The Son and the Sand – October 2003

The Son & the Sand Newslette September & October Edition 2003 (double issue) Outside of the Box “Good, good, good, good vibrations, bop, bop, good vibrations” – beach boys tune This song has been bouncing around in my head for the past several weeks. I heard an updated version of the tune, via one of my favorite Christian musicians – Phil Keaggy, on a tribute album not too long ago, and I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head since. In our ministry efforts on the beaches and campgrounds, we often attempt to transform something with ordinary meaning (the song good vibrations by the beach boys) into something with extraordinary value (Evangelistic outreach and Christian fellowship). The exciting Christian concerts at locations like Island Retreat RV and Gulf State Park Campground give believers an opportunity to go “outside the box” in their ministry efforts. These efforts result in some great times of evangelistic outreach and fellowship. This is the time of year that we begin preparing for our next spring and summer ministry opportunities through the utilization of volunteer mission teams, summer missionaries, and other individuals with a heart for resort ministry. If you know of an individual, couple, student mission team, or adult mission team that might be interested, tell them to visit our website: www.barefootbelievers.com and send us an email: bbagarm@gulftel.com for more information on the “good, good, good, good vibrations…” that come from going outside the box in resort ministry September Happenings – Continued development of our snowbird, spring break, and summer calendars for 2004 – September 26th – Resort Committee Meeting (thanks to Mitch Nelson, Jeff Hunter, and George Oneal for all of their helpful guidance and encouragement) – Ministry partnership with retired volunteers, David and Marilyn Irby, at Gulf State Park Campground – A wonderful visit from my former youth pastor, Keith Jenkins. Keith’s impact on my life is a big part of why I am involved in missions today. Keith is now the director of the Etowah Baptist Association mission center in Gadsden, AL – Worship services at Gulf State Park Campground & the Plantation Resort – Seminary classes continue at the NOBTS Pensacola Seminary Extension Center – Tuesday Baptist Campus Ministries / BCM meetings for Faulkner State Students (thanks to Rich Gartman – ministry volunteer and Amanda Parker – BCM president, for their leadership and encouragement to the students of FSCC) – Reorganized our ministry supplies in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Silverhill – Fellow resort ministers (from Lake Placid Baptist Church in NY), Derek and Kim Spain, spent some time with us while on a family vacation. Visit www.ncministries.net for more info. Prayer Requests & Upcoming Events in October – October is the month that we typically begin to see our seasonal visitors, affectionately called snowbirds, arriving at Gulf State Park, Luxury RV, Gulf Breeze RV, Island Retreat RV, and the countless other Gulf Shores and Orange Beach snowbird nests. – On Mission Celebration in Spokane, Washington – this will be a great opportunity for me to go into churches and share about the great things God has done and is doing on Alabama’s Gulf Coast through our ministry efforts – Baldwin Baptist Association’s 2003 Annual Meeting – October 20-21 – Ongoing Resort Worship Services – Student Bible Studies on Tuesday Nights at FSCC – Impact Alabama / BCM Habitat for Humanity Project – October 11th – Missions Partnership with Macedonia Baptist Church. This group of ladies from Gadsden, AL will be working with us at the Shrimp Festival in the Children’s area, come and say hello to our wonderful volunteers – October 9-13 One Last Thing I heard a challenging message from one of our guest speakers at the BCM recently share from Exodus of how we are to live the Christian life. Here’s the challenge from scripture: 16 Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are— face to face! 17 They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! 18 All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Cor 3:16-18 (The Message)