Frequently Asked Questions

Article & Photo By Lisa King of Sentinal News

Touched Twice Ministries had a very successful clinic in Shelby County for the second year in a row, offering medical screenings – including blood pressure and glucose screenings – dental chiropractic and vision testing and treatment.

Starting at 10 a.m., the parking lot at First Baptist Church in Shelbyville had within 30 minutes filled with vehicles carrying people who took advantage of those tests  plus a free clothing bank and food pantry, financial advice and spiritual counseling.

Touched Twice, a national ministry, is headquartered in Wisconsin and has its Kentucky headquarters in Louisville. Shelby Touched Twice was held at First Baptist last year, too.

 “We had a really big crowd,” First Baptist Pastor Steve Rice said. “The rain made it a little challenging for some folks to get here, I’m sure, but I heard that we served over four hundred people, and we had at least that many volunteers. We were busy all day, especially at the dental clinic.”

Shelbyville resident Judy Phillips, a registered nurse at Baptist East in Louisville, who was co-coordinator of the event, said Rice’s estimate is correct.

“We were right within a few numbers of last year,” she said.

Attendance dropped from 485 to 474, but the number of families served rose from 203 to 210.

In 2010, 78 churches of 18 denominations throughout the state participated, and this year the clinic was aided by 76 churches of 15 denominations from 25 cities in Kentucky.

The main difference between this year and last year, Phillips said, is that last year the communities in which church members volunteered were more widespread throughout the state, with even some churches participating from other states.

“Last year we reached as far away as eastern and northern Kentucky, and North Carolina and Florida, and this year it was more of a local volunteer effort,” she said, involving mostly churches in this and surrounding counties.

More than 100 people were lined up for that dental service, provided by two local dentist offices, Pediatric Dentistry of Shelbyville and Mortenson Family Dental.

Diane Yeager, office manager at Mortenson, said 55 people received care at Pediatric Dentistry, and 66 were seen at Mortenson.

“We did a wide variety of treatment, and I think we were able to see most everybody that had been screened over at the church,” she said.

Patients received dental screenings at First Baptist, then were transported over to the dental offices, which were located near each other, for treatment.

Yeager said the treatments were varied.

“We did a lot of extractions, but we also did a lot of restorations,” she said, adding that Pediatric Dentistry saw a lot of children but also took adults, because there were two oral surgeons there who also volunteered their services.

“We worked together on this, and it went great,” she said.

Phillips said that she was very pleased that not just one, but two dentists volunteered their services this year.

“The dental clinic was undoubtedly the greatest need, and they just served in a way that words just can’t explain.”

Phillips said plans are already under way to have the event next year at First Baptist, and Rice said he was very pleased with the way things went and would be pleased to host the event again.

 “This is a great ministry, and we were glad to be a part of it,” he said.