In Wilkinson County, Georgia, where hunting, fishing and time outdoors are part of everyday life, New Hope Christian Fellowship found a natural way to reach its neighbors.
On May 30, the church hosted a fish fry and skeet shooting competition that drew about 160 people, more than half of them from outside the church, and helped open the door to new relationships.
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“We really didn’t know if we were going to have enough fish,” Pastor Bill Harpe said. “They just kept rolling in. It was blowing our mind.”
After the meal, 27 men and nine women competed for a trophy while others watched from cars, chairs or the ground behind the church. Children and adults gathered for what Harpe described as old-fashioned fellowship.
The goal, Harpe said, was to help neighbors see that New Hope is a place where they could belong.
“We had kids. We had adults. It was a lot of fun,” Harpe said. “We were trying to develop relationships in the process. It’s a whole lot easier to invite somebody to a skeet shoot than to church.”
More than half of the attendees were not church members. Some non-church members didn’t realize some people they knew went to New Hope. Many arrived on side-by-sides, meaning they lived close by.
“What I’m hoping from it and what we’re praying from it is that it shows that our church is there for anybody,” Harpe said. “They could see that they might be able to fit in here.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jason Queen and originally published by the Christian Index.
