Week 8-West Hartselle Baptist Church, Barfield Baptist Church, FBC Greenwood, New Shores Baptist Church, Union Valley Baptist Church, CBC Crandall, FBC Thurmount, & Cordova Community Church

Rosamond

The surprises have been never-ending this summer as week 8 was full of excitement and energy. West Hartselle Baptist Church from Alabama was in town this week and came ready to rock Rosamond! Games had the kids running relays and then playing charades with their favorite movies. The kids had a blast! Toward the end of the week, Bible story was teaching the memory verse with some hip beats, songs had the kids compete in a dance-off, and crafts was always a hit as the kids were reluctant to leave the station each day. The big surprise came on Wednesday when we had 101 kids at Bible Club! Though it was a rather crazy day, it was a joy to see that many kids at club having fun and hearing the Word. Even more exciting, four kids made a profession of faith this week! Praise God for what He is doing at Rosamond in these kids’ hearts and for the faithfulness of His people to harvest the seeds that have been planted throughout the summer. Please pray for Christopher, Shaylon, Camael, and Yulie as we follow up on their commitments and as they continue to grow in their walk with the Lord. Thank you West Hartselle for your willingness to serve this week. Your servant hearts allowed me to watch y'all grow as a team and as individuals this week. Thank you for being bold with the Gospel and for investing in these kids. Your eyes were fixed on Christ and He was greatly glorified.

-Ashley

National

“Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalm 113:2-3). Throughout the entire week there was countless ways the Lord was moving at National, leading me to say there is truly no one like our God. It began with West Hartselle Baptist Church from Hartselle, Alabama giving their week to be the hands and feet of Jesus. West Hartselle has come to Street Reach since 2012 and each time it has been an honor to serve alongside of them. One thing special about West Hartselle that I specifically noticed this week was their humble attitudes. West Hartselle exemplified the example Paul gives in Philippians about Christ’s humility on the cross. The team was willing and ready to learn. They came simply to offer themselves to serve with the same attitude that Jesus Christ would have. You could definitely tell the kids were enjoying themselves because on Thursday we had 72 kids come to National! In songs, they played musical plates which is exactly the same as musical chairs. The kids loved it. In crafts, they always had a special treat for the kids to snack on while they did their craft, and at games on Friday they all sat in a circle throwing a ball around telling one thing they learned about Jesus this past week at Bible Club. Jesus has come alive in the park this summer! During Bible story all week the kids learned about how Jesus came and lived on this earth such as Jesus feeding 5000 and stilling a storm, and on Friday they shared the importance of telling the world about Jesus. They made megaphones in crafts and had a battle with songs at the end of the station seeing who could scream louder, “We love Jesus!” Words cannot describe hearing 65 kids in the middle of the park raising their voices in worship to our Lord and Savior. Not only in the park is the name of the Lord being praised but within the families of the kids that come to Bible Club. On Friday, a mom brought us chocolate covered strawberries and a cake with “thank you” written on it because of the work she sees Jesus doing. The Bible Club we have for kids is reaching not only kids, but families too, with Jesus Christ. We have one more week at National and then Bible Club will be finished for the summer. I have been thankful to have National open every week of the summer and for kids to come learn about Jesus and then enter into a relationship with him. This has been a summer filled with an abundant amount of fruit. We will never be the same! Be praying for this upcoming, last and final, week at National. Be praying ears would be opened to listen, eyes would be opened to see Jesus, and hearts would be opened to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. Praise God and blessed be his name!
-Gaby

Guernsey

It was such a joy to welcome FBC Greenwood back to Memphis! This team hadn't been to Street Reach since 2011, and they were so excited to return! At the very beginning of the week, I read to the team from Mark 9: "'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.' And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.'" Their attitudes reflected Jesus' command to make ourselves last and put others first in every way. The kids loved Bible Club this week, and we consistently had 60 or more kids out. Though there were some really hot days, the team pushed through to make every day special and better than the last. Because of their dedication to seeing the gospel presented in the lives of our kids, two kids prayed to receive Christ Wednesday! First 8-year-old Tanoah excitedly prayed to be saved while learning the ABCs of salvation in crafts. God then worked in a cool way to draw another one to Himself. 9-year-old Isabel heard us rejoicing over Noah and was interested in what had happened to him. She had a conversation with another girl on our team that ended in a prayer of salvation. We are so thankful to witness God moving in our Bible Club site! Greenwood allowed themselves to be vessels outside of Bible Club as well. Every day, the team would meet up at Mr. Willie's house. Mr. Willie is a disabled man in a wheelchair who lives down the street on Guernsey. He sits on his front porch every day, and Greenwood took the time to get to know him and his story. It was so beautiful to see both the eagerness of the team to spend time with him every day and of Mr. Willie to have some sweet company. Thank you, Greenwood, for allowing God to use you in so many ways! We are incredibly thankful for how you blessed Guernsey this week. Everyone, join us in praying for Guernsey as we go into one final week of the summer.

