NASHVILLE, TN—Ten volunteers from Bear Point Free Will Baptist Church in Sesser, Illinois, spent two days sprucing up the Free Will Baptist Bible College campus on June 4-5, according to Ernie Thompson, FWBBC’s cleaning operations supervisor. The group arrived Sunday afternoon in a 15-passenger van, moved into the dormitory, and started to work Monday morning.
Mr. Thompson said, “We’re so glad to have this enthusiastic group of young people and their sponsors on campus. They were all-smiles and did a bit of everything from loading scrap iron onto trailers to working the stacks in Welch Library, plus painting, sanding, and cleaning.”
This marked the first service trip to FWBBC for the Bear Point Volunteers. Youth Leader Shawn Mygatt said the congregation funds a number of service opportunities for the youth during the year, including work with homeless shelters and children’s homes, as well as community projects in conjunction with the Free Will Baptist national convention. The Illinois youth ranging in age from 8-17 were accompanied by four adults.
Seventeen-year-old Shelby Payne will be a high school senior this fall and plans to enroll at FWBBC. Miss Payne said, “I’ve heard about the college all my life and attended one of the Welcome Days events. I want to study psychology, and I really like the small campus atmosphere that FWBBC offers. I want to make a difference in the lives of children.”
Rising high school senior Matthew Crawford attended the 2010 Welcome Days at FWBBC. He is considering FWBBC and wants to pursue a career in broadcasting or journalism.
While in Nashville, the Illinois team wanted to tour the Parthenon and other landmarks. Their agenda included spending Wednesday, June 6, at the Free Will Baptist National Offices where they stuffed envelopes and completed other projects before returning to Sesser late that night.
Pastor Larry Cook has led the Bear Point Free Will Baptist Church for almost three decades. Judson Phenicie, a 2012 FWBBC graduate, joined the church staff this summer.