Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood set up a “Pop-Up Church” at the Mills County Fair over the weekend. The booth outreach showcased several of the church’s ministries, engaging many neighbors from around Mills County with kindness and conversation.
Volunteers offered free bottled water labeled with the church’s name and information, putting into action Mark 9:41: “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” They also handed out Bible bookmarks with Scripture references to address common struggles faced in the region, along with Gospel cards with a QR code linking to a digital gospel tract.
The church promoted the outreach with a Facebook event ahead of time, which drew 15,000 views. Over the weekend, they tracked 112 unique visitors to their church website from QR code scans, with 50 digital tract scans recorded.
This effort is part of a broader outreach push to revitalize Calvary’s engagement with the Glenwood community. Though the church has a long-standing presence in the area, Pastor Jim Parker shared that they want to help their neighbors take a fresh look at what God is doing at Calvary.
The booth drew steady foot traffic, opening doors for meaningful spiritual conversations. Volunteers prayed with several fairgoers, encouraged fellow believers, reconnected with those who had drifted from church, and sparked new friendships. Gospel seeds were sown throughout the weekend.
Encouraged by the experience, Calvary is already planning another Pop-Up Church at a town square event in early August. The hope is to keep building relationships and open new doors for the gospel, one conversation at a time.