-Holly

Johnson

This week at Johnson Bible Club was a perfect week to end on. We had New Shores Baptist Church from Sweeny, Texas. This team was awesome! They canvassed very well which led to some great numbers at club. Our highest number of kids for the week came on our very last day of Bible Club at Johnson. The team brought back 91 kids to pour out love to one final time. The kids got to have water day at games to end the summer on a good and fun note--they loved and enjoyed every second of it! The team was full of energy, passion, and love all week long. They poured love, energy, and wisdom into the kids as best as they could, and it showed. We thank you all for your prayers throughout the summer and appreciate everybody who has helped us out along the way. Though we are sad to see Johnson close for the summer, we can only rejoice at what God has done these past few weeks at club and what He will continue to do in the future!

-Ben

Whittier

As this Street Reach summer is quickly coming to a close, it is incredible to see teams pour out everything for the sake of the gospel and to see more and more kids come to Bible Club. This week, the Lord chose to use first-time team Central Baptist Church Crandall from Texas to make His Name known to over 60 kids! This team arrived with tons of energy and ready to take on the streets of Memphis from day one, and they were eager to pick up kids and begin building relationships immediately. Our kids enjoyed learning about the story of Moses and how his decision to follow hard after the Lord was so important. A great harvest was reaped on Wednesday when the team reviewed the ABCs of becoming a Christian with our oldest age group of 10-12-year-olds during the Bible story station. One of the team leaders, Mrs. Cheryl, noted that two of our boys were asking many questions about the Bible story after they left that station and moved to the craft station. With no hesitation, she pulled them aside and began answering their questions and pointing them to verses in Scripture that would further explain their desperate need for a Savior. After a few minutes of talking and praying, the two boys walked away, wide-eyed with excitement, telling every team member that they could see about the decision that they had just made to follow Christ. Both being the oldest siblings in their families, our hopes are that the gospel spreads like wildfire, and that their younger siblings will come to know Christ as a result of their decision. We are continually in awe of the Lord, and how He sets up divine appointments such as this, bringing His children to Him in His perfect time. As next week closes out the summer for Whittier, we are expecting the Lord to continue the work that He has been doing with all of our teams this summer, and for more seeds to be planted, watered, and harvested on Whittier Road. Thank you, CBC Crandall, for being submissive to the Holy Spirit, and allowing the Lord to use you in the lives of His children this week!

-Emily

Kendrick

It was bittersweet over at Kendrick Bible Club this week as we closed club for the summer. The mission team from Barfield Baptist Church was a wonderful group to have end the summer. The kids loved the crafts station that looked as if a glitter/sticker box exploded! One of their favorites were the picture frames that they made on Thursday--especially since the team printed pictures of everyone that had been there at the beginning of the week. Songs was once again a hit as the “Ninja Crew” continued the tradition of break dancing and Jay made a special ballet/musical appearance singing “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” The older kids even warmed up this week and challenged the team members in a competitive relay that had everybody cheering. This week the kids were loved on by the team members and staff, got to have lunch, and, most importantly, the gospel was shared! Throughout the summer, many of our kids have asked questions and it seems that some of them are beginning to understand what Christ did for them. On the way back to Brinkley after club on Friday the team leader told me that one of his boys had led a child to Christ. I was excited to hear that Jesse had made a profession of faith at club, and I can’t wait to go back and talk with him. Please keep praying for him and his family as we minister to them. This summer has been amazing to be back with the Kendrick kids. Though I had not forgotten them, this summer allowed me to remember how much I loved these kids during my first year here. The kids and families were sad to see Bible Club end for the summer, but all know that you guys who have come through this year are in constant prayer for them.  The kiddos had a great time at Bible Club this week and we are hoping to see many of them begin to become involved with the church in their neighborhood. Thanks for covering us in prayer this summer, and please continue to pray for the Kendrick kids and community during the year. 

