Abundance Box

Contact: Ben Brown, Minster of Students

In Romans 12:13, Paul directs us to share with God’s people who are in need and to practice hospitality.  Among the ways in which Second Baptist has responded to this is the “Abundance Box.” Located behind Spence Hall by River Road, the box is a place for people to give canned goods and other non-perishable foods to community members who are food insecure. Appropriate fruits and veggies from Grace Garden will be placed in this box too. Hungry people are encouraged to take and eat whatever they may need.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries at U of R

Contact: Ryan and Karin Goude

We are a UR campus ministry partnering with The Office of the Chaplaincy open to all people of all backgrounds and all traditions, welcoming students who are seeking to follow Christ together in community. BCM offers opportunities for UR Spiders to grow deeper in their faith with God, connect with local churches, and creates opportunities for students to serve both locally and globally for the Kingdom of God. More information about BCM at UR can be found here. Make sure to follow them on Instagram @urbcm for updates and ways to connect!

Baptist General Association of Virginia

Contact: Tom Mitchell, Director of Discipleship and Missions

The BGAV is “a missionary movement unleashing the power of the resurrected Christ through the local church for the renewal of all things.” BGAV is a cooperative missions & ministry organization that consists of over 1,360 autonomous churches in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as churches from Seoul, South Korea, Toronto, Ontario, the District of Columbia and 16 states. The BGAV was established in 1823 and it has always existed to “furnish the Baptist churches of Virginia a medium of cooperation for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the advancement of the Redeemer’s Kingdom by all methods in accord with the Word of God.” Geography does not limit churches from joining the mission and vision of the BGAV. Ministries are coordinated through the staff, who work through five ministry teams to help churches be more effective in their ministries.

CARITAS

Contact: Tom Mitchell, Director of Discipleship and Missions

United by compassion, Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter (CARITAS) helps our most vulnerable neighbors break the cycles of addiction and homelessness to reclaim their dignity. Its purpose is to provide effective, permanent solutions to individuals and families dealing with the crisis of homelessness and/or addiction in the Metro Richmond area.

Over the years, Second Baptist has temporarily hosted groups of men, women and children, providing meals, showers, laundry services and individual support to our guests. For more information regarding mission team volunteer opportunities and/or donations, visit CARITAS.

CHAT

Contact: Jackie Wornom Griggs, Chief of Development and Operations

Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) serves the youth of East End Richmond by equipping them with the heart, head and hands to make transformative life decisions and teaching them the Gospel. Over the past 16 years, CHAT has served more than 500 youth.

Weekly volunteer opportunities include tutoring and mentoring through the K-12 afterschool program, reading to pre-kindergarteners and preschoolers during school days, assisting with the Work Leadership Institute’s efforts at teen workforce development, training youth in wood working and screen printing skills, helping with summer camps, and supporting the Church Hill Academy, a 9th-12th grade high school.

Children’s Missions

Contact: Katie Vance, Minister of Children

Learning how to express Christ’s love through missions begins early at Second Baptist. Opportunities for hands-on missions education and experiences are offered for children of all ages where they learn about missional life and how to do God’s work in the church as well as through opportunities to engage in cross-cultural community and worldwide missions projects.

As part of our Wednesday Night activities, children gather together to work on a variety of service activities. The 3-year old and Pre-K missions, Girls’ Missions for Kindergarten through 5th grade, and Boys’ Missions for Kindergarten through 5th grade are led by dedicated volunteers who help kids dive deep into the Bible, take big leaps in their faith formation, learn how to serve their community and pray for those who have never heard about Jesus.

Hands-on mission work continues for hundreds of children over the summer through our summer programs such as 2BC’s Vacation Bible School and Passport Camp as well as our premier elementary school summer camps such as Advocacy Camp. More than 100 leaders and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that these opportunities are a success, year after year!

Church Hill Christian Wellness Center

Contact: Beverly Kee

Supported by the Second Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union and others, the Church Hill Christian Wellness Center (“The Well”) is located in the education building of Mount Tabor Baptist Church. It is a holistic ministry that exists to help adults and children in the East End area of Richmond develop spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally and socially. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we answer the call to help individuals reach and fulfill their God-given potential as they take their rightful place in the community. This will be done through the development and implementation of ministries that create a sense of community and increase self-esteem and that also restore, heal and reconcile persons to God and to each other. Ministries include a Bible study, a clothes closet, financial assistance, a food pantry, birth certification/DMV identification assistance, GED classes, computer classes and a computer lab.

Clothes Closet

Contact: Tom Mitchell, Director of Discipleship and Missions

The Clothes Closet serves our community year-round by providing gently used clothing to brothers and sisters, who are in special need or have found themselves in an emergency situation.

