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COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP | WWW.THEFELLOWSHIP.INFO
September/October 2005
All Church Challenge brings volunteers, unity to Helena
A
s some children performed a dance, others watched from atop volunteers’ shoulders. That afternoon local children sang, recited memory verses and played games. The community picnic drew
children, parents, grandparents and other members of the community to celebrate the week’s volunteer efforts.
Carla Wynn photos
bathing suits and towels donat- munity formed a 20-person “It was good to see the committee that helped orgaed by churches or volunteers. community clapping and exnize the event. This year, 13 PIH aims for developcited,” said Leonora Newell, local churches fed, housed or ing long-term sustainability who along with her husband, helped volunteers. Additional in communities, and the All Ben, serves as Cooperative churches participated in a Church Challenge provides a Baptist Fellowship Global community-wide, Missions field mid-week worship personnel workservice. ing with Part“Last year there ners in Hope, were adult ladies the Fellowship’s who said, ‘Why rural poverty can’t we do this for initiative. our children? Why Concluding can’t we do this all the first week year long?’” said of the third anHelena resident nual All Church Linda Whitfield. Challenge, the The impact of celebration hapTommy Rathbun of First Baptist Church of Truman, Ark., volunteers in the Helena community center library, helping catalogue about the All Church pened in the 2,500 books donated by churches. Challenge is park where earspreading, particularly among positive example of teamwork lier that week volunteers from parents and grandparents that lasts year-round. North Carolina, Texas and ArAn All Church Challenge volunteer walks with a child from Helena. who appreciate the children’s “Our goal is to keep that kansas taught soccer, baseball visit www.ruralpoverty.net. daughter took swimming lescamps. “It helps keep the kids ball moving,” Ben said. “It and football to local youth and sons from the volunteers. f! out of trouble and gives them slows down after the summer, children in Phillips County, By Carla Wynn, CBF positive minds instead of but it never stops. Eventually, one of the 20 poorest counLEARN – For more informaCommunications negative,” said Helena resident it’ll be rolling on its own.” ties in the United States. “It’s tion about Partners in Hope, Betty Ewing, whose grandFor the first time, the comnot just one church. We are together working here to do something good in Phillips County,” Ben said. heart, there is much to share in the process and affirmation In its third year, the All Yee was on the Fellowship’s AS THE FELLOWSHIP’S with other people,” she said. of those concerned,” she said. Church Challenge is a twonational Coordinating Council moderator, Joy Yee of San FranAfter graduating with a Yee, pastor of San Francisco’s week event that brought more from 1999-2001 and has been cisco hopes to serve others, bachelor’s degree in psycholoNew Covenant than 250 volunteers from 24 active in the CBF “using the gifts God has given gy from University of CaliforBaptist Church churches to the area for projWest regional me in the opportunities and nia-Berkeley, Yee participated since its founding ects including construction organization. She issues that God would have us in a summer missions experiin October 2000, and children’s camps. Some has served twice work on this year,” she said. ence, which prompted further is currently leadvolunteered in the commuas camp pastor Yee, the Fellowship’s first study at Golden Gate Baptist ing a merger with nity center’s library cataloging for JOURNEYS, female senior pastor and first Theological Seminary, where another congregamore than 2,500 books that an annual youth Asian-American to serve as she earned a master of divinity tion, which will had been donated by churchmissions summer moderator, took the role followdegree. “It was there that God enable both cones. Other volunteers created a camp sponsored ing this summer’s General Asgregations to better began to lead me in a step-bygarden, installed an irrigation by CBF West. sembly. Her plans include helpstep adventure of embracing reach the commusystem, built a tool shed and Even though ing CBF grow into a multiethnic Joy Yee vocational ministry,” she said. nity. Ordained in started a trellis. she had been organization, responding to Yee and her husband, Jim2000 by First Chinese Southern Volunteers provided a day involved in the Fellowship, CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal’s my, have two boys: Nathan, Baptist Church, Yee said mincamp for about 200 children, last year’s nomination as modcall to address global poverty, 13, and Kevin, 10. f! istry has been an integral part a sports camp for about 20 erator-elect came as a surprise. continuing work on the Partneryouth, and swimming lessons “The nomination was complete- of her Christian experience. ship Study implementation and “Because God has filled my life for more than 250 children, ly unexpected, but came with a filling the vacant CBF Global By Carla Wynn, CBF with His love and what is on His many of whom were given strong sense of God’s leadership Missions coordinator position. Communications Mark Sandlin photo
Yee sees Fellowship moderator role as chance to serve