-Kacie

Jackson

This week at Jackson Park was one for the books! Our mission team came right down the road from Cordova with hearts ready to serve these kids. Crafts and Bible story worked together to pour Christ's love into our kids through the stories of Moses! Games got brave and played tug-o-war which was extremely successful! Songs busted out "The Cup Song" and the kids loved trying to keep their rhythm! Overall, we had a great final week at Jackson Park. We topped out with our summer high of 81 on Friday! We have enjoyed getting to serve alongside our teams all summer, and we honestly cannot thank you enough. I truly believe we left Jackson Park better than the way we found it--not only from picking up trash, but from pouring into the souls and hearts of children and their families, and that was ALL through God's merciful hands. I pray our hearts and minds will continue to be passionate about serving others, but always remembering those faces from Bible Club as we pray daily. On behalf of Brett, Jessica, Alice, and Noah, we say thank you for an incredible summer, and God bless you all. Philipians 2:1-11.

-Brett

Leahy's

All the way from Maryland came a team of 5 unsure of what to expect, but ready for whatever the Lord had planned. Part of this plan entailed switching Bible Club sites last minute. This didn’t phase this group of missionaries one bit because their mission was for wherever they were at any given moment. Whether they were at a different site, at the nursing home or another afternoon project, or back at Brinkley, it didn’t matter to them. They just came to serve in whatever way was needed, wherever it was needed. I didn’t think of this until typing this right now, but on Wednesday morning the team invited me to pray with them in the garden. Part of that time one of them had prayed that Jesus would send more children to be loved with the love of Christ. Then on Thursday, Jesus brought out 55 of His children to be ministered to, a summer record for this particular site! The interesting thing about this day was that numbers was not something that was in the forefront of anyone’s minds. It was just about loving the--making sure they knew that we loved them and, more importantly, that Jesus loved them. Truth be told, there was only five children that we picked up that day – the rest were already at club or walked up to club. The week was a reminder that it’s not about us; it’s always about Him. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. We can make many plans but the Lord’s plan will prevail!

-Nicki

Treadwell

Treadwell Bible Club was fantastic this week! I cannot imagine a better way to close Treadwell for the summer than with the help of Union Valley Baptist Church. It was a hot week, but that did not deter the team in their intentionality and willingness to go far in deed for the kids! Tuesday the kids were given free ice cream, and Wednesday they were given free silly bands and spinning tops from a supporter of Street Reach. On Thursday, the team rented out a bounce house for the day, giving them extra time with the kids as they went back later that day for an activity club. Friday they had piñatas for each song station and water relays in games. All of these fun things helped the kids to come out to Bible Club and Treadwell to break its own summer 2014 record for kids in a day twice, with 44 kids on Thursday and 48 kids on Friday! Through the heat, fun, and high numbers, the team still managed to do a great job of building relationships with the kids and evangelizing in a way that kept the children asking to hear more about Christ! The seeds had been planted throughout the summer and were ready to be harvested by willing servants of God. As it is written in Mathew 9:37-38: “Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Thank you, Union Valley Baptist Church, and all of the past teams serving this summer at Treadwell that helped to bring 7 kids to Christ in one week! I know that the lives of Angel, Luis, DD, Karisha, Derrick, Jacqueline, and Cameron will be forever changed. Please keep the children in your prayers as the Treadwell Bible Club has ended for the summer.
-Rachael

Week 7-The Gathering Place Church, FBC McMinnville, FBC Jenny Lind, FBC Lawrenceburg, FBC Liberty, Eureka Baptist Church, Lakewood Baptist Church, & Boones Chapel

Rosamond

Marcus, Olivia, and I were blessed to serve alongside FBC Lawrenceburg this week. Though I knew from Sunday night orientation that this week was going to be special, I was not expecting what all unfolded throughout the week. Each station was full of energy and the kids had an absolute blast. Bible story taught the kids different ways to serve each day. It was a joy to hear the kids tell me how they planned to serve their family, friends, and Jesus that afternoon. Games station was full of relays, parachutes, and pure fun. Zach even hula hooped around his neck screaming “Rosamond’s got soul” to get the kids pumped up. Songs continued to improve every day this week as they taught some new songs but also learned some of the kids’ favorites. Crafts was a success as the kids made bracelets, flowers, and even got a book our very own Mrs. Cindy wrote. FBC Lawrenceburg was full of willing spirits who loved all week, especially the kids on their walking routes. I would continually hear stories about their kids they walked and I could hear they joy in their voice as they told about the cool conversations they had with the kids. Not only did FBC Lawrenceburg come prepared with activities and supplies, they came prepared with Gospel-focused attitudes and patience that can only come from Christ. Thank you FBC Lawrenceburg for all of your hard work, your love, and you passion. You all were truly a blessing to these kids, this community, and myself. I can’t wait to see y’all the same time next year!

