PENSACOLA–At First Baptist Church of Beulah, a small, rural church in a burgeoning community, science is a creative way to share gospel truth with families.
Located just minutes from the biggest shopping center in Beulah, the church is surrounded by new neighborhoods filled with homes and families. Many families who are new to the area have relocated for jobs and are looking for a place to connect.
Pastor Jed Miller said, “We are growing in the 25-45 young families demographic, and there is a deep need for family events in the area.”
‘At Beulah FBC, our desire is to see our students raised with a love of learning and an understanding that Scripture and science are not at odds.’
The pastor and staff set out to create fun family events to let the community know the church is there and ready to serve. Recently, the church hosted The Creation Experience, a unique, interactive family event that demonstrates God’s hand of creation, while sharing the gospel message.
“At Beulah FBC, our desire is to see our students raised with a love of learning and an understanding that Scripture and science are not at odds,” said Miller.
‘Excited about the truth’
Pat Roy, of The Creation Guys, and Eric Hovind, from Creation Today, teamed up for the Saturday event, which included several large scientific experiments throughout the day, followed by an interactive two-hour show in the evening.
Roy said, “Getting kids excited about the truth is what it’s really about because when they know what they believe is true, they have purpose.”
The presentation was a mix of biblical truth and fun scientific experiments to prove creation and debunk evolution. Roy and Hovind used silly antics to keep kids entertained while learning the truth of God’s word.
Hovind added, “Most popular cartoons and shows that kids watch are taught from an atheistic worldview. We travel to teach and defend the faith, with a goal to help people understand who God is and then be able to defend their faith in God. When faith is based on understanding, you can trust it.”
The event concluded with a gospel message and a call for Christians to use their gifts and talents in serving God.
Partnership with other churches
Hosting the outdoor event enabled the church to show the community that the church is active and cares about helping children and families grow in Christ. Through the event, many contacts were made with those seeking a church home, and several visitors attended an outdoor service at the church the following Sunday.
One goal of the event was family fun, which was made possible with help from other churches in the Pensacola area that donated field equipment for outdoor games.
The church has a big grassy field that was perfect for the fun and games, but needed some help with pulling off the large event.
“As a small church, we couldn’t afford all of the equipment needed,” said pastor Miller. Several local churches, including Hillcrest, Olive, First Baptist Pensacola, Marcus Pointe and Heritage “were gracious in loaning their resources to us so that we could reach our community,” he said.
In the coming months, the small church has big plans for acts of service within the community, parents’ nights out and block parties. The fall is filled with annual events, including a car show, a pumpkin patch with many extra activities and the Beulah Craft and Sausage Festival that brings around 2,000 people on campus each year with proceeds going to missions.
Pastor Miller was born and raised in Pensacola. He was a student intern at Olive during his high school and college years and served in two other local churches as youth pastor for 10 years before becoming pastor at Beulah First Baptist Church. He and his wife, Lydia, have a three-year-old daughter and just celebrated the birth of their second daughter in early April.