By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
DENHAM SPRINGS – Courtney Miley did not imagine she would ever enter the worship center of Genesis Church when she first met Pastor Jeff Smith while he was reaching out to families at the community soccer complex in 2014.
She and her husband, Shaun, were believers, but had lapsed in their fellowship with the body of Christ.
However, God providentially used the historic 1,000-year flood of August 2016 to draw her and him back to Him through her involvement with disaster relief efforts at the church plant.
Moreover, their repentance and obedience resulted in a special gift neither expected.
In August of this year, they witnessed the baptism of their four children, all who accepted Christ within a four-month period leading up to the special worship service.
The Miley children were among 17 converts baptized that day from among 87 people who attended, both high marks during one service for the church plant.
“It was very surreal to see each of them baptized in a place that we have worked so hard in the past year and seen so much change,” Courtney Miley told the Baptist Message. “For us, it was like God was confirming to us of His fullness and reaffirming that we had made the right decision when we decided to help minister to the community after the flood.
Jeff Smith (left) baptizes some of the 17 new converts at Genesis Church. during an August service. The baptisms have signaled God at work in the congregation, who have a heart of reaching out to its community.
“I made it a point not to be involved with anything church wise when we first met Jeff and resisted a lot whenever the topic of church came up,” Miley continued. “My husband thought I was a little crazy when I got involved with the church when the flood came, but as soon as he got involved, he saw real quickly this was something he wanted to be a part of. What I saw during the disaster was the people being the church to a devastated community. That is what kept my family there and brought all four of my children to Christ.”
PERSEVERANCE THROUGH DISASTER
For Smith, the record number of baptisms for Genesis Church was also a celebration of how God helped the church persevere through a time of slow growth and disaster.
Genesis Church began in June 2014, after Smith graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. By April 2015, the church had grown from a home Bible study to a congregation of 15 when they launched their first service in an area school.
For several months, they continued meeting in the school until Agape Church – a congregation Smith previously led when he first moved to the area – voted in October 2015 to disband and hand over its building after membership had declined to fewer than 10 people.
Genesis Church continued to grow, reaching an average attendance of 40 by the summer of 2016.
Then, disaster hit the community in the form of the August 2016 flood.
Though the church facilities escaped major damage, a number of its members were not so fortunate and attendance dropped by half.
Nonetheless, Smith and the remaining members sprang into action, with the assistance of the Mileys and two other soccer families the church had been trying to reach for three years.
“That was the one thing that carried me through that time,” Smith recalled. “Those families we had been trying to reach decided to be a part of our disaster relief ministry. They eventually developed into our core leadership.
“I saw the work we poured into that we hadn’t seen results from yet during the past few years on the soccer field,” he continued. “Those results became evident during the flood.”
REBIRTH THROUGH RECOVERY
For three months, the fellowship hall became a distribution center. Six days a week volunteers would distribute cleaning supplies, clothing, food and other supplies to those in need.
They also held block parties, handed out Thanksgiving meals and delivered bags of school supplies to children who lost all they had in the flood.
Meanwhile, average attendance was climbing, reaching pre-flood levels just as the distribution effort was ebbing.
Even thirteen months after the flood, Genesis members continue to see the fruit of their outreach.
Smith said half of his congregation is 15 years of age and younger, now, and that the rest range in age from 30 to 70 years old.
Because of that demographic shift, the congregation had made a change to their Wednesday evening schedule, he explained. Previously, there was a fellowship meal followed by Bible studies grouped by age. Now, Wednesday night is dedicated to an all-student Bible study, and, adult age groups meet on other nights to hold Bible studies.
“Discipleship has been a big thing delayed because of the issues we have had since August of last year,” Smith said. “Now we are beginning to concentrate on that.
“Our students will be better equipped to reach their schools and neighborhoods for Christ,” he said. “And our adults will have the opportunity to disciple a younger person. What a great opportunity and a win-win for everyone.”
Smith said waiting on the Lord was not easy, but that he counts it pure joy now seeing the rebirth of his church and community.
“As a church planter who has had slow growth, it was much needed for me to see so many people baptized and changed as a result of the flood,” he said. “It was a psychological boost for myself to remind me that what we are doing is working.
“Patience is not the easiest thing when you are a church planter,” he continued. “But I have been shown and continue to be reminded that God’s at work. Whether it’s with Genesis Church or even another believer’s life, this experience has taught me that we just need to be patient and trust God for our future.”