-Ashley

National

“Let’s go be fishers and bring in a full string of ‘em!” was the encouragement a team member brought early on in the week and from that moment forward the team genuinely invested in the goodness of every one of the kids at National. First Baptist McMinnville from McMinnville, Tennessee joined in the work that has begun at National not only this summer, but the work that has been going on since their first time to Street Reach and National in 2011. They get what Street Reach is all about and are quick to give what is necessary for the kids to have fun and a structured environment to learn about Jesus. Bible story started off with a hard act to follow the rest of the week when they set up an ark for the kids to play in and a ton of cut out animals to tell the story of Noah, but each day got better and better because of a puppet, Mr. Pickles. Kids were running out of their group and when I reminded them a rule at Bible Club was to stay in their group they would respond they just wanted to see Mr. Pickles. The gospel was shared every day in Bible story this week. Just as popular as Bible story was, games, crafts, and songs! These stations were a hit with structure, fun, and energy. With all the structure and fun the kids were having this gave some of the team members opportunities to have one on one conversations with children. These conversations led to three kids entering into the kingdom of Christ this week. One of the boys learned the gospel through the evangecube and after accepting Christ he began telling the other kids the gospel through the evangecube. These kids are the ones reclaiming their own neighborhood for Jesus Christ and there is no sweeter gift to watch than a 9-year-old boy sharing the gospel with his friends. He is a disciple maker. I repeat the same words Paul speaks to the church in Thessalonica about McMinnville giving their week to serve. Paul says, “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us,” and continues on, “For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 2:8, 3:9-10). McMinnville came to serve these kids with the deepest desire to win souls for Jesus Christ, and it doesn’t end there, as they will continue to pray for these kids. On Friday at crafts they had all the kids make a name plate and then took their picture to bring back to their home church. Each person will take one of those pictures and put it in their Bible, car, journal, wherever they will see it each day and take time to pray for these kids. I am thankful and humbled to have had the opportunity to serve alongside McMinnville and am hopeful for what God has in store these last two weeks at National.

-Gaby

Guernsey

What a joy it was to have FBC Liberty back in the house this week! Though they switched from their usual week of the summer, they still made the long journey from Texas to come do a great Bible Club and love on some kids. Everyone, old and new, was excited and ready to get on the mission field. From day 1, Guernsey Bible Club rocked out! There were over 60 kids every day except for the 40 Friday, and that was only because of the rain! Each and every station was special, fun for the kids, and, most importantly, gospel-centered. The boys at games came up with a variety of fun and exciting games that were perfect for the different age groups. Songs did the same thing--they never sang the same song once in a day! Some groups cranked it like a chainsaw while others sang along to Frozen (I couldn't tell you how many times I heard "Let It Go" this week!), some groups had sing-offs and dance-offs, and still some groups sang good old classic Bible Club songs such as Bazooka Bubble Gum. The crafts were all a hit this week! Every day pretty much ALL the kids would run up to me to proudly show off their new craft. And, of course, we had wonderful Bible stories. The kids would act them out, review what they learned from previous days, and interact with visuals and other things (such as candy) to truly understand the stories. I never talked to a kid who couldn't recount to me what they had learned! Liberty was so faithful every day to pick up kids, pour out all they had at Bible Club, and share Christ's love in all they did every single day. Their energy never died, so neither did the kids! They were sad to know that FBC Liberty was going back to Texas, but the team only encouraged them more to keep coming to Bible Club in the coming weeks. Thank you so much, FBC Liberty! Your love, loyalty, service, and passion is felt so deeply by us all. Can't wait to see you next year!

-Holly

Johnson

Week 7 at Johnson was great! The weather was beautiful almost every single day, and our team had tons of energy. The Gathering Place Church from Alabama blessed us all week long by loving on the kids with every ounce of energy they had. We got to minister to many kids who have been coming all summer long and we will only get to see these kids one week longer. They had so much fun and loved the crafts they got--there was even an epic glitter fight at the crafts station on Friday! The week high was 85 kids on Wednesday and on Thursday we got to be a part of Street Reach history with 600 kids in one day from all the Bible Club sites. It was a record-breaking week and it was lots of fun. The Binghamton neighborhood got to witness the vans bumping to "Cray Button," and they are probably scarred for life. The kids went home not only with the glitter that represented Jesus on them, but also with the love the The Gathering Place Church had showed them all week.

