Three Arkansas Baptist churches partnered to serve in South Florida for a June mission trip, demonstrating how cooperation can expand ministry opportunities for churches of all sizes. 

"Smaller churches can do mission trips just like anybody else,” said Owensville Baptist Church Pastor Jim Lagrone. 

The partnership began when leaders from Owensville Baptist Church and First Baptist Church Bella Vista participated in a 2025 South Florida vision trip and saw an opportunity to serve alongside local churches. The two churches returned later that year to continue ministry in South Florida. 

As they prepared for their June 2026 mission trip, they invited other Arkansas churches to join them through the Pulaski Baptist Association newsletter. Third Baptist Church in Malvern answered the invitation, bringing together 24 volunteers from three congregations. 

The opportunity came at just the right time for Third Baptist. 

"Our youth were interested in participating in a mission trip. It had been several years since Third Baptist Church had sent a team either nationally or internationally,” said Pastor Tom Strike. “When Jim Lagrone mentioned this trip to Miami, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. It was exciting to have eight adults join our four youth and college students for this trip." 

Strike said the 12 members from Third Baptist represented approximately 20% of the church's average worship attendance. 

"One of the benefits of participating in the local association is that churches can join together for ministry,” Strike said. “It provides an opportunity for smaller churches to participate in God's work in other parts of our nation. The team leadership from the participating churches can share the workload that is necessary to plan and coordinate a trip like this one." 

Lagrone said the trip wasn't simply about completing projects – it was about demonstrating that churches don't have to do missions alone. 

"We ended up with 24 people, which out of a larger church, that's a normal mission-sized team. But for us, that was three churches coming together. We had a great team," he said. 

Terry Fleeman of First Baptist Church Bella Vista, who has a long history of participating in missions, touted the unity of the churches during the trip. 

"With this trip, you know, you had three churches coming together, and the unity that came about with all three churches was really, really good,” he said. 

Throughout the week, volunteers served four South Florida churches through community outreach, Vacation Bible School and construction projects. With a larger team, volunteers were able to serve in multiple locations simultaneously, allowing construction crews, VBS leaders and outreach teams to meet a variety of needs throughout the week. 

Fleeman said serving together expanded what the team was able to accomplish. 

"When you've got a large number of people, it's like taking an army with you,” he said. 

Lagrone hopes other Arkansas churches – especially smaller congregations – will recognize that missions doesn't require a large church, only willing people. 

"They think, 'Okay, we might have just four or five people.' Well, four or five people is enough. Then we get two or three churches with four or five people, and you're looking at 15 or 20. That's a good mission group,” he said. 

South Florida also offers churches a unique opportunity to experience cross-cultural missions without leaving the United States. The region is one of the nation's most diverse, with large Hispanic and Latino, Haitian, Jamaican, and African American communities, along with people from many other cultural backgrounds. 

"It's a foreign mission trip in America,” Lagrone said. 

Strike encouraged pastors who wonder whether their churches are ready to take the first step. 

"It begins with prayer. Ask God to give you direction and insight as you begin this discussion with your church. God will open doors for you. In my case, it was when the youth started asking about going on a mission trip. At that moment, I had not discussed a potential trip with anyone but took their independent inquiry as an open door. You have to give people time to grasp your vision,” he said. "Finally, think about asking another church to join you. It will provide a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with a sister church as you join forces to serve God in a challenging location." 

Already, another Arkansas church has expressed interest in joining next year's trip. 

Lagrone hopes that momentum continues. 

"I'm telling you, churches all across Arkansas can do these things. They've just got to be willing to work with another church. They can do it. They need to do it. Their people need to do it,” he said. 

The recent trip demonstrated that cooperation can turn individual willingness into a greater collective ministry impact. 

For more information on Partnership Missions opportunities through Arkansas Baptists, click here.  

Partnership Missions opportunities are made possible through the generous giving of Arkansas Baptists through the Cooperative Program and the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.