Serving Alongside,
The Acts 1:8 Team

Abundant Life Korean
Allen Memorial
Ashton
Barnesville
Bel Forest
Berean
Berlin FBC
Berwyn
Bethany
Bethel
Brantly
Calvary, Bel Air
Calvary, Rising Sun
Canton
Carsins Run
Catonsville
Christos
Church of New Nations
Cobb Island
Cockeysville
Colesville
College Parkway
Colonial
Community Mission, Camden
Conowingo
Cordova
Covenant, Chestertown
CrossRoads Community., Harford
Cumberland Community
Deep Creek
Dublin Missionary
Dunkirk
Elkridge
Elvaton
Emmanuel, Gambrills
Faith Baptist Fellowship
Faith, Glen Burnie
Faith, Knoxville
Faith, Laurel
FBC, Beltsville
FBC, Brooklyn
FBC, Brunswick
FBC, Cambridge
FBC, Cumberland
FBC, Damascus
FBC, Delmar
FBC, Dundalk
FBC, Easton
FBC, Edgewater
FBC, Elkton
FBC, Girdletree
FBC, Havre de Grace
FBC, Hurlock
FBC, Kent Island
FBC, Keyser
FBC, Kingsville
FBC, La Plata
FBC, Mardela Springs
FBC, Mount Ranier
FBC, North East
FBC, Perryville
FBC, Pocomoke City
FBC, Princess Anne
FBC, Rockville
FBC, Savage
FBC, St. Charles
FBC, Upper Marlboro
FBC, Waldorf
FBC, Westernport
First English
First Southern
Georgia Avenue
Germantown
Gethsemane
Glenn Dale
Goodwill
Grace Community, Cecilton
Grace, Bryans Road
Grace, Cumberland
Grace, Seaford
Grace, Sunset Beach
Graceland
Greenbrier
Greenridge
Greensboro
Harrington
Hope, Laurel
Hosanna Korean
Hughesville
Iglesia Bautista de Middle River
Iglesia Bautista Nueva Jerusalem
Iglesia Cristiana de Armistead Gardens
Immanuel, Salisbury
Jessup
Kendall
Kensington
Kettering
Lakeshore
Landover Hills
Laurel, Delaware
LaVale
Lee Street Memorial
Leonardtown
Lexington Park
Linthicum
Little Meadows
Living Word Bible
Loch Raven
London Village
Lynnhaven
Manchester
Marbury
Mars Hill
Maryland City
Mason Dixon
Maugansville
Memorial Heights
Middle River
New Day
New Image
New Life Community
North Arundel
North Baptist
North Glen
North Harford
Oak Grove
Ocean City
Ogletown
Oldtown
Open Korean
Paramount
Parkville
Pathways
Patterson Park
Phillippine International
Pitts Creek
Pleasant Valley
Pleasant View
Pleasant View
Potomac Heights
Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Cambridge
Progressive First, Baltimore
Rehoboth
Reisterstown
Riverside, Baltimore
Riverside, Oxon Hill
Seaside
Second
Severna Park
SonRise Church
South Columbia
South End
Stoney Run
Temple
The Church at Severn Run
Towne
Travilah
Tri-County
Trinity
Tumaini
Tyrannus Korean
United
Valley, Lutherville
Viers Mill
Virginia Avenue
Washington Sung Hyun
Weems Creek
Welsh Memorial
West End
Westminster
White Marsh
Wildwood
World Mission

Abbey Brakeall, member of Second Church, Cumberland, Md., helps with the 2010 Iditarod race in Nome, Al.

By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

NOME, Ak.—The Iditerod could provide a pastor with an unlimited number of winter sermon ideas—the “last great race” over 1,100 miles across tundra, frozen rivers, forests and mountain ranges to the finish line; the mushers’ endurance and the history and legends that surround the race. There’s mysteriousness to Alaska, romanticism. The reality is that Alaska is a ripe mission field. It leads the nation in incest, rape and suicide. The darkness that covers the region for most of the day in the winter is ravaging the souls of many in that state; but God has a presence in Alaska and His light is shining in spiritual darkness.

One hundred sixty Christians volunteered at the 2010 Iditarod race, providing seriously needed helping hands and a Holy presence to the small town of Nome. Brenda Crimm, a North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionary and mission strategist leads mission teams to help at the Iditarod each year. Crimm, who serves as a collegiate minister at University of Alaska-Anchorage, is passionately driven to reach the people of Alaska for Jesus. She pours herself into her chosen ministry. Marylander Abbey Brakeall was one of the 160 who worked alongside Crimm this year.

