

Image courtesy of Oak Grove Baptist Church
By Sharon Mager, BaptistLIFE Correspondent
LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—Oak Grove Baptist Church, Bel Air, is sending an 8-person mission team to minister at the 15th annual Lake Placid Ironman Competition July 23 to 30. The triathlon includes swimming across Mirror Lake followed by a 112 mile bike ride through the Adirondack Mountains then a full marathon ending at the Olympic skating site in the village of Lake Placid.
Team leader John Ferrara said this is the eighth year the church has served in this ministry.
The team members will help with registration and man a booth in a trade expo area giving away balloon animals and snow cones and they’ll help with a bike aid station distributing food and water to passing athletes. Team members will also man a prayer booth for athletes. This year, Ferrara said the team will also help the community by painting a local fire house.
Mission team members have been involved in prayer and evangelism training for months in preparation for the ministry.
Other churches from around the country are participating. The Oak Grove team will minister with Lake Placid Baptist Church.
The team seeks prayers for safety, for God to prepare the hearts of both the short term missionaries and for those they will be meeting.