THE CHURCH
Star City First Assembly of God in Star City, Arkansas
THE CHALLENGE
A rural church was stagnating.
ONE BIG IDEA
Refresh by meeting specific community needs
When Justin Holt arrived at Star City First Assembly of God to serve as youth pastor a decade ago, the church ran about 60–70 people on a Sunday and focused mostly on international missions. But the rural town of Star City, Arkansas, with a population of just over 2,000, needed help. Like many areas in the U.S., it has long battled a high poverty rate and the issues that result..
By 2018, the church’s lead pastor had left, and the church promoted Holt into the role. He knew they needed to serve their neighbors better. “We’re supposed to go into all of the world and make disciples, and we’re supposed to start right here in Star City. We’ve got to take care of what we’ve got here first so that we can continue to grow in finances to be able to bless missionaries and fund other projects.”
The church looked around and assessed local need. One of its biggest outreaches is now a community-wide distribution of food, clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and other household items at back-to-school time. They also hold an annual block party for residents of a public housing development, and host a catfish and crawfish boil in a nearby park.
Perhaps the most noticeable local outreach has been the church’s addiction support services. Two years ago, a local drug-addicted man showed up at the church, and God radically changed his life. A year later, that man, now a Christian, started Celebrate Recovery at Star City to help other addicts. These days, 75–100 people show up for a meeting and dinner every Thursday night. Recently, teens have begun attending, so the church has started similar classes just for them.
As another avenue to reach out to troubled teens, the church is working with a local judge to possibly serve as a hub where the kids can complete community service hours.
The church’s efforts have proven fruitful. Holt says its bigger presence has created a familiarity between the church and the community.
“When anybody walks in here, whether they’re in shorts and a T-shirt or a suit, we treat them the same,” he adds. “We just keep loving people. We find the need and meet it with excellence.”