The Son & the Sand May 2005
MY MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION Do you have your summer missionaries yet? This is the time of year when everyone I see seems to ask me the same question. The answer… Yes J We are looking forward to working with another wonderful team of committed followers of Christ in the summer of ’05. The Summer Missionaries will arrive at the end of May (Amy, Stephanie, Lindsey, Lauren, and Rebekah). Please pray for these students as they prepare to spend their summer in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. I’ll share with you more about the summer missionaries in the June issue of The Son and the Sand. We may also add another student or two to the team in the coming weeks. Pray for all of us as we move into another exciting season of resort ministry on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. “SUMMER MISSIONARIES FOR A WEEK” We will also work closely with 4 high school students (“summer missionaries for a week” / beach blitz) in July. Pray for Abigail, Rachael, Naomi, & Kailey. Some of these students may serve as summer missionaries for the entire summer in 2006 or beyond. TWENTY FIVE MISSION TEAMS IN ‘05 Please pray for the following church mission teams as they partner with the Gulf Area Resort Ministries’ staff in the summer of 2005. May 28-31 Lakeside Baptist Church / Birmingham, AL May 30-June 4 First Baptist Church of / Madison, MS June 2-5 Willowbrook Baptist Church / Madison, AL June 4-10 North Carrolton Baptist Church / North Carrolton, MS June 11-17 First Baptist Church of Decatur / Decatur, AL June 13-17 First Baptist Church of Frisco / Frisco, TX June 18-24 Church at the Crossing / Indianapolis, IN June 20-24 Imagine Ministries Drama Team / Montgomery AL June 20-24 Jubilee Baptist Church / Daphne, AL June 25-July 1 2nd Baptist Church of Fort Payne / Fort Payne, AL July 2-5 Metamorphosis Ministries / Tuscaloosa AL July 2-5 Capstone Church / Tuscaloosa AL July 2-8 Woodland Baptist Church / Louisville, KY July 2-8 First Baptist Church of Sandersville / Sandersville, GA July 2-8 Baldwin Baptist Association Youth Team July 9-15 Leatherwood Baptist Church / Alexandria, AL July 9-15 New Cannan Baptist Church / Union Hill, AL July 16-22 Mount Airey Baptist Church / Easley, SC July 16-22 Calvary Baptist Church / Bourbon MO July 16-22 Robinson Creek Baptist Church / Campbellsville, KY July 25-29 Parkview Baptist Church / Tuscumbia, AL July 25-29 First Baptist Church of Tuscumbia / Tuscumbia, AL July 25-29 First Baptist Church of Lexington / Lexington , AL July 25-29 North Highland Baptist Church / Littleville, AL July 30-August 5 Timber Ridge Community Church / House Springs, MO We plan to add additional teams to the list for “one day” outreach events in the coming weeks as well. Let us know if your church would like to be added to the summer calendar. ATTENTION: Pastors, Youth Pastors, & Youth Leaders If you are interested in partnering with Gulf Area Resort Ministries in the Summer of 2005, contact us as soon as possible to schedule a Tuesday or Thursday Outreach Event at the beach in June or July. Beach Reaches normally last about an hour to two hours in the afternoon. Because of the nature of Beach Reaches, times and locations along the beach are flexible. Beach Reach is designed to share the Gospel message with people on the beach. The beach atmosphere can be a very challenging place to share the gospel. Here are some strategies that your group may want to use as they tackle the challenge of sharing the gospel in a beach setting: Volleyball games on the beach can easily lead to conversations about what the youth group is doing in the area. People can be invited to day camps and to Family Evening Programs. Witnessing conversations can grow out of volleyball games. Using thread you can wrap the hair of beach goers. Through this creative tool you can share the gospel message in a way much like a salvation bracelet using the colors of the thread: black, red, white, green, yellow, etc… Youth can set up a table on the beach and a sign that advertises “FREE FACE PAINTING”. When children come to have their faces painted, they are shown what their choices are. If the child chooses a heart, your youth can talk about God’s love as the heart is being painted, painted flowers can be used to talk about God’s creation. Let your youth come up with face painting choices and stories to that go along with them. Distributing water on the beach is a great way to share the message of living water (Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst again. The water I give him will be a spring of water welling up to eternal life. – see John 4:13-14). You can print up labels that share this verse or use other creative ways to use free water in your beach reach efforts. ONE LAST THING An encouraging word from Scripture… And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 Peace in Christ, Jeff Ford Resort Missionary Baldwin Baptist Association www.baldwinbaptist.com www.barefootbelievers.com 251.967.4086 email: bbagarm@gulftel.com Another frequently asked question “What’s with the email address?” That b.b.a.g.a.r.m. stands for Baldwin Baptist Association Gulf Area Resort Ministries J