-Chris

Whittier

This week at Whittier required much dedication and courage from returning Texas team, FBC Liberty. This team showed great commitment to the Lord’s work, as outside circumstances in the neighborhood attempted to scare us away; however, the Liberty team did not budge, but decided to cling to the Lord and push through their fears in order to be His hands and feet. The Lord proved faithful to us, and held Whittier team members and children right in the palm of His hand for the entire week, not allowing anything to come between Him and His plans for children to hear the gospel and experience His great love. Our kids were taught about Creation, spouting off each item that God created and which day it was created. They then learned how sin entered the world, and thus, how we need a Savior because of our sin. The older kids at Whittier enjoyed getting to act out the Bible stories and read the verses straight from Scripture. The accompanying crafts each day further illustrated the Bible stories, as our kids created sand art to illustrate God’s creation of the earth on the third day and put together snow globe-like bottles full of water and sequin stars to illustrate the creation of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day of Creation. Kids and team members were instantly connected, as all missionaries gave of themselves fully each day, being laps, backs, and necks for Jesus. Even with continuous rain on our final day of club, there were still 23 kids who came out to experience God’s love through Liberty and receive final goodbyes and hugs. All in all, this week proved that NOTHING can stop the Lord’s plans from occurring. If we are willing and bold in His Name, He will empty us out for His glory and bless us abundantly for our commitment to Him. Thank you, FBC Liberty, for being courageous for the Lord this week!

-Emily

Kendrick

This week the Kendrick kiddos had the pleasure of hanging out with the youth and adults from The Gathering Place in Alabama! We had such a good time at Bible Club and one of the favorite parts of club was the song station where Mr. Keith had the place rockin’.  The kids loved the “Superhero” song and learned all the motions that the team made up. We’d hear the kids singing “I’ve got a super hero, He don’t wear no shoes, He don’t wear no cape, but He died for you...” as they rotated stations and even as they were walking to and from club. The 8 and 9-year-old boys especially loved the song and did some of their famous break dance moves during it. It's cool to see that something as simple as the concept of a super hero was used to share the gospel with the kids this week. We had a lot of really great opportunities to share about Jesus. It's funny how this summer, in the midst of Bible Club chaos, the Lord has allowed us to share Him with the kids. Even in times of discipline, we have seen gospel conversations happen this summer. As we’ve shared why we have rules and why we need to follow them, the kids have learned how much we love them and want to keep them safe. I’m thankful for the grace that God has shown to us and that is the same grace that flows out from us to the kids. We are so thankful for The Gathering Place and all the hard work they did in preparing to come minister to our community this week. 
-Kacie and Aariuna

Pope

It was so great to be back at Pope this week! I had a team who brought so much energy and structure to Bible Club for the entire week. After two weeks of Pope not being open, the kids came in full force Monday and increased throughout the week. Every single time I looked around Bible Club, Eureka Baptist was completely engaged with the children. I think their favorite part this week was JMoney singing “Hey Burrito” at the top of his lungs during the most inconvenient (but completely convenient) times. Personally, my favorite part of week 7 was the fact that my team brought Hot Cheetos and Takis as rewards for the kids each day. A day never ended without red stained fingers and genuine smiles. I challenged the team at the beginning of the week to show the kids why we are here on this earth. To live life, giving all glory to the Lord and ridding ourselves of things that remove our focus from Christ. That’s all that matters really…that’s why we do Street Reach, and that’s why Bible Club happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qTYO7idTDc

-Alli

Jackson

Jackson Bible Club was BUMPIN’ this week! We maintained our high numbers from last week, and we were even a part of Street Reach history with a record-breaking 615 kids on Thursday. Our group in this week was from The Gathering Place in Moody, Alabama, and they rocked it from day 1! Their energy was absolutely incredible, and just what we needed so late in the summer! Always putting the kids before themselves, GP…PLUS Y rocked it on all cylinders. Games was highlighted by dizzy baseball, and our craft station busted out WWE belts (it was awesome!) Bible story was so intentional and was full of wisdom that the kids needed to hear, and Deidra (age 7) accepted Christ this week from God's grace and through steadfast discipleship and love from Clint. Songs station had Jackson Park CRUNK! With the help of the kids they made a music video which brought energy to a whole new level! We couldn’t be more thankful for such high energy, willing spirits, and loving hearts to spend this week with. Thank y’all so much for pouring all you had into the kids for Christ this week.
-Brett, Jessica, & Noah

