December 3, 2001

Carrollton church feasts on missions for Thanksgiving
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___CARROLLTON--Turkey and dressing took a backseat to missions and ministries at First Baptist Church of Carrollton's annual churchwide Thanksgiving meal.
___About 600 members of the Carrollton congregation gathered a few days before Thanksgiving for a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
___But alongside the cornucopias and seasonal decorations, each place setting in the church's family life center featured a local or international mission opportunity.
___"The program highlighted each of our ministry areas and encouraged people to become involved," said Associate Pastor Wade Longcrier.
___First Baptist Church works with 21 mission congregations and 13 local ministries. Last year, the church helped start three churches through its international ministries and three churches locally. Brent Taylor is pastor, and John Yarbrough is minister of missions.
___The Thanksgiving program also highlighted the church's bus ministry, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. About 20 volunteers run four routes, bringing about 80 children a week to Sunday School and offering ministries to their families. Last year, the program resulted in 15 professions of faith, said Lane Denson, who directs the bus ministry.
___Every table at the Thanksgiving dinner also included brochures detailing missions opportunities for the coming year and response cards for potential volunteers to complete.
___"We received 75 to 80 responses concerning our international efforts for 2002," said Longcrier, a former Southern Baptist missionary to Mexico.
___Eleven international mission trips--ranging from Cambodia, Thailand and Russia to Mexico, Costa Rica and Peru--already are scheduled for next year. This year, more than 90 members of the Carrollton church have participated in international mission trips.
___Church members attending the Thanksgiving dinner also gave an offering to provide a similar meal for needy people in Carrollton. Jerry Bullock, facilities manager at First Baptist Church, spearheaded the Thanksgiving Day delivery of about 1,800 meals throughout the community.
___"First Baptist Church of Carrollton is a model church for the Great Commission," said Roy Cotton, Dallas-Fort Worth area consultant with the Church Starting Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He characterized the congregation as having "missions in its bloodstream."
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