NAVASOTA, TX – Barbeque Baptist Church is an outreach ministry of First Baptist Church of Navasota. Navasota is a small community about halfway between Houston and Waco. The good folks at First Baptist would like to invite you to stop by if you are in the area.

If you can’t stop by, if you are sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re unable to get out and about, or you are on a team of first responders busy responding, you can give the folks at First Baptist a call and ask for Barbeque Baptist Church to visit you.

That’s right, people don’t go to Barbeque Baptist Church. The church goes to the people.

Now, that might sound a bit peculiar, but if you read your New Testament, Jesus invites us to come to Him, but He told His disciples to go to others. Maybe we have misunderstood something. Many are willing to invite others to come to church, but few are as willing to go to tell others about Jesus.

Okay. I’ve made my point. Now, let’s get back to Barbeque Baptist Church before I start preaching. Don’t want to go there.

Like many other ministries, Barbeque Baptist Church was born out of a particular need. In this case, the need was caused by the angst over the COVID-19 pandemic. Should we isolate, or should we congregate? That is the question. Those of us who are “at risk” due to age and/or certain illnesses, diseases, or who are undergoing treatments that have weakened their immune systems don’t have to make that decision. Our doctors make the decision for us.

Then there are the politicians and the experts. Don’t want to go there either.

The pandemic is what it is. It is inadvisable for some people to gather in groups. There are others who are unable to do so.

The folks over at First Baptist got to thinking about how they could minister to the stay-at-homers. One idea led to another until they created the traveling Barbeque Baptist Church.

The members outfitted a borrowed catering trailer with a BBQ smoker, a pulpit, a keyboard, and a sound system. Then they were on the move, heading out along the highways and hedges. They advertised on the local news in April, saying,

“Anybody who invites us to come, we will come to your house, and we will do a short worship service and give you a free barbecue meal.”

During the first five weeks alone, the Barbeque Baptist Church traveled throughout all of Grimes County, four days a week, serving four meals a day. It didn’t matter whether they fed a family, a neighborhood, or a lonely widow sitting on her porch. Everyone was fed barbeque and the Bread of Life.

A few weeks ago, the Barbeque Baptist Church went on a seven-day road trip across the southern U.S. to Nashville and back. They stopped and served in communities along the way. The spent two days in Nashville feeding the gospel and great barbeque to the hungry, the homeless, and the hurting in an area north of the city that had been devastated by a tornado.

When we look back and read the stories of how great ministries began because someone simply cared, let’s remind ourselves that there is an opportunity here not only for this ministry to grow in Navasota but also for it to be copied in some format by other local churches.

All it takes is a vision, prayer, creativity, and a commitment like the people who are the Barbeque Baptist Church.

“We are a group of people who love Jesus & Texas BBQ. We’d welcome the opportunity to come visit you and serve up Bibles & brisket, prayer & pulled pork, redemption & ribs, church & chicken and salvation & sausage!”

Read more news on Christian Ministry, Disaster Relief, and the COVID 19 Pandemic.

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