Friday, April 18, 2008

What is the Footprints Ministry?

The Footprints Ministry began in August of 2007 at Heritage Baptist Church. We began serving Baptist South hospital in Montgomery. In December of 2007 we expanded our ministry to Baptist East hospital through the support of Grace Pointe Church. The Footprints Ministry distributes gift bags to parents who have a baby admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Units at Baptist South and Baptist East. These hospitals serve 800 babies per year and 20 surrounding counties. We have already distributed over 350 bags! Each bag contains a Bible, disposable camera (for the nurses to take pictures when the parents can't be there), gift cards to local restaurants and stores, burp cloth with monogrammed footprints, a scent blankie with a poem attached for the mother to sleep with and return to the baby, travel necessities such as toothbrushes, a prayer request card, and promotional items such as pens and notepads. Each of these items are very important as most babies are premature and the families are not prepared to have a baby when they arrive at the hospital. We also do seasonal events such as our Santa visit, we delivered 1st Christmas stockings and the Easter Bunny delivered Easter baskets.

This ministry has touched the lives of so many families! We've had opportunities to meet these families and pray with them. We've also made many friends through this ministry. Our prayer is that we will share the love of Christ with these families and provide comfort and encouragement to them during the most exciting and difficult time in their life.

"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done." Psalm 105:1

2 comments:

Jay, Paula, Abby, Kai said...

I read of your ministry in the BAPTIST MESSAGE - and was so moved by what you do. I am a Minister of Worship Arts at a Baptist church in Louisiana, and my wife and I have had two premature babies - one of whom is even now in the NICU across town as I type these words. Thank you for what you are doing in His name....JAY HELLUMS. jayhellums@juno.com

Anonymous said...

My daughter got transfered to the NICU at St. Vincents from Gadsden Regional and is now at UAB awaiting her first of three open heart surgeries on December 29th. The day we found out that Jocelyn had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, you were there in the waiting room and prayed with us. I thank you so much for that. It was a week ago and God has surrounded her with angels. He's keeping her safe and she's now on a lower dose of medicine, breathing room air, able to suck on her pacifier, gaining weight, and getting so strong. Thank you so much because I was starting to lose my faith.