustard tree of serving can grow from a small mustard seed of planning and promotion,” David said.

And his advice to other churches considering an Inasmuch United effort is simple:

“Just do it! Start where you are with a few churches and projects and watch it grow.”

The story of Inasmuch United Fountain City is proof that churches don’t have to serve separately to make an impact. When believers come together around what they have in common – their love for Jesus and their desire to care for the “least of these” – their collective reach can become far greater than what any one congregation could accomplish alone.

Five churches. Forty projects. More than 600 volunteers. More than 11,000 people served. And perhaps more importantly, one Church serving one community together.