Leahy's

Passion is the word that comes to mind when I think about this previous week at Leahy’s. From the first site meeting on Sunday night, you could see the passion in Boone's Chapel’s eyes and in their body language. Their enthusiasm became even more evident on Monday morning as they sought to canvass their routes well, which they did an incredible job of, bringing back 48 children! This is an almost unheard number for Leahy’s, especially on a Monday! We could not have asked for a better way to start the week. They immediately fell in love with these kiddos and the kiddos almost immediately fell in love with this team; they always wanted to be near them. They constantly wanted to be on their backs, on their necks, in their laps, and holding their hands. It was sweet to watch. Another sweet sight this week was witnessing Jesus continue to soften the hearts of His children to receive Him, specifically in the 10-13-year-olds group. There are a couple of kids that throughout the last couple of weeks thought they were “too cool for school” and getting them to participate was like trying to pull teeth. This was not the case this week. There was one point when I walked over to the craft station to find all of them fully engaged, painting; another time I walked over to Bible story to find one of them praying for their group. Jesus is doing a work over at the trailer park and I thank you, Boone’s Chapel, for allowing Jesus to have continued that work through y'all this week. Thank you for being His hands, feet, necks, backs, and laps. Thank you for YOUR passion; it will be remembered. 

-Nicki

Treadwell

This past week at Treadwell with Lakeside Baptist Church was great! God’s power and strength was with us throughout the entire week. On Monday, we started out with only 13 kids, but the next day we almost tripled with 38! The language barrier with the little ones did not matter as the team members let them chase them around the field and bounce balls on their heads; the kids would not stop smiling. In Bible story, some of the older kids asked questions about the afterlife and seeds were planted. The willingness of this team to help in any way they could at club made for a fantastic week. Thank you, Lakewood Baptist, for coming to serve. I am thankful that these kids have come to be in more people’s hearts, minds, and prayers this summer.

-Rachael

Kippley

Week 7 at Bible Club Kippley reminded me of the Garden of Eden, filled with good things. Since its first summer it has never been open more than three weeks, but God blessed Kippley with a fourth week this year–and it was good. I got to work with my home church, First Baptist Jenny Lind–and it was good. We got to have lots of personal, gospel-centered conversations with kids–and it was good. The kids, despite one incident on Tuesday, were very well behaved–and it was good. The weather was perfect at Bible Club; it was hard to break a sweat–and it was good. We continued to find new kids, more kids, and old kids that have not been in a while to come to Bible Club–and it was good. I think my favorite day of the week was actually on Friday, despite the rain. The kids came and had lots of fun with NO real behavior problems and the team got to just relax with the kids in their laps and love them like Jesus. One particular moment I will never forget happened while I was sitting down on Thursday with a Bible Club kid for a second time and just having a fifteen minute conversation about God. We talked about justice and mercy and grace. And then on Friday, the team was able to continue the conversation with him. Continue to pray for the kids, that God–who is working in their lives–continues to draw them close to Him, and pray for opportunities this next week to be given for repentance and salvation. Have a great week everybody, and don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine. :)

-Kaden

"For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it."
Psalm 69:33-36

This is the promise we have in the Lord. So let us be faithful in prayer, service, and love. There are two weeks of our summer program left, so let us lift up this community to God, asking Him to make disciples and use us as instruments of His glory.

Week 6-South Community Church, The Brook, FBC Center, Parkway Baptist, Old Shooting Creek, FBC Jamestown, & Rice Station Christian Church

Rosamond

The willingness to improve is a golden characteristic that personified itself in FBC Jamestown as they broke records and shattered expectations this week. Coming in with a heavy load of first-timers, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was elatedly surprised on Tuesday when they brought 86 kids to Bible Club! What a joy to see a record broken and to know that all 86 kids were taught the Word and God was glorified through how much love was poured out. This team of 11 was stretched but did not break as each day the kids had more and more fun at club. One night, I had the opportunity to sit in during the team's nightly devotion. They began by expressing how they saw God show up at club that day, and it was such a blessing to hear the mighty works they were able to see. From having exactly enough crafts to having intentional conversations with kids, I was able to see and hear the joy of Christ in the team members.  Thank you, FBC Jamestown, for being willing to improve each and every day. Not once did you become content, rather striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel. You served this community with selflessness and encouraged Marcus, Sarah, and myself with your overflowing hearts. Though this week had its own set of adversities, you faced them with the strength and power of the cross and allowed God’s light to shine through in all situations. Please pray for our children, that God will continue to work in their hearts and their families.

-Ashley, Marcus, & Sarah T.

