Church changes name; still meeting community needs

Not a week passes without Dr. Terri Brassfield or her church getting a phone call for a need, whether it's someone who lost all they had in a fire; a senior in need of food; or a child who doesn't have a bed or decent pair of shoes.

Brassfield hopes to invite even more phone calls and meet more needs by changing the name of the church.

Effective today, Harvest Time Outreach will be known as "h.i.s. ministries" and its motto will be "Serving Him, Serving Them."

The h.i.s. is: healing, inspiration and soundness.

Brassfield plans to promote the new name in a variety of ways, including signs, shirts and other paraphernalia.

"We just feel that it's time," she said. "The seasons have changed. We hope that this name change will better communicate the healing and the inspiration and the soundness. The healing has to do with healing of every area of life. The inspiration is truly trying to inspire others to do the same, to reach out to those around them. And the soundness is that we would love to see every household, every family, every child, every senior citizen sound, well and whole in all aspects."

Brassfield pointed out different individuals in scripture changed their names when the seasons changed.

She noted while the ministry is not changing, the church feels the new name better represents what it does.

In the past, the church was more focused on world missions, including having a trucking ministry, and Brassfield said the organization isn't discounting that history.

However, in recent years, the church has been more "community-based," according to Brassfield.

The church has birthed 11 outreaches, seven of which are active -- Warm Hugs (giving out blankets and heaters); Heart and Sole (provides shoes); Breaking Bread (delivers food); Senior Connection (provides food baskets to seniors); Critical Care (relief service for caregivers and provides prayer blankets); Sweet Dreams (provides bedding); and Paul's Pockets (for retired and/or ill ministers).

"We're a community outreach that has a service on Sunday morning," Brassfield said.

"We do shoes, we do bedding, we do blankets and heaters. Senior Connection is a huge thing right now. We are getting more and more senior citizens that we serve. We have sort of adopted the Health Department and so through there we are helping a lot of newborn babies and children and parents that need product for their children."

Funds for the outreaches are kept separate from the general operations of the church.

Brassfield added the church isn't trying to get a name in the community; it wants folks to know what it does so they will know who to contact for certain needs.

"We want to make a difference," she said, noting that could be through one of its own projects or joining another organization's effort like Ignite, the Senior Center, to name a couple.

Currently, the church has about 35 members.

"I know it's small in number to some, but we've got big hearts," she said. "It's a great group of people that work hard in the community and work hard to help others and to make sure we are meeting needs. There's not a week that goes by that we don't get a phone call now. Either there has been a burnout and they are needing bedding or there's a senior citizen that is needing some food or juice. We've been paying some light bills and water bills. There's not a week that goes by there's not a need. What we're hoping is advertising the name change and getting some information out there will help others know who they can call. As long as we have funding we're going to spend it. I laugh and tell the people a lot of times, 'You're the best kept secret in Blytheville right now, but that's about to change.'"

"It's not about us, it's about us helping others," Brassfield added.

For more information or to make a donation, contact the church at (870) 623-4121.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com