Summer vacation will be ending in several weeks, but churches are using the warm weather to do ministry outdoors on mission trips, outdoor movies and worship services and more. Read about a few of our Maryland/Delaware churches and what they’re doing to share the Good News!
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
Severna Park Baptist Church (SPBC) Pastor Dave Brown led a group of seven teens and two other adults to a LifeWay XFuge camp, July 16-20, in Charleston, S.C.
Severna Park Baptist Church’s youth group worked at a non-profit community center doing VBS type activities – games, stories, and crafts.
LifeWay’s Xfuge camps are similar to Mfuge. Both focus on missions, but the Xfuge camps allow youth groups to stay together and work as a team, explained Brown. They’ve participated in both, but this year the Xfuge worked out especially well for them.
The SPBC group helped out at “Beyond Our Walls” (BOW), a non-profit center in a low-income area that provides educational activities, special events and opportunities for children, resources for career opportunities for adults and opportunities for the community to volunteer and be involved together.
Spending three of five days at the center, the team hosted a Vacation Bible School-type event with Bible stories, crafts, and games. “We also got to hang out with the kids and get to know them,” Brown said.
One of the days they used the parables of the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep to talk about God’s love for children, Brown said. Then they helped the children make pictures of themselves with the words, “Jesus Loves” and their names.
They also saw three high school students pray to trust in Jesus. “We were able to pass their names and contacts to a local church in Charleston through the X-Fuge program.”
After hearing how Jesus loves them, children made pictures of themselves with the words, “Jesus Loves…” and inserted their names.
Interestingly, the group discovered that the BOW director, Joyce Maybin Nesmith, is a Christian, and she used to live in Catonsville.
Brown said the trip provided a great opportunity for the SPBC youth group to bond. They’re a smaller church, and currently, don’t have a youth pastor on staff. Brown meets with the high schoolers monthly for Bible study and discipleship, and with the entire youth group once a month as well for fun, fellowship and Bible study.
Sizang Burmese Mission Church recently moved into their new facility at 200 Melvin Avenue, Catonsville. The church, which began in May, 2006, has been meeting at Seven Locks Baptist Church. They recently celebrated their 12th anniversary.
Gayle Clifton is serving as interim pastor at Ashton Baptist Church effective July 1. Clifton also serves as
Manchester Baptist Church has “Carless” movie nights!
the moderator of the Montgomery Baptist Association.
Manchester Baptist Church has “carless drive-ins” each month. At dusk, they have a free movie with popcorn, a moonbounce, face painting, and games. The next movie is “Toy Story 3” starting at 6:30 pm on Sept. 8. Baked goods will be sold to benefit a local scout troop.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, the church will have their Sunday worship service at “Christmas Tree Park,” followed by a potluck-style dinner.