National

The story of National is a pretty special story. National has been covered in prayer and is continually being lifted up in prayer by previous teams and previous staffers. This week, First Baptist Church Center from Center, Texas expounded upon the deep roots that National has in prayer. They prayed as they walked on the streets when they were going to pick up kids and would stop and pray with anyone they met while walking. They had people coming up to them asking for prayer over specific circumstances in their life. This team was one that prayed fervently for the kids and the people they encountered. The kids really enjoyed Bible Club this week as the team members fell in love with the kids and the kids fell in love with them. There were some kids telling the team they had an extra room at their house for them to stay in and that they needed to stay an extra week, or even the rest of the summer. The numbers at National grew every day with 54 kids coming to Bible Club on Friday. Bible story was the station the kids loved the most this week. Our Bible story teacher had the kids acting out the story, doing chants, and memorizing the memory verse. They learned all about the armor of God and their crafts reflected the different pieces of armor they wear when they know Jesus. The kids learned all about Jesus, and truth was spoken into their lives. I am thankful for FBC Center’s willingness to pray openly with people or to pray in quiet for National and for the kids they were able to build relationships with. We have 3 weeks left of the summer and I am hopeful for what the Lord is going to continually do in harvesting the seeds of life that have been planted in the kids hearts. Pray for the other missionaries coming down the remainder of the summer that we would be laborers of sharing the gospel, watering and planting seeds in the kids' lives, and for God to grow and blossom the seed planted in their hearts.
-Gaby

Guernsey

This week, it was such a joy to have the opportunity of serving with Parkway Baptist Church again. The team came with some experienced and some brand new, some Guernsey veterans and some Bible Club hoppers, but they all shared one thing: passion. This youth group impressed me with the amount of growth they experienced throughout the week! The students took turns teaching Bible story and running various stations, and no one ever shied away from stepping up when needed. When Parkway was stretched thin or pushed outside of their comfort zones, they pressed on to love the kids even more and work even harder. It was beautiful to see how each team member found different kids to connect to, and it wasn't just the cute 3 and 4-year-olds (AKA, the space cadets). Everyone, kids and team members alike, were excited to talk about the armor of God, showing examples of how God has protected His people throughout the Bible and exploring how He is doing that for us even now. These lessons were expanded on during crafts. Not a minute to share the gospel was wasted in ANY station, for that matter! I always heard the team finding ways to weave the gospel into their conversations with the kids or bring any teachable moment back to Jesus, whether this was when kids were sitting in time out or when competing teams were instructed to cheer not only for themselves but for each other during games. Despite hot and rainy weather and many of our own challenges, the number of kids in attendance grew every single day until we had a hopping 68 kids at club on Friday! I am so confident that this team has helped encourage the kids to continue coming out to Bible Club for the remainder of the summer. Fruit was abundant this week, not only in our kids' lives, but in our very own! One of the Parkway youth members made the decision to fully commit his life to Christ on Thursday night, and this joy of salvation pushed us all into serving to our fullest. Thank you SO much, Parkway, for another amazing week. We hope to see you again next summer! Remember: keep calm, and follow Jesus.

-Holly

Johnson

Week six was a great week at Johnson Bible Club! We had a team in from Old Shooting Creek Baptist Church and it was truly a joy working with them the whole week. This is the home church of one of our staffers, so it made things even more enjoyable. The team did a great job of getting kids this week--we even hit 100 kids on Thursday! This is the most Johnson has had in years. And not only were there a lot of kids, but they were all having a great time! Every day that the team was here the kids seemed to be having more and more fun. There was a lot of time to bond with the kids individually, and it was great to see the team striving to be a part of these kids lives. Even more than the fun that was had was the joy that come from the work of God's faithful servants, in that we had a salvation! Dominique, a 12-year-old boy, became a Christian on Wednesday, and Neveah is getting baptized this Sunday. Dominique has been asking questions about eternity and God for the past few weeks now and it is great to finally see him come to faith. God is definitely moving throughout the Binghampton community and it is great to see these kids curious and excited about their faith. We hope to have a great last three weeks!

