church of the week
Bell Shoals Baptist Church
By Raquel Dunn
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– “So many of the needs of us as widows are hidden,” Carolyn Jones tells The 700 Club. “You don’t see them: the need to be understood, to be counseled, to be touched, to be loved. We’ve lost that in our relationship with our husband.”
That’s why Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida, developed a ministry specifically designed to meet the needs of these women.
The pastor explains, “We have a people group for widows that are often forgotten, set aside, cast aside, not cared for in proper ways. Throughout the Old Testament and New Testament, God has a heart expressed for widows. We as a church body need to take that very seriously.”
The ministry began when church member Jaca Depriest struggled to find her way after losing her husband. She says, “More than half of you is gone. Your life partner, the love of your life is no longer there.”
Jaca and several friends formed the Morning Glories Ministries for widows at Bell Shoals. The Scripture that guides them is Psalm 30:5. “’Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.’”
Jaca continues, “Morning Glories grow on a vine. They need the support. They grow on a fence. They needed the support. That’s really how we got our name.”
That support includes meals, child care, legal and financial workshops, and most importantly, love.
“God still has a future and a hope for us even though calamity has come into our lives,” Carolyn assures, “and we just need to look to Him to be that future and provide that hope for us.”
For your heart for widows, The 700 Club salutes Bell Shoals Baptist Church as America’s Church of the Week.
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