Obtain Clothing. For those in the ESL, the Clothes Closet is open to students on Monday nights. In coordination with the Loaves and Fishes Mission Ministry, the Clothes Closet is open to the community the second and fourth Friday of the month 9:30 am – 11:30 am. If you are interested in stopping by, please call the church to find out if the Clothing Closet will be open that week.

Donate Clothing. Please drop off your seasonal, gently used clothing in the 3-drawer bins in the FLC Commons and in the office hallway.

Volunteer. Year-round, volunteers meet on second and fourth Monday nights at 7p.m. to sort through the donated clothes and then size and hang them. Additional times are the second and fourth Thursday and Friday mornings from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Comfort Cases

Contact: Lauren Cash

With a Second Baptist donation room in the church education building, Comfort Cases gives children entering foster care a sense of dignity and hope. The organization is committed to engaging communities and educating the public about the issues facing youth in foster care and encouraging young people to lead by example, taking action to alleviate the suffering of children in the system. Volunteer opportunities are available for all ages so that the entire community can be involved together.

Comfort Cases are backpacks packed with a cozy new pair of pajamas, a stuffed animal to hug, a toothbrush, soap and other personal care items. Receiving a Comfort Case tells a child, “You matter.”

2BC Crisis Response

Contact: Tom Mitchell, Director of Discipleship and Missions

It has been said, “The church does not have a mission, the church is the mission.” Christ came to the earth as the physical embodiment of the mission of God  ̶  to love and call and heal and serve and redeem a lost and suffering world.

At times of crisis and in particular seasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Second Baptist members have responded proactively to the call to be Christ’s continuing physical body in the world. Indeed, one of the ways that Christ is risen and alive is through His church!

During these times, we have assessed local needs and then worked to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ through our time, talents and financial resources. For example, this has meant:

• praying for our community
• augmenting the inventory of our Loaves and Fishes pantry with additional food and grocery gift cards
• delivering prepared meals to emergency responders, nursing home workers and healthcare workers on the front lines
• distributing encouraging cards and bookmarks for “front liners”
• sending handmade cards to homebound adults and nursing home residents
• delivering soup and bread to seniors and other homebound adults with the help of “delivery angels” on “Souper Thankful Thursday”
• working with the Prayer Shawl group to make and distribute prayer squares
• working directly with For Richmond, Bridging RVA and other faith-based and community organizations on outreach efforts.

Second Baptist keeps in step with the Spirit of God so that we would truly reflect the Son of God as we faithfully walk out the Mission of God … all to the glory of God!

CrossOver Healthcare Ministry Clinics

Contact: Betsy Beamer, Team Leader

With the vision of promoting a healthy, vibrant community where every person is restored by the compassionate, healing love of God, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry is a nonprofit dedicated to providing high quality healthcare, promoting wellness and connecting community talents and resources with people in need in the name of Jesus Christ.

The healthcare clinics offer a full continuum of quality and compassionate healthcare services to the uninsured. Second Baptist members support CrossOver financially, and many members volunteer their time and talent at both clinics, providing medical and dental care as well as other critical needs.

Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center

Contact: John Austin

Based in Lynchburg, Virginia, Eagle Eyrie is a premiere, easily accessible Christian conference center located on 425 acres of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally developed in the 1950s as the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s primary conference facility, it is now the largest Christian conference center in the state. Since 1956, Eagle Eyrie has operated under the ownership of Virginia Baptists. Each year, it provides a Christian environment to more than 20,000 people from many other East Coast, Gospel-centered denominations, churches and ministries.

Over the years, Eagle Eyrie has relied upon churches like Second Baptist to provide resources to accomplish a wide variety of projects. Volunteer opportunities range from landscaping and construction to painting and more. Volunteers get to experience the wonderful joy of serving the Lord in the midst of His beautiful creation!

For Richmond

Contact: Katie Vance, Minister of Children

For Richmond is a nonprofit organization that connects and equips Christian leaders to collaborate for the transformation of Metro Richmond. With For Richmond, Second Baptist supports social workers through Richmond City and Henrico Department of Social Services. These social workers are on the front line of the human condition and are working in new and exhausting ways to ensure the safety and wellbeing of hundreds of children and families.

Grace Garden

Contact: Joe Battista

In an open space on the church grounds is one of Second Baptist’s newest missions, Grace Garden, a seasonal, collaborative project that makes it possible for our Loaves and Fishes customers to receive healthful, fresh produce. Tended by adult volunteers and youth from the church’s Student Ministry, the garden produced more than 70 heads of lettuce and other vegetables in its inaugural spring season. Forthcoming crops will include shelling peas, squash, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, broccoli and cabbage. Plans are underway to recruit more volunteers and expand the program in an effort to further serve our community.

