FamilyFEST gives families experience in missions
By Shannon Baker. BCM/D National Correspondent
BALTIMORE, Md.—Shari Carter was finishing her Celebration meal at last summer’s FamilyFEST in Jacksonville, Fla., when she heard about the 2008 summer missions effort being planned in Baltimore, Md.
She “instantly knew” that she wanted to go.
An accountant for Construction Imaging Systems in Rocky Mount, N.C., Carter participated with other church members from Sunset Avenue Church in last summer’s FamilyFEST in Jacksonville, Fla.
There, they did Backyard Bible Clubs, gave away over 1,000 bottles of water on the beach and assisted with a Latino festival, all in an effort to reach people for Jesus. They brought—and completely used up—a van packed full of supplies for the week, as well as 45 book bags filled with school supplies, hygiene kits and healthcare items, all donated from their home church.
Included in the eight-member team were two eight year olds.
Carter admits she was worried that the kids, daughters of two of the moms on the trip, would wander off or would become cranky when they were tired.
Instead, “they were real troopers,” Carter said, reflecting on the experience. “It’s good for the children to do missions early in their lives.”
Carter also noted that having the children on the team helped break down the barriers between the team and the people they met on the mission field. “The people in the city would see the children and not be afraid,” she explained.
Carter was also touched by the children they met in the city neighborhoods and community parks.
“These children were unlike any I’d ever been around,” she shared. Even as the crowd swelled to over 60 kids, she was amazed at how standoffish others were at first.
“One girl was very angry,” she remembered. Another team member approached the little girl and told her, “I was laying in the bed and even before I knew your name, I was praying for you.”
Immediately, the little girl’s face softened, and she smiled throughout the next three days of songs, games, crafts and Bible lessons.
Carter hopes to see the same results in Baltimore in the FamilyFEST scheduled for June 21–25.
The effort is a partnership between national Woman’s Mis-sionary Union®, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, and Embrace Balti-more—Baltimore Association.
National WMU representative and Fam-ilyFEST coordinator Kristy Carr explains, “FamilyFEST offers a prepackaged missions experience that provides volunteers an opportunity to partner with Christians from around the country, using their individual gifts and abilities to reach out and minister to others in Christ's name.”
Explaining that the ministry projects are determined by the local churches in order to best meet the needs in their community, Carr says that FamilyFEST is designed for families, adults, students and children, six years and older, to have the opportunity to experience missions first-hand.
“FamilyFEST offers a unique opportunity for families to participate in a missions trip together. Families serve together as children learn missions from working alongside their parents, grandparents, or other adults,” she says, adding that FamilyFEST is not just for families of the same household, but can be a great experience for church families and friends as well.
Mission activities include sports camps, creative arts ministries, Backyard Bible Clubs/VBS, light construction and repairs and servant ministries. Prayerwalking is a large part of the missions effort.
“Prayer is vital in all that we do,” Carr said.
“I love the FamilyFEST ex-perience,” shared Carter. “It is one of the most organized things I have ever done. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but everything was ready when I got there.”
She added, “Because it is so easy, it makes you want to go again and again.”
In addition to Baltimore, this year’s FamilyFEST sites include Tijuana, Mexico, on July 19-24, and Kansas City, Kan., on July 21-25.
This year’s cost varies based on each family size. For local participants requiring no overnight stay, it costs $15 for one day (per person) or $25 two or more days (per person).
For more information about partnering with FamilyFEST volunteers in Baltimore, contact Earl Gray at (443) 690-1953; egray@embracebaltimore.com or Carr at (205) 991-4097; kcarr@wmu.org.
