Last week was a big week of service for IBC’s Impact Youth Ministry department under the leadership of Pastor John Rickman. A nice breakfast of Chik-fil-a breakfast minis, juices, Black Dog coffee, fruit, and granola bars was served to eleven different schools. Here is the team ready to greet the teachers at Spring Mills High School (picture by Bryan DeOms).
In addition to Spring Mills High, teams served breakfast at Martinsburg, Hedgesville, and Musselman High and at Hedgesville, North, South, Musselman, Spring Mills, and Mountain Ridge Middle Schools, along with James Rumsey Vo-tech Center. This, of course, touched several hundred teachers and staff members. I was able to personally join Pastor Miguel and the team at Hedgesville Middle School on Monday morning and was again this year impressed with the comments from teachers and staff such as “this is so nice of your church to do this,” and “thanks for thinking of us.” The assistant principal talked with me at length about his life and commitment to serving in his home community. We saw a few students and a teacher from IBC; but we had never previously met most of those served.
Why do we do this? To show the love of God to people who need Him. Teachers do have a tough job and need encouragement. IBC has developed a reputation in the Middle and High Schools as the nice church that serves breakfast each year (and also the one that has Teen Week for students).
Some have asked why we don’t do this for the Christian Schools, when so many from our church send their children there or do home schooling. We are fans of these schools and parents, but logistically can only do so much. We have chosen the public schools for this outreach to shine the light of God’s love in a needy mission field, to motivate folks to visit IBC and hear the Gospel, and to encourage the Christian teachers who are seeking to be a light for Christ in an increasingly dark setting.
Please pray that God will use the food given, coffee and juice served, and many friendly conversations to draw some to investigate and visit our church and better yet, to be more open to God, His love, and the Gospel.