When shoppers began checking out their groceries at a local Walmart in Morehead City, N.C., earlier this month, many were surprised to find out that their items would be covered. 

Members of Local Point Church from nearby Newport, N.C., had arrived at the store on Saturday, Aug. 3, with $5,000 to pay for people’s groceries. 

“If we’re going to love people well, if we’re going to love people big, we believe part of that is being generous,” said JT Riley, pastor of Local Point.

One by one, volunteers from Local Point approached shoppers at checkout kiosks, offering to pay for their items. Most were taken aback but accepted the offer with gratitude.

“No expectation from them, other than just being loved and receiving it.” Riley said. 

Morehead City was just one of countless towns in North Carolina that experienced acts of service last week as nearly 1,200 churches partnered together on Aug. 3-10 to support North Carolina communities through an emphasis called “ServeNC.”

The “ServeNC” initiative, organized by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and its partnering organization Baptists on Mission, encouraged churches to consider and respond to the needs of local neighborhoods by taking on service projects within their communities. By the time the emphasis week ended on Saturday, Aug. 10, 1,172 churches in 92 of North Carolina’s 100 counties had committed to serve.

“N.C. Baptists demonstrated and declared the good news of Jesus during ‘ServeNC,’ from Murphy to Manteo and everywhere in between,” said Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer for N.C. Baptists. “The whole nation saw N.C. Baptists for who they are all year long — a movement of nearly 3,000 independent, autonomous churches that partner together to reach, train, send and serve for the advancement of Jesus’ kingdom.”

The emphasis encouraged churches to direct service projects to the particular needs of their surrounding neighborhoods, paying special attention to those most vulnerable in their communities. As a result, churches participating in “ServeNC” engaged in a variety of service projects, which were highlighted daily on social media through the hashtag #ServeNC and in recap articles hosted on the state convention’s website.

“Jesus said He was building His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven,” Unzicker said. “N.C. Baptists worked during ‘ServeNC’ to build that kingdom in North Carolina as it is in heaven.”

Across the state, volunteers served by giving away backpacks and school supplies, completing landscaping projects, delivering gifts to first responders, partnering with local nonprofits and more. In Concord, Friendship Southern Baptist Church joined “ServeNC” by putting on a “prom night” for a local nursing home. Iglesia Bautista Bet-el in Lumberton spent a day picking up trash along the roads in surrounding neighborhoods. North of Raleigh, North Henderson Baptist Church hosted a one-day Vacation Bible School for community members with disabilities.

In western North Carolina, the women’s ministry team from the Catawba River Baptist Association served by building a handicap ramp for a member of the community. Together, volunteers from the ministry team — a group representing four churches from across Burke County — took time to learn how to build a ramp prior to “ServeNC.” 

“Our director of missions encouraged us to really step out of our comfort zone,” said Christy Buchanan, volunteer from Zion Baptist Church in Morganton.

Despite taking weeks — and even months — to prepare their projects prior to “ServeNC,” some churches found themselves needing to pivot on their plans as new needs arose. In Wilkes County, one church took up an unexpected service project after a woman with dementia went missing in the early hours on Sunday, Aug. 4. Following their Sunday morning service, members of Springfield Baptist Church set up a command center on the church’s property as local authorities and community volunteers searched for the missing woman, who was eventually found unharmed. 

“We ended up serving in a way we didn’t plan to,” said Patricia Dvorak, a member of Springfield Baptist.

Other churches were called upon to take on disaster relief projects after Tropical Storm Debby swept through North Carolina in the middle of “ServeNC” week. In Wilson County, volunteers from Redemption Church at New Hope completed storm relief and cleanup assignments on Saturday, Aug. 10, in addition to preparing school supply baskets and serving at a local nursing home and social services organization. The church’s disaster relief efforts were reflective of a broader response by N.C. Baptists to the storm, as Baptists on Mission disaster response volunteers deployed late last week to prepare meals and assist in cleanup efforts in Robeson County. 

Though Redemption Church at New Hope did not anticipate serving after a storm, members of the church were ready to respond to this unexpected need. 

“We hoped to shine the light of Christ into our community through these practical acts of love,” the church shared in a Facebook post.

Churches have been encouraged to report testimonies from the week by completing this survey. Already, churches have begun to share how “ServeNC” has been beneficial to the community — and to the local church, as well.

In Durham, a team of 40 students and young adults from Hanmaum Church gathered to clean up trash on nearby streets. After completing their service project, Senior Pastor Jae Cho shared that multiple community members stopped the volunteers to thank them for their work.

“It was incredibly uplifting to hear such support,” Cho said. “Everyone truly enjoyed the opportunity to serve the community.”

According to Cho, “ServeNC” has prompted the church to consider other ways they can support and invest in their local neighborhoods.

“This experience made us realize how much more we can do for our community,” Cho said. “We’re eager to continue serving for the glory of God’s kingdom.”

Read more highlights from each day of “ServeNC” at the following links: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8