Brakeall, a member of Second Church, Cumberland, is no stranger to mission trips, but she was surprised when God led her to minister at the Iditarod. While watching a video about the North American Missions offering last year, she was intrigued by Crimm’s testimony and ministry. Brakeall, the associational WMU director for the Western Association, really enjoys being around dogs and she had followed the Iditarod for years. The excitement of helping with the race combined with doing ministry in Alaska drew her in. She prayed about the possibility and she felt God leading her to make the contact. In March, Brakeall was meeting mushers, working at an after-the-race banquet and giving away buckets of Bibles.

She ministered in Nome, where the mushers with their faithful dogs dash to the finish line. “Nome is a very old town, very much like it was in 1925 when the original serum was taken into the town,” Brakeall observed, referring to a dog sled race to Nome in 1925 to deliver medicine during a severe diphtheria epidemic. Now there are modern amenities, but outside of the town, people still live in old fashioned villages.

Crimm’s Iditerod volunteers filled an astonishing number of capacities. They answered phones, transported Iditarod officials by snowmobiles to the final checkpoint, manned the lots where race dogs are kept under secure watch, delivered dog food (a three hour trip on the frozen river), updated the leader boards to keep folks up to date on the race and prepared and served food at the Iditarod banquet. One group of volunteers helped with security. The bars don’t close in Nome until 5 a.m. These brave volunteers headed out into the wee hours of the frozen morning looking for intoxicated people in danger of falling asleep in the snow. Volunteers have done such a great job and are so well received that they’ve been essential to the process.

Crimm is now included in the Iditarod planning meetings. Officials were reluctant to have the volunteers at first, Crimm explained, but she assured the leaders that she and her mission volunteers were not going to be “slamming” people with Christianity. “I told them, ‘We’re going to volunteer. We’ll act right.’ And we were great. We were organized, we were serving, we weren’t drinking and we were showing up on time.

“The Lord has given us favor,” Crimm, a native Texan said. It’s incongruous to see her in a heavy fur parka speaking in that southern drawl. “We have assumed leadership positions at the Iditarod and the church gets infused into the world. That’s the whole point. It’s not to say that ‘we did the Iditerod,’” Crimm stressed.

“Some people don’t get that. They think we’re not doing evangelism, but we’re putting mission teams right in the middle of non-Christians. We have a reason to be authentic and natural and to bring Christianity to the world in a natural way so it overflows and is not staged and facetious. The world bristles at that.”

The town of Nome has a Mardi Gras atmosphere during the Iditarod, Crimm explained. Immorality is rampant. Satan’s footprints are on the tundra, she said. But as the little army of mission team volunteers prayer walk and works side-by side with native Alaskans and allow God’s Spirit to overflow, God is being glorified and people are being changed.

Crimm works with Nome Community Church, which is very supportive of the ministry and happily opens their doors to the volunteers. Crimm helped supply the church with extra shower facilities and a new stove. It’s a good partnership, Crimm said. The church gets tremendous exposure and the team has a place to stay.

In addition to working with logistics, mission team volunteers do kids’ clubs and senior events. And they served at a concession stand during a huge basketball program. In fact, Crimm runs the concession stand for officials and volunteers man it. In addition to selling food, they offer Bibles.

Brakeall helped with a “Bibles in Buckets” outreach. Crimm asked the townspeople what they needed and they told her—buckets. These buckets had Scripture on the outside and Bibles, tracts and information about Nome Community Church on the inside.

“Native Alaskans use buckets for everything!” Brakeall said, explaining that the Alaskans use them to carry meat and fish and those that live in remote areas even use them in their outhouses. “We had good weather. It was only -1 degrees when we did the distribution,” Brakeall said with a chuckle. “We got a good response from most people,” she added.

Crimm recorded 65 confessions of faith this year. And, as they packed up, she even thought she could see Christ’s footprints on the tundra.

BALTIMORE, Md.–Nearly 200 volunteers from Keller Williams Realty and its partners opted to not make money for a day. Instead, they spent the day cleaning, building and moving the new offices for Open Door Community Development Corporation in Baltimore, Md.

RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day is a Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving the local communities.