James River Cleanup Day

Contact: Greg Schnizler, Team Leader

Accomplish something vital and worthy on behalf of the James River. The James River Cleanup Day is a family-friendly event that ensures a healthy river, benefits wildlife, supports clean water and allows visitors to enjoy the river. Second Baptist volunteers of all ages roam the shorelines on foot to clean up litter. Gloves, bags and tools are provided. Afterward, we enjoy fellowship at a local restaurant.

Mission Wednesdays

Contact: Katie Vance, Minister of Children and Tom Mitchell, Director of Discipleship and Missions

Periodically, adults and children alike gather in the Family Life Center, following Wednesday night dinner, to work cooperatively on multiple mission projects serving diverse groups of people. Previous nights’ activities have included projects that support the homeless, grieving families, underprivileged children, local first responders, the elderly, cancer patients, college students, immigrant groups, foster parents and their families, international mission trips, and more.

Oregon Hill Baptist Center

Contact: Beverly Kee 

Supported by the Second Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union and others, the Oregon Hill Baptist Center is located in inner city Richmond inside Pine Street Baptist Church. The center and church work very closely in partnership along with many volunteers to reach the community and beyond with the light and love of Jesus Christ.

Ministries include a ministry with the homeless, youth gatherings, college student outreach, family activities, senior adult fellowships, small group Bible and topical studies, emergency assistance (food, financial assistance, etc.), counseling and referrals, and a community and hospital visitation program. Seasonal ministries include a school supply collection, a Christmas store and a Thanksgiving meal program.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Contact: Robinette George, Team Leader

The Prayer Shawl is on hiatus for the summer.  They will resume on Thursday, September 7.  If you are interested in doing a project and picking up yarn, please contact Robinette George.

The Prayer Shawl group meets to knit and stitch with purpose. In the past, we have provided hundreds of hats and scarves for the West Virginia Christmas and Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child missions. We have also created gifts of prayer shawls for those in need, prayer/pocket squares for new high school graduates, lap robes, afghans and baby dedication blankets.

Volunteer. On the first and third Thursdays of each month, we meet from 10 a.m. until noon in the upstairs Commons area. No experience is necessary; we can teach you how to knit or crochet.

Contribute. Do you have yarn that you no longer need? We can use it for our work. Just drop it off at Patty’s desk in the church office.

Veterans’ Hospital Mission Team

Contact: Bill Sims, Team Leader

Through periodic visits, the Veterans’ Hospital Mission Team supports the VA Polytrauma Transitional Unit, which serves the sickest of our veterans as they engage in a full range of recovery therapies to transition back to civilian life. These include PT, OT, PTSD treatment, depression counseling, social works, recreational therapy, prosthesis management, job counseling and employment skill training. During our visits, we show our deep appreciation for their sacrifice, help them interact with civilians and provide them with the best meal they’ll ever have at the VA hospital. Our church has also provided gifts of Bibles, Christmas cards and stamps, jigsaw puzzles and best-selling novels.

Woman’s Missionary Union

Contact: Anne Stratton

In 1872, women from five local Baptist churches met and formed the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia with the purpose of supporting the work of missions through praying, giving and going. Second Baptist was one of those churches, and we have had WMU women’s circles in the church ever since.

Today, The Mary Lucile Saunders Circle is a group of women who meet for Christian fellowship, shared devotionals, and mission work. Meetings are a mix of speakers, field trips, and mission projects. The Circle usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through May. It is named in memory of a former Second Baptist member, who was a missionary in China and the Philippines. Led by Anne Stratton.

They work together to support three inner-city community missionaries at Church Hill Christian Wellness Center, Oregon Hill Baptist Center and South Richmond Baptist Center by giving time, talents and resources. They cook for the centers, shop for the centers, visit the centers, collect and donate supplies to the centers, lead churchwide school supply and “Red Sleigh” Christmas gift collections at church, and pray for the centers as they seek to meet the needs of the children and families in their neighborhoods. They have also organized collections of food and beverage tabs to support the local Ronald McDonald House. In addition, some of our local ministries include collecting backpacks and school supplies each summer and collecting children’s clothing and toys for the “Christmas store” at Richmond Baptists’ Church Hill ministry. Several times a year, we provide brunch for the homeless ministry at the Oregon Hill Baptist Center, and we donate food bags, gift certificates, office supplies, and other items for all three Richmond Baptist mission centers.