The Son & The Sand
October 2005
Hurricane Relief Update
My recent visit to Pascagoula, MS was quite an eye opening experience. I worked with a team of church members from the First Baptist Church of Robertsdale and Project K.A.R.E. and a team from Haven Fellowship Church (Conyers, GA). We distributed food, clothes, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies. We also tore out sheet rock and insulation from a flooded home. If you are interested in “rolling up your sleeves”, and joining the Baldwin Baptist Association and Baldwin County Churches in the relief effort please visit www.projectkare.org for more information.
Last year, during Hurricane Ivan cleanup I worked with my Dad, and recently through Hurricane Katrina cleanup I was able to partner in a ministry project with my brother, Scott Ford. Scott is the youth pastor at Haven Fellowship in Conyers, GA. He and his team of high school students worked extremely hard in their relief efforts on Dauphin Island (near Mobile, AL) and Pascagoula, MS. It was a joy to serve with them.
2006 Summer Interns… A Unique Ministries on the Horizon
Beginning in May of 2006, Gulf Area Resort Ministries will partner with between 10 to 20 college students from Alabama to minister to Gulf Coast visitors and residents. Please pray for us as we begin taking steps to prepare the mission field for this new ministry project.
Here’s a Quick Ministry Overview and Q & A for those interested in the Summer Interns Project…
Over 5 million people visit the Alabama Gulf Coast each year. Imagine what opportunities are available to serve in this area! Fifteen positions are available for students to work secular jobs (primarily in hotels and tourist areas) where they will be allowed to conduct ministry projects on site. Interns will build relationships through Kid’s Clubs (BYBC type ministries at the hotel pools), prayer walking, beach ministry, and other resort ministries.
These students will be paid as an employee of the hotel or other work site. This is an excellent opportunity for students who want to serve as a missionary but need to make some money during the summer!
- How many students will take part in this summer missions endeavor? A maximum of 15 students will take part in this project in the summer of 2006.
- Who will recruit, interview, and appoint these summer missionaries?
The Collegiate Ministries Office at the State Board of Missions. Contact person: Scotty Goldman. Talk to your campus minister for more details as well.
- Where will the summer missionaries live?
The Baldwin Baptist Association (www.baldwinbaptist.com) mission house in Silverhill and / or the mission house at the First Baptist Church of Orange Beach.
- Where is this type of ministry already happening?
Orlando, FL, West Yellowstone National Park in Montana, and Gatlinburg, TN.
- Is this the first summer Baldwin Baptist Association has supported a program like this?
Yes.
- Where will the students that take part in the program come from?
The students will be coming from all across the state of Alabama’s Baptist Campus Ministries.
- What is the length of service?
8 to 10 weeks.
- Will “regular” summer missionaries also work with the resort ministry in the summer of 2006?
Yes.
What Else is Going on?
Between now and May of 2006 Gulf Area Resort Ministries will be involved in variety of ministry projects including the 2005 National Shrimp Festival ( www.nationalshrimpfestival.com ), Snowbird Ministries at Island Retreat RV, Gulf Breeze RV, The Plantation Resort, Luxury RV, and the Gulf State Park Campground, Spring Break Ministries, and Beach Blitz 2006.
Prayer Requests
- New Opportunities and Innovative Ministry Efforts in October of 2005
- Hurricane Relief Efforts of the Baldwin Baptist Association and Project K.A.R.E.
- Our friends The Townsend Family (residents of New Orleans, LA)
- Our friends Grant and Ashley Martin (Newlyweds as of October 8th)
- Nathan Diehl and the BCM college ministry at Faulkner State Community College
- Scott and Dixie Ford as the prepare for the arrival of baby #2 J
- Jeff and Thea’s ministry efforts along the Gulf Coast and throughout Baldwin County.
We greatly appreciate your prayers as we seek to serve people in the name of Jesus Christ through resort ministries.
Let us know how we can pray for you this month.
One Last Thing
Some wisdom from Scripture…
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two—faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:17-18
Have a great month,
Jeff Ford
Resort missionary
Baldwin Baptist association
www.barefootbelievers.com
Gulf Area Resort Ministries is a ministry of the Baldwin Baptist association ( www.baldwinbaptist.com ), and we are partners in ministry with the Alabama State Board of Mission ( www.alsbom.org ) and the North American Mission Board ( www.namb.net)
