After working two weeks in 2015 on Christ Fellowship Church’s new building on 601 Graham Drive, formerly Andrew Baptist Church, volunteers of the Baptist Group East Cullman Association of Cullman, Ala., returned recently to offer their services.

The volunteers are part of a mission team of 54 churches that travels across the country to Baptist churches with construction needs. The Southern Baptist Convention has a section on its website for churches to post their projects, and the volunteers contact the church with needs that best fit the skill sets they have to offer.

Jerry Ferrell, chairman of Cullman’s mission work trip committee, said they normally don’t come to the same church twice, but they came back to help Christ Fellowship since they didn’t get done with everything last year.

“We worked two weeks last year and didn’t get but halfway done, and so we decided to come back again this year,” Ferrell said. “You just get such a blessing that you’re helping other people to spread the gospel in the local communities.”

Last year, the group of volunteers helped install a new roof, windows, flooring and doors on the old church building. This year, they hung sheetrock, replaced support beams in the church basement and put down tile flooring.

Steven Smith was part of the group that came last year and helped put the roof on the building. He said he got involved with the association through church more than eight years ago and fell in love with it.

“I always take pride in it, and I go above and beyond and treat it as it’s my house or better,” Smith said. “We try to go to somebody that needs the help … it’s all about giving to somebody that needs it. They really needed us here and could probably use us again.”

Christ Fellowship pastor Jody Sledge said the Cullman volunteers called this year to see if they could come back again this year. A similar group from Missouri will arrive in July to help the church with framing the new sanctuary, he said.

“It’s been a blessing to have them here twice. They’ve done a ton of wonderful work for us and saved us a lot of money,” Sledge said. “We’ve been very blessed with people’s willingness and their kindness to come and serve us and help us.”

This is the first week Misty Gaines has worked with the association, and she decided to get involved because she knows a lot about construction through her husband. She brought three youths from her church along with her two children.

“I want them to see that helping others is what we need to do. God gives us a servant heart, and that’s what we should be doing,” Gaines said. “Seeing this experience for them, actually seeing people working and doing this for others, should help them to be where they want to help others as well.”

One of the youths that came with Gaines, 15-year-old Michael Brown, said this is his first time doing construction work. He figured it would be fun to come and help the church.

“It’s pretty hard work,” Michael said.

Sledge said it was incredible to have the offer of a free building and property in the neighborhood that Christ Fellowship is trying to reach. He hopes to have both the sanctuary and fellowship hall done by fall.

“This neighborhood had been the target of our church since we started in 2009. So, our goal has been to know this neighborhood and to love on this neighborhood and to serve this neighborhood,” Sledge said.

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter @SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.