DALLAS (BP) – A group of local churches joined the Send Relief Serve Tour event in Dallas to serve those in need and open doors for gospel conversations.

Over the course of the weekend of March 15-16, 48 churches from across nine states convened in Dallas to make a tangible impact in the community.

The initiative kicked off with a rally at First Baptist Church of Dallas designed to encourage volunteers and prepare their hearts to engage the city with the Gospel.

Caleb Turner, Senior Pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church and a North American Mission Board (NAMB) trustee, preached a message that emphasized the groundwork already laid for the volunteers.

“We are so grateful for all the work that has been done,” Turner said. “We have seen lives changed. We have seen the gospel on display each and every day. We are so thankful for our collaboration with Send Relief because God gets all the glory.”

The rally highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Send Relief Serve Tour and featured speakers from Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) Disaster Relief and Send Relief. The joint efforts of the SBTC, local associations, churches and Send Relief made the outreach event possible.

Serve Tour Dallas generated more than 520 Gospel conversations, which led to at least 34 people professing faith in Christ.

On one of the projects, volunteers partnered with Bartimaeus Baptist Temple, a church serving individuals with disabilities, as the congregation hosted its first outreach event in at least 15 years. The project resulted in five new believers and created a lasting partnership with the church.

Send Relief Serve Tour projects spanned a wide range of activities, from providing material assistance to schools, churches and homeowners to other forms of outreach in the community.

Volunteers replaced broken tiles, put in a new door and installed new flooring at Logos Fellowship Church. A mobile neighborhood grill provided free meals that helped volunteers connect with residents and share their faith.

On a different project, volunteers also updated the teachers’ lounge at one school, painted the lunchroom of another and refurbished the coach’s office at a third school. One school principal shared written feedback with the team at Send Relief.

“I have worked with many volunteer groups over the past seven years. … (The volunteers over the past) two days have been the best of the best I have ever worked with,” the principal said.

Serve Tour Dallas afforded volunteers the chance to put their faith into action by bringing together a diverse group of people who were united in their commitment to service and evangelism.

The event not only addressed physical and spiritual needs within the Dallas community but also sowed the seeds for ongoing engagement as local churches made connections in the city.

For a list of upcoming events and more information about Serve Tour, visit https://www.sendrelief.org/serve-tour.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Kent Mallet writes for the North American Mission Board.)