“After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go. He told them: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest,” Luke 10:1-2
Raceway Ministry
Delaware churches are gearing up for the 2019 Fall Race Weekend, Oct. 4-6 at Dover International Speedway. Church members won’t be racing, but they’ll be biblically “running the race,” building relationships and sharing the Gospel. Twice a year, in June and Oct., Maryland/Delaware churches bake thousands of cookies in preparation for the race. They serve free dinners, have church services and concerts, give out Bibles and literature and this year, they’ll even have a wedding.
There are two ministry locations. At each, volunteers give away the homemade cookies and chat with race fans as they arrive and disburse through the campground.
Three generations of raceway ministry leaders from left to right – Jim McBride Sr, Ben McBride, and Jim McBride, Jr.
In one area, led by Greg Weigel, the associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Elkton, in Maryland, volunteers hand out tracts, give away cookies, chat with passers-by, and invite folks to return to a church service. Weigel said, “We share the Gospel as much as possible.” Team members go out two-by-two to talk and pray with people. Weigel will preach at a church service in the campground on Oct. 6. Ann Spargo, a member of Ogletown Baptist Church (OBC) in Newark, Delaware, will share special music.
Aarne and Helen Harju, members of OBC who work with Weigel, have been volunteering since 2006. Helen said she and Aarne were pleased to help when they heard about the opportunities. “We liked the idea that we could reach people, plant seeds, and sometimes have deeper conversations.” God opens many of those “deeper conversation” doors. “We ask sometimes, ‘how can we pray for you?’ They often tell us about their problems, and we tell them that Jesus has the answer,” Helen said.
Jim McBride, Jr., who attends Summit Trace Church in Frederick, Maryland, oversees the second area and leads the raceway ministry. At McBride’s site, volunteers grill hotdogs, hamburgers and pulled pork. The Steve Wingfield Evangelistic Association partners with the raceway ministry, providing concerts on Friday and again on Saturday along with a devotional time. Featured performers this weekend are “Southern Edge,” and Aubry Rey, a contestant on American Idol
Darla Lewis as “Emerald the Clown” walks the paths through the campground with her balloons and bag of tricks.
Jim McBride, Sr., the pastor of New Harvest Baptist Church in Dover, and founder of the raceway ministry, will perform the wedding ceremony. Wedding guests will enjoy the food prepared by the raceway volunteers.
McBride Jr. laughed and said his father had performed several weddings at the raceway, one time on the in-field. That one, he said, was televised.
Volunteers throughout Maryland/Delaware help with the ministry, now in its 26th year. McBride Jr. wants to open a third site but needs more volunteers. Email Jim McBride Jr. for more information.
ABA Youth Network
The Arundel Baptist Network had a youth network event on Sept. 14. Teens from Elvaton Baptist Church in Millersville, Maryland, Glen Burnie Baptist Church in Maryland, Life Connection Church in Severn, Maryland, Severna Park Baptist Church in Maryland, and Uplift Through the Word Ministry in Severn, Maryland, enjoyed spending time together at a local trampoline park. Kids jumped, played, made new friends, and heard a Gospel message. The youth network hopes to involve more churches in youth activities.
Fall Festivals
Mt. Airy Baptist Church in Maryland, will have their annual fall festival from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 25. The event draws over 100 families each year for games, inflatables, food, and live animals.
Each year the competition can be fiercely fun for the annual “Scripture Cake Walk.” Contestants stand on popsicle sticks with the names of books of the Bible. A game leader randomly pulls the name of a book from a bag and the person standing on the corresponding popsicle stick wins the prize.
Children will enjoy a moon bounce shaped like a giant pumpkin and can play in giant bubbles. They can also make stuffed animals.
Church members will serve free food throughout the evening.
Christ in Israel’s Fall Festivals
Dunkirk Baptist Church in Maryland will host Rabbi Robert Pristoop, the pastor of Mishkan HaShofar Messianic Jewish Congregation in Silver Spring, Maryland. at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6, for “Sound the Trumpet.” Pristoop will share about the representation of Christ in Israel’s fall feasts, and how they relate to the church today.