Our Ministries
How Our Association Is Ministering in Our Community

Alachua County Fair Ministry
Each year we host a booth at the Alachua County Fair to share the gospel and to make the community aware of our member churches. The inside booth and our concessions trailer are staffed with volunteers from our churches who use a variety of ways to share Christ, providing free coffee, water, and balloon sculptures for children.

We also minister to fair workers who are away from home and family for most of the year. We have provided free haircuts, Bible studies, household items they requested, Bibles, devotional books, and Sunday morning worship services.

Alachua County Literacy Fair
Each year we host a booth at the Alachua County Literacy Fair, including exhibits on the International Learning Center, offering free popcorn and children's salvation tracts. Three years ago our association received the Gainesville Sun's literacy award.

International Learning Center
Mary Lynne Moore, Director
This ministry was begun in our association 31 years ago. We teach conversational English to internationals to help them function in our culture, be comfortable in our society, and learn about Jesus Christ. We pray that every student would return to his or her homeland knowing him as Savior.

• Class schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 to 11:30 AM, during the school year
  
• Location: Parkview Baptist Church, 3403 NW 13th Street, Gainesville; 352/378-2606
  
• Number of students enrolled in the past year: 260 from 33 countries
  
• Average daily attendance: 120 students
  
• Languages represented: Primarily Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, German, Farsi, and Russian
  
• Religions represented: Christian Protestant, Roman Catholic, Buddhism, Islam, Spiritism, but, most of all, none
  
• Average number of students' children cared for daily by volunteers from our churches: 20
  
• Devotionals are done each class day

Mobile Dental Clinic
One week each year we host the Florida Baptist Convention's Mobile Dental Clinic. Volunteer dentists from the community and support personnel from our churches staff the clinic. About fifty patients are treated annually at a savings to them of at least $7500!