FIND A NEED, THEN FIX IT

Memorable Church/Mission Projects
noted by Torrey H. Brinkley

During the course of several church and mission experiences, certain projects stand out as challenging, productive and rewarding. The following are listed as examples of ministry opportunities which can be undertaken by ordinary churches with ordinary resources and personnel.

1) Salt Cellar was a ministy undertaken by 4 small Colorado churches lying in the same geographic community, who individually were not able to provide for a significant ministry to the high school youth connected to their congregations. We planned one weekly youth meeting, visited each of the 4 churches on Sundays, and did a lot of extra-curricular activities. Several youth from this ministry later went on to serve as pastors/missionaries in other places.

2) Bible reading marathons were a challenge mostly presented to youth, who had either Spring Break time off, or summer free in town, or at an isolated church camp. It was easy to get volunteer adults to help chaperone the non-stop readings that took up to 88 hours to complete reading thru the entire Bible. Food & exercise & sleep were allowed for people to keep fresh ( done in Colorado, Kansas & Oklahoma).

3) Back Seat film project was initiated to help identify a need in a locality (Wichita, KS), but which could have national impact. Loneliness in society became the subject matter, and a partial TV crew was used to get interviews, hire some actors, and edit a finished project that won national awards & international recognition. The same film was translated into Spanish, and toured with a professional psychiatrist throughout the Iberian peninsula.

4) Teacher training classes for local church Sunday School teachers (& youth leaders) were accomplished using nationally prepared materials. Workshops usually took all weekend, and attendance & interest was always high. We ran these seminars in a variety of towns & cities in several states.

5) Rebuilding homes in Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina seemed to be a wonderful opportunity for men to bond together, see the enormity of the tasks ahead, and then to accomplish one job after another, all the while laboring as Christ's servants to others. Scriptural teaching of Nehemiah re-building the wall of Jersusalem served as our teaching backdrop each evening.

6) Poolside ministry to searching youth in San Jose, CA allowed for youth steeped in the newly burgeoning drug/hippie culture (1969) to examine life's questions, and receive a Biblical answer from bold prophets like Jeremiah in the Old Testament and a book like Hebrews in the New Testament. Youth would bring new friends every day to sit next to the swimming pool & examine the evidence.

7) Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona was an isolated spot to train youth how to minister to a foreign culture, with a strange language and unusual customs/religions. After doing a Summer VBS with these pre-trained teens, bonds were formed and a world vision was captured. Many participants later went off to serve in foreign countries with their Christ-centered message.

8) During Easter Week we actually super-imposed a map of Jerusalem upon downtown Wichita, KS. We obtained permission to do a drama of Jesus night- time trial right on the downtown Courthouse steps. We carried a heavy wooden cross thru city streets, along a route similar to Jesus' labor of love for us. We also held an Easter sunrise service at the banks of a river, having fish, like Jesus did with his disciples. This did attract interest from local television crews.

9) Down thru the years, summer camps have been a wonderful opportunity to get to know youth and adults alike and to offer teaching, worship, meals and exercise in either a family or youth-centered experience. We have seen many lives changed in such camps in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oklahoma, California and Spain down thru the years.

10) Showing Christian movies had always been a meaningful evangelistic/teaching tool. We presented Billy Graham films in a downtown Longmont, CO park, as well as Moody Science films in newly opened Bible centers in some towns in Spain. Attendance, interest, and response was always more than we could have anticipated.

11) Teaching English classes (from native speakers) to Spaniards was one vehicle that we utilized to give the public something that was not available elsewhere. A variety of missionaries participated in this endeavor, and we attempted to teach young children all the way up thru university professors. We often used the Bible as one of our English texts.

12) Teaching baseball to Spanish youth was another Saturday morning activity that allowed us to rub shoulders with youth, who would otherwise never attend a church service. During a cooling off period, stories of athletes who had faith experiences in their lives were shared.

13) Outdoor music concerts in parks in Spanish cities was another way we could reach a curious outdoor crowd. Dynamic music presentations, as well as solid biblical testimonies, gave people a thirst for knowing more about Jesus. Sometimes we tied these concerts into various town fiestas.