“Giving where they live,” these volunteers from at least four local offices wore their red shirts as they transported office furniture and supplies into Open Door’s new location, only two doors down from their previous space, on Fayette Street.

The new space allows Open Door to consolidate all their operations, including food and clothing distribution as well as their client management, into one building.

Formed in 2006, Open Door is located in lower East Baltimore serving seven contiguous neighborhoods near Johns Hopkins Hospital. There staff and volunteers, led by a Board of Directors, seek to stimulate economic revitalization and community development in distressed neighborhoods in Baltimore.

Open Door also seeks to be a source of hope and encouragement for people who need a new start.

But on this day, it was Open Door that was the recipient of the blessing.

“With Keller Williams’ assistance, we were able to quickly move our operations,” shared Bill Simpson, executive director at Open Door. More than that, many of the realtors realized ongoing opportunities to serve and otherwise give back to the communities in which they work, he said.

Chip Macgil with Keller Williams Select in Ellicott City, Md., shared, “It’s kind of really in the spirit of just giving back, and it’s just a great opportunity. We had a great day here and got a little bit accomplished—no, I think, a lot accomplished.”

“What a day it’s been,” agreed John Hallis, of Keller Williams Ellicott City, who organized the day’s events.

“One of the things that have been so powerful to me is how intentional these folks have been. These folks are all small business owners.  The day down here working and giving a day of volunteerism is a day that they weren’t able to make money…They all said, ‘You know what, it is more important to go down and be together and to make an impact in a place that desparately needs hope.’”

Hallis continued, “So, today we were hope-pushers, street to street, place to place, letting people know that we care about them. The folks who do this every single day and dedicate their lives to make a difference in a very tough place, they know we care about them; and the folks that they serve and the ones who were able to meet and ultimately would be the beneficiaries of some of our work, they know we care about them.”

Hallis shared that he personally is very passionate about the disenfranchised and about helping people who don’t have a voice.

“I believe that it speaks very powerfully to my knowledge of who Jesus is and to the power of what He is able to do in lives. He was drawn to the disenfranchised. This, for me, is a natural day. It’s a day of giving, yes, but at the same time, it is a day of receiving, because we get many blessings from just being down here.

“At the end of the day, if we didn’t come down here and passionately serve the people, who don’t have advocates and who don’t have the basic necessities of life, then we have accomplished nothing. So the fact that we have accomplished both of those things is a very cool thing, and I am glad I am a part of it.”

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Wendy Mindte, Open Door’s director of volunteer services, at www.opendoorbaltimore.org/volunteering.html.  Corporate sponsors may contact Bill Simpson at (410) 522-0044 or bsimpson@opendoorbaltimore.org.

Team member Danny Beasley was excited to share the story of Jesus using a storying cloth, which chronologically tells the story of Creation to the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, from the IMB.

By Shannon Baker, BCM/D National Correspondent

BELCAMP, Md.—During their fourth trip to West Africa, members from Susquehanna Association and The Church at Riverside in Belcamp, Md., finally got what they were yearning for—the very first Christian convert in the Muslim-dominated village they adopted five years ago.

In 2006, members from the Association ventured into Guinea, traveling hours across rough terrain into deep mountain villages to build relationships with the villagers and ultimately to share the Gospel with them.

Since this time, in three previous trips, the Association has built a well for clean water in the village; provided electronic devices with Old and New Testament books in the village’s native Pular language; and otherwise has patiently built a reputation with the village’s leaders.

Calling this “the climatic year,” team leader Dan Sheffield, the director of missions for the Susquehanna Association, shared that the 2010 team went to the adopted village with a deepened commitment to expose the villagers to the Gospel.

And their faith was met with great success!

A sole convert, accepting Christ in secret so as not to be endangered, agreed that Jesus Christ was the only way to God.

“I want to believe,” the person said. “I want to accept Jesus Christ.”

An International Mission Board (IMB) missionary, on a family mission trip and vacation from working with another African mission group, helped with translation in the village.

He was astounded by the continued openness of the villagers to the words of Christ. The convert was the first profession of faith that he had seen in five years.
“His whole family said it was the best weekend that they have had in ten years,” Sheffield said.

Team member Danny Beasley was excited to share the story of Jesus using a storying cloth from the IMB, which chronologically tells the story of creation to the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

It wasn’t until the end of the week that he actually had the opportunity. He started telling the story with a handful of children. Before he was finished, over 40 adults gathered to hear the story.

