November 8, 2025
SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — For the second year in a row, graduating seniors of Effingham County left graduation rehearsal with breakfast and the word of God, thanks to the faithfulness and collaborative effort of local Georgia Baptist churches.
In May, seven churches distributed approximately 950 Bibles, a gift bag, and a sausage and biscuit to all willing seniors of Effingham and South Effingham high schools and Crossroads Academy. The Bibles, provided by The Gideons International, featured the school colors, and the gift bags were packed by the church youth groups. The bags included cookies, crackers, candy, and messages such as “Jesus Loves You” written on them.
Student Pastor Luke Braswell of Pineora Baptist Church in Guyton, Associate Pastor of Students Aubrey Mixon of First Baptist Church of Springfield, Student Pastor John Madison of First Baptist Church of Rincon, and Youth Director Bryan Price of Springfield Oaks Church in Springfield handed out the Bibles and gift bags on all three graduation rehearsal days.
“It was just a really cool thing to see all these churches come together with one singular purpose,” said Braswell.
“It’s a huge blessing,” said Madison. “It’s something that we know not every state or city or county would allow, so we just try not to take it for granted. The fact that students were excited to get Bibles through the public school shows the sky's the limit on what God can do through that.”
Braswell first saw Bibles given to seniors while serving at West Millen Baptist Church in 2014. Later, God placed it on his heart to give Bibles to students at Berrien High School when he served as a youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Nashville, Ga. At Pineora, he developed friendships with Mixon and Madison, and suggested giving Bibles. “Honestly, they took it and ran with it,” said Braswell. Between 800 to 1000 Bibles, bags, and biscuits were given in 2024.
Since then, there is anticipation and expectancy among the students. Braswell had a senior come up to him a few weeks before graduation and ask if they would give out bags and a Bible again this year. “I thought that was pretty cool.”
Madison said a lot of kids will ask what is in the bag, and they’ll look and see a cookie, a Bible, and some other stuff. “There was one kid who had an excited demeanor and tone. And, he opened it and was like ‘I’ve never been given a Bible or I’ve never owned a Bible before.’”
Impacting communities outside the church walls is the mission.
“It is our hope and prayer that for those who don’t have a Bible or have access to one, that this would open up this opportunity for them and they would read it,” said Mixon. “Whether it ends up like a Bible in a hotel room where somebody grabs it because they are in desperate need for one, or if they have really been searching and this was their opportunity to have one and would be able to dive into it and read it.”
Many kids are not in Christian homes and have no Bible, and having one in front of them will help them consider what they believe, said Madison. “We’re just hoping it’s a seed planted, whether we get to see it sprout or not.”
Mixon hopes they read it and come to know Jesus, or see somebody else cares about their peers by giving them a Bible.
“The word of God never returns void,” said Braswell.
Madison hopes these Bibles help seniors during this transitional part of life, and when plans don’t always go the way they want and things might not work out the way they thought they would, their hope is in a relationship with God through Jesus and not college, or a degree, or a career path. “They would take comfort in that, and hey, if my plans go sideways, that God is behind it all and they can trust Him and know He is good. We’re trying to catch them in a transitionary period where we can give them something that they can put their hope in that won’t let them down like our plans can.” He added, “We hope the timing and the way we are doing it can be a seed and be a spark.”
Building previous relationships and doing events with the school contributed to the success of this event, said Braswell. “If it wasn’t for those relationships, we wouldn’t have been able to do this at all.”
Mixon said it’s opened up opportunities for educators to be able to have conversations with their peers that maybe they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Braswell remarked that churches of all sizes can take hope that God is working even in rural communities, even when things aren’t being seen. “There are some youth pastors who are doing amazing work in the field that nobody will ever know about.“ He hopes that churches see what can happen when they work together with other like-minded churches and not go alone. He encourages church leaders to make friends with other church leaders and pastors and work together for the one singular goal of the expansion of the kingdom of God. “And you can be amazed at what God can do.” He added, “Just step back and watch it take off.”
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