Morning Star Baptist on a mission to help

When Senior Pastor J.L. Franklin came to Morning Star Baptist Church in Gulfport in April 2015, he prayed for the future and saw God at work among the people.

Morning Star is a Missionary Baptist Church that is Bible-based, person-centered and life-focused. Worship services are live-streamed at www.msbcgulfport.org.

The church also has a tutoring program that assists children in their schoolwork. They work with students twice a week at the church to help the kids learn and keep their grades up. If you know a student who needs help, you can call the program director, Burnell Kelly, at the church office.

Morning Star has a food and clothing pantry partially assisted through the USDA. Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. until noon, families can receive assistance by signing up and qualifying for the program. Go to the church for details and take proof of residency, a picture ID and proof of income along with how many people are in your household. Other requirements may apply.

In June, Morning Star began a special program for boys to mentor them in all aspects of life.

“The young men of today need to be taught skills that they are not getting many times in their daily life. We welcome any young man or his family to call us and join in the program,” Franklin said.

The mentoring program helps to build self-esteem and provides a place where boys can interact with caring and committed men on a continuous basis. These volunteer mentors encourage boys to be men of honor. Participants are challenged to be accountable and responsible in their actions. They are further mentored in how to make a meaningful impact in their church, the community and the world.

The MSBC seniors ministry, known as “Grey Power,” meets weekly on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. The meetings have a guest speaker who addresses community involvement and local programs.

Another focus for the church is on small group ministries. Core leaders conduct these learning meetings at sites throughout the week for adults.

By joining a small group ministry, you can become more involved in all the things MSBC is doing in the church and the community.

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Morning Star Baptist on a mission to help."