“It made him nervous, but since it was Friday, the Muslim day of worship, Danny ended up presenting the Gospel to more people than he originally planned,” Sheffield shared.

“God has his plans planned. It was a perfect set-up—the perfect day, the perfect place!”

Even with these tremendous occasions, Sheffield was saddened by what he saw at the village this year.

He could hardly recognize some of the villagers from past years because they had lost so much weight. Many looked like they were slowly starving to death.

Even Mamadou, the newest tribal leader, seemed overwhelmed under the weight of the struggling villages he oversaw.

“We think about us having a hard economy, “ Sheffield noted, “but it is affecting the whole globe.”

When Sheffield and his team learned that the villagers only had rice to eat for the past year, they purchased spices and other food items to offset some of their struggles.

The team even left money, intended for food, but most likely will be used to build a new school for the children.

In a very moving speech on the team’s last day, Mamadou expressed his gratitude to the team for their many expressions of love.

“There was no doubt that he knew that we loved him. He felt we were the only people from the outside world who showed interest and wanted to help them,” Sheffield shared.

“Where it goes from here, I have no idea. It’s so exciting,” he added. “When it finally sinks in that God is in control, and we’re just along for the ride, it’s a great sense of relief.”

POTOMAC HEIGHTS, Md.—Potomac Heights Church (PHBC) members have been rejoicing in the baptism of almost 200 new believers in the past seven years. That’s quite a feat in an era when the number of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) baptisms is declining. Gary A. Willett, PHBC pastor, said the church is growing because God is blessing an intentional emphasis on “connections.”

The church’s motto for 2010 is “building a community for this community” and they’re really doing that through a strong missions emphasis, healthy small groups, intentional acts of kindness and relevant “in your face” studies.

Willett shared that when he came to the church 13 years ago, members were very clear in their desire to change in an effort to appeal to a younger generation. They wanted to intentionally reach the unchurched and “dechurched” to show the love of God to them. Willett said they were truly prepared to transition, even though it meant radical change for all.

“Thinking back, the thing that has brought us the most change is when we went to Bolivia to share the love of Christ,” Willett said. Doing door-to-door evangelism in a part of the world that is so hungry for the Gospel opened the eyes of the congregation. Sixty people from the church have travelled to the country since 2001 doing evangelism, discipleship and providing support through the unique work of e3-Partners (www.e3Partners.org). As team members returned, they were invigorated and wanted to continue evangelizing and discipling at home. The enthusiasm was contagious and PHBC has since been immersing itself in outreach, naturally evolving into an Acts 1:8 church as they sought other ways to do missions.

Some of that outreach has been in the form of intentional acts of kindness. Willett said the church has discovered that as Mother Theresa said, “Small deeds done with great love do change the world,” and the church is very quick to elevate and celebrate those small but powerful efforts. Such recent endeavors include the purchase of copy paper and dry erase markers for local middle school teachers, offering free coffee and donuts for players and families during the opening day of the local little league, and providing free steak and potato dinners for the local Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad members. Recently, 55 PHBC members worked on four homes in the community as part of an annual Christmas in April project. Later this summer, they’ll host free movies in a local park. These kinds of activities, done with no strings attached, allow us to gain credibility with so many in our community who simply think of Christians as being out to get, not those willing to give,” said Willett.

Small group ministry, called Growth Groups at PHBC, is another component that’s effective at PHBC. Through the intentional decision to move out of their buildings and into the homes of members in the community, people are learning what it means to do life together as His followers. Willet said those groups are now small communities of faith where ongoing ministry takes place throughout the week. Additionally, PHBC has not been afraid to look at controversial issues. Recently the church participated in the book study of “They like Jesus But Not the Church,” by Dan Kimball. This study shares reasons why so many in this nation do not trust church people and the things they have to share or say. Willett said that although the study was quite disturbing for most at PHBC to admit, the hope to breakfree from “the Christian bubble” and actually engage many throughout the community with the authentic love of Christ will be worth it.

“One of the great things about how God is working through so many at PHBC is the way this affects those who accept Christ. Almost instantly, those who were once unchurched and without personal relationships with Christ eagerly participate in the mission and work of His church once they begin their journeys of faith.” They have no preconceived ideas about the way a church should be. They just want to serve as they have been served. “It’s awesome to see people growing in the Lord, becoming developing followers of Christ throughout the week in the real world,” Willett exclaimed.

