Abilene church helps members match skills, interests to missions needs_122004

Posted: 12/17/04

Abilene church helps members match
skills, interests to missions needs

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

ABILENE–At Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, any member who can sweep a floor has a skill that can be used to honor Christ. Church leaders emphasize Christians should live “missionally”–using their talents and abilities to glorify God and share Christ.

This means each person, whether a banker, construction worker, writer or businessperson, answers the same calling of expanding God's kingdom, said Randy Perkins, minister of missions and outreach.

Christians are called to examine the community and meet needs, Perkins said. Each person has a skill set that can help people. They must engage and intentionally serve Christ through it.

“If you see a need, let's meet that need,” Perkins said. “And while we're meeting that need, let's share Christ.”

Members have started ministries that match their skills and gifts, from roof repairs and church building ministries to volunteering in a crisis pregnancy center or a service that provides showers to the homeless. The congregation also has started two churches.

Perkins is quick to note these are not programs of the church in the traditional sense but congregationwide efforts to “empty” itself into neighborhoods.

Members use their skills and passions to serve where they want, rather than functioning through artificially designated areas of ministry.

“Meet people where they are,” he encourages Christians. “Get involved in life. Get involved in reality.”

A prime example of ministry growing out of missional living is House of Faith, a Pioneer Drive-sponsored work to poor children, Perkins said.

It began with a group of people seeing the need for ministry along streets they traveled regularly.

They began going up and down streets, inviting youth to events such as Bible clubs.

At first, parents were reluctant to let them in their yards. Now they welcome church members into their homes.

Denise Davidson, who leads this effort, said volunteers have ministered to about 300 children in three years and have seen 50 children make faith professions through weekly Bible clubs. A grandmother and mother also made the same declaration.

The clubs and volunteers provide some consistency for the children, many of whom come from unstable backgrounds, Davidson said. Workers show the children love and give them a place they feel they belong.

Davidson now is trying to replicate the ministry in several different points in Abilene. House of Faith is active in several West Texas cities.

“I love it when you start the club and you see kids walking down the street,” she said. “They come up and give you a big hug.”

This model of missions with people investing their lives in other people follows Jesus' example of meeting needs, Perkins noted.

Pioneer Drive staff encourage members to stop in their daily work to act as Christ did. "When you put yourself out there, the Lord will use you."