Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ…
My name is Larry Sparks. I am the pastor of Blackburn Chapel Baptist Church of Bethel Acres, Shawnee. We are the recipients of the blowing winds of growth and blessings from God our Father who birthed this church at the turn of the last century. We are in the midst of a growth incline where souls are being saved and ministry is happening.
Multiple Ministries
We are blessed with multiple ministries which aid in the expansion of the Kingdom of God and build it up in the word of God. These needed areas are dependent on Godly leadership who wave the flag of conquest toward set goals embraced by the church. We have a vibrant youth ministry that continues to grow on Wednesdays and Sundays. Andy Arnold is our Youth Pastor. Children’s ministry is another expanding work that brings children up under the gospel. Sharry Sparks and her capable team love the children and bring several in with the bus and church van.
The Women’s Ministry is led by Mona Arneson. They have as many as 30 women at their Wednesday Night Women’s Bible Studies, soaking up the Word of God. Their events are outstanding, including painting, Ladies Teas, and Spa Nights.
The Men’s Ministry is jointly led by several dedicated workers… their activities have included lots of men through weekly Bible studies, prayer, local ministry, and fellowship. Biscuits and gravy on the 4th Saturday of each month are another strong incentive to plug into the Men’s Group.
Church Staff
Greg Ray leads our worship through music accompanied by our praise band and choir leader, Bill Roberts.A nursery is provided staffed by volunteers that truly love children and are excited to share Jesus with the little ones.Blackburn Chapel also supports and participates in local, national, and international missions.
Church Identity
How would I chacterize our Church?… a rural church with big town ministries, country closeness, and world-wide zeal to win the lost to Christ. We all have a voice in the church. I am convinced that many want to do something but are not sure what to do or how to go about it. Here is where we shine… in showing them where and how to engage in applying their Spiritual Gifts and talents for Christ.
Nursing homes, jails, prisons, shut-ins, evangelism, and missions are all extremely important as ministry goals. “The needs are great, the laborers are few”, Jesus said… so let’s flood the fields with servants while there is light to work with.
-Br. Larry Sparks.