Since selling a portion of the Baptist Mission Resource Center to an environmental firm, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware team has enjoyed their newly renovated areas including: a state-of-the-art training center, meeting rooms, field offices and work stations for missionaries. With an updated professional decor, the new spaces easily accommodate BCM/D’s continued mission to strengthen churches and start new churches—all while taking advantage of increased energy cost savings and a reduction in operational overhead. See more photos at www.bcmd.org.

Dear Counselor,
My husband and I have been in ministry for five years. While we have had many blessed days in ministry, more recently as we have tried to make some changes, the church just seems toxic and I worry about its impact on our family. How can we learn to survive in such an environment?
—“Learning to Survive”

Dear “Learning to Survive,”
First, let me affirm you for continuing in ministry and for already surviving in a pastorate for a period of time longer than the national average. You are correct that churches can often be healing, but are sometimes toxic. This was an issue I recently addressed in a two-part workshop for ministers’ spouses entitled, “Building an Immune System to the M1N1STR1 Virus.” Let me speak to part one this month regarding the use of prayer.

In ministry, as in life, we are always in the presence of a virus that has the potential to make life toxic. In ministry, as in life, having a healthy immune system is the best way to deal with any viruses. A virus in ministry is any source of stress, conflict, negativity or irritation. Viruses are always present. Viruses only reproduce and take over when there is a “host” cell. With an immune system, viruses are hardly noticed. Prayer is a way of building an immune system.

There are a variety of ways to pray about viruses, whether those “viruses” are conflict situations or have names and faces that we put to them. Imprecatory psalms (e.g., Ps 139:19-22.), prayers for the enemy (e.g., Mt. 5:44), praying in secret in one’s closet (e.g., Mt 6:6) and praying without ceasing (e.g., I Thess. 5:17) are all valid ways of praying about any “virus” in ministry.

However, modern research suggests that certain ways of praying not only build a physical immune system, but also build a way of thinking (the neurons of the brain actually get changed) that alters how we interact with reality and prevents us from becoming a “host cell” to any virus. These deeper forms of prayer help us to develop a life of stillness and move from having a “quiet time” to having a “quiet life.” I will say more about them next time.
—Tom Rodgerson

Send your questions by e-mail to trodgerson@bcmd.org.

CentrePointe has offices in the following locations: Bel Air, Canton, Catonsville, Charles Village, Clarksburg (Germantown), Columbia, Crofton, Dunkirk, Eldersburg, Federal Hill, Frederick, Glen Burnie, Hughesville, Lanham, Laurel, Lutherville, Mechanicsville, Middle River, Odenton, Parkville, Port Deposit, Rockville, Severn, Silver Spring, Waldorf, Westminster. (410) 882-1988 or (800) 491-5369

Justin Woods, Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) director at the U.S. Naval Academy

By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Justin Woods has a clear cut vision as the new Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) director at the U.S. Naval Academy—to see souls saved, to facilitate their growth and to connect the new believers to the body, the local church, where they can serve.

“I am a missionary on behalf of Southern Baptist churches,” Woods said.

Churches cannot go on the base, Woods explained, and the Midshipmen cannot leave during the week, so Woods works to provide mid-week ministries such as Bible studies and personal discipleship.

On Sundays though, he encourages the Midshipmen to use their free time to attend local churches and get involved. “The key thing to understand is that God established the local church as a place for worship, teaching and community – it’s critical to our spiritual lives.”

Woods is excited to minister in Annapolis. “Six new believers were baptized on Easter Sunday. It was just fabulous!” Woods exclaimed. Two of those baptized were involved with the BSM.

Justin accepted Christ at a summer camp when he was in middle school after seeing a reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion. The young Woods felt that for the first time in his life he understood the Gospel message clearly. “I was washed, made clean and forgiven,” he said. Woods was baptized at the First Church of Texarkana.
After graduation, Woods attended Texas A&M University where he joined the Corp of Cadets and worked at a Christian camp where he grew and learned about ministry. The time in college, Woods said, was a formative season and he felt God leading him into full-time military ministry. He graduated from Southwestern Seminary. Woods said seminary was “…a wonderful experience of knowledge and a wonderful time of deep growth.”

Woods, who is also a reserve Air Force Chaplain, is married to Tera and the couple has an 18-month-old daughter, Anna. They’re expecting a second child, a son, in September.

“Pray for us, that the Lord will work and move among the students and bring them to Himself,” Woods asked.

Woods said he is seeking churches that want to partner with the BSM and that want to be a place Midshipmen can go to be full-functioning members.

“Its’ such a priority to be connected and involved in a local church,” he said.

Dr. Rodney Harrison, newly appointed Dean of Online Studies and Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, is spearheading the project. “The purpose of the new MATS degree will be to offer a graduate-level education for vocational ministers and laypeople now serving in Christian organizations,” Harrison said. “This program is perfect for the many people who, for logistical reasons, may not be able to pursue graduate studies on the main seminary campus, including those serving in churches in rural areas and pioneer state conventions.”

Midwestern currently offers several online classes as part of its regular master’s degree programs. The difference in the MATS degree is that the entire degree can be earned online. The new master’s degree is designed as an “open-entry, open-exit” program, which means that a student can start the program and end at a pace suitable for each individual. Each class follows a compact eight-week format.

MBTS has also started the process of acquiring new staaff and equipment to support the technical needs that the online degree will require. Dr. Ted Davis has been hired as director of the MATS program and as an Associate Professor of Christian Education. Davis was instrumental in the distance learning program at the Kenyan Baptist Seminary, as an IMB team member.

Since the new program can be completed entirely online, a student, depending on the course load, can complete the online degree in 16-24 months. “MATS is designed to give prospective Christian workers an opportunity to confirm their calling to full-time service and to offer theological studies that will help develop the skills necessary for effective disciple making,” Harrison added.

Though the degree is not as in-depth as the Master’s of Divinity offered by Midwestern, the students who graduate from the MATS program will be able to demonstrate Biblical and theological knowledge, interpret and apply Scripture more effectively, initiate and maintain a practice of classical spiritual disciplines and develop a Great Commission perspective through evangelism and commitment to the local church.

The Midwestern administration looks forward to offering the MATS degree and will begin a pilot course in Apologetics starting July 1, with the full program starting Aug. 23. The degree program will be offered for a flat rate of $250 per credit hour plus books. Unique to this program is that there are no hidden registration, technology, or other fees that often raise the price of online programs significantly.

Dr. R. Philip Roberts, MBTS President, sees the new online degree program as a giant leap forward for the seminary. “The addition of the MATS to Midwestern’s degree line-up is an indicator of the continued growth and scope of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,” he said. “This means that the Seminary is in better position to serve the church by training more ministers to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

SALISBURY, Md.—Salisbury University Baptist Student Minister (BSM) K’Lynne McKinley led students on their annual spring mission trip in March, but she kept the destination a surprise. It turned out to be their own town of Salisbury.

(Front from L to R) Sherita Roundtree, Colleen Reeping, K’Lynne McKinley, Sarah Rushing (back l to r) Lena Slonaker and Sarah Tyzack worked at a local food bank and helped seniors during their annual spring mission trip. This year that trip was right in their college town of Salisbury.

Students stayed at McKinley’s home for the weekend so they’d have the experience of being together for the “trip” and they did local missions work.

“The theme was Kairos (the Greek word for qualitative time—making the most of opportunities). Needless to say, the weekend was filled with opportunities,” McKinley said.

The students worked for the Maryland Food Bank, cleaned senior adult homes and had a Saturday night activity time for children formerly involved with Salisbury Urban Ministries. McKinley explained that the kids’ nights were cancelled in the fall due to lack of funding. The BSM is trying to get the ministry running again by working with the kids each Tuesday night before our BSM meetings.

Salisbury University junior Colleen Reeping said the “trip” was eye-opening. As she and others bagged lettuces at the food bank she was amazed at the amount of food the center gives away.

“I didn’t even know it existed,” Reeping said.

One of Reeping’s favorite ministries was cleaning and doing yard work for an elderly woman named Millie Hutton.

“She is so precious and really appreciative. While we were washing her windows she asked us what we did and what we like to do. She lives on the water and she invited us to come back and take out some kayaks.”

Reeping does plan to go back, not to kayak, but to visit Mrs. Hutton.

“K’Lynne wants us to establish contacts so we can go out on our own and do missions,” Reeping said.

“That was the purpose of a local trip to connect students to the community in a way that they can make a difference during their time in Salisbury,” McKinley explained.

Reeping said she likes missions for two reasons – the team building and the bonding.

“It’s nice to see brothers and sisters in Christ serving together,” she said.