-Chris

Whittier

What a record-breaking, soul-winning week it was at Whittier, thanks to the willing spirits of South Community Church from Tulsa, Oklahoma! This team was passionate about canvassing the neighborhood well, and this definitely showed, with a summer record of 88 kids reached on Thursday. This came as a pleasant surprise to Street Reach, as week six was the first week at the new Whittier location, and staffers were unsure of how the new location would affect club numbers. Clearly, the new location proved successful, only due to the dedication of all team members. From day one, team members and kids were instantly connected, raving about their “new best friends,” and discussing how excited they were for the chance to spend time together the next day. South Community provided not only entertaining stations to keep our kids’ attention, but made sure to reflect Christ in every way and connect each child to Him in an understandable way. During Bible story, Whittier kids learned about the Evil One, or “The Ugly One,” and how he came to steal, kill, and destroy. However, by the end of the week, they were able to recall each piece of the Armor of God and how each piece is used to combat his plans. But, not only did our kids learn about each piece of the armor, they also were able to create each piece during craft time so as to give them a visual to take home with them. Whittier kids proudly displayed their breastplates of righteousness, their boots of peace, their shields of faith, their helmets of salvation, and their swords of the spirit, recalling the Bible story as they constructed them. On Friday, many tears were shed as goodbyes had to be said and last hugs had to be given; however, a great harvest occurred in the midst, and many of our kids came to know Christ during their final walk home with their South Community friends. Further, many parents in the community were prayed over as their kids were dropped off for the last time, painting a beautiful picture of what Christ sent us here to do. Thank you, South Community, for being bold and persevering in the name of Christ each day, and until the final child returned to his home on Friday. May you continue shining His light in the Tulsa community!

-Emily

Kendrick

You would think the summer would be winding down by now, but think again! Our teams are coming in with great passion and energy for the last half of summer and it's filtering out to all of our club sites! Thursday and Friday proved to set the over-all record of the summer and was only a few kids shy of the all-time record. The Kendrick club was lead by a new Texas group from FBC Center. These youth did an amazing job of adapting, learning, and growing each day. The kids at club loved them and were extremely sad to see them leave. A couple of the older boys actually road their bikes back towards club on Friday to say an extra goodbye to the team. The entire week was jam packed with new things to help make club fun. We came up with some great relays and water games that kept the kids involved all day! The songs station was able to involve some of our kids' sweet dance moves into their plans and that was fun to watch. Our crafts station was great at reiterating the Bible lesson, and their crafts reflected what the kids had learned about the armor of God. Bible story was lots of fun as the team learned what it takes to keep the kids engaged...there was acting by both the team and the kids, there was a game show style question game for the kids, and one day the entire Bible lesson was taught in an accent which had the kids undivided attention. There were lots of opportunities to teach about grace and spend time sharing the gospel with the kids. Overall, we had a great week. Mrs. Amy was awesome to work with and did a great job at keeping up team morale and helping the youth in each station. And a special thanks to Eli and Caleb for being great helpers at National and Kendrick this week. We couldn't have done it with without you guys!

-Kacie

Jackson

Jackson bible club was back up and running this week with another St. Louis group from Parkway Baptist Church! I'll start with a disclaimer: it was an AMAZING week! The group came in with hearts willing to canvass and reach the kids of our community! Their passion and willingness were prevalent when we topped out at a new record of 75 kids on Friday. Praise Jesus! The crafts and Bible story stations coincided the teaching with the craft which was solid amongst the kids. The armor of God sent our kids home with a new peace of mind and pieces of actual (cardboard) armor! Games and songs were full of energy, which was needed with the amount of kids we had. Christ's presence among us was obvious this week. We are so grateful to have had such a great week following the 4th of July. Continue to keep us in your prayers! 

-Brett, Jessica, & Noah

Leahy's

I didn’t know what to expect at Leahy’s after club not running there in a few weeks, but The Brook church knocked it out of the park! They were prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to get as many children to club as they possibly could; on Thursday they even helped achieve Leahy’s summer record of ministering to 48 children in one day. That means 48 children had the opportunity to enjoy a puppet show (those were a hit!), play games, makes crafts, and most importantly, hear the Word. Glory be to God. Over at games station they did a ton of crazy games which included props and costumes that the children loved! Then the focus of the week was what it meant to put on the whole armor of God, so the team would teach that during their Bible lesson and then do a craft directly related to which piece of armor they had learned about that day. So for instance, when they learned about putting on the breastplate of righteousness, they then got to make their own breastplate over at the craft station. It was a really neat way to bring home what they were teaching, and the children were really proud of their hard work. Each day at the end of club they would run up and say, “Miss Nicki! Miss Nicki! Look at what I made.”  I’m thankful for The Brook’s hard work before and during their time here. I’m thankful for their consistent energy from the very beginning of the week until the very end of the week. And last but not least, I’m thankful for them allowing these kids to just be kids and have fun. After all, that is our most important rule!

-Nicki

Kippley

Shout out to Rice Station Christian Church for making week six here at Street Reach AWESOME! (#George #kidnapped) Their awesomeness extended to Kippley Bible Club as well. Breaking our record high of 46 on Monday was a great way to start the week. But then we broke it again on Tuesday and Wednesday with 68 kids! That is double Kippley’s former average. We maintained our 60’s numbers throughout the rest of the week, which can only mean three things: The team was hard-working and willing to serve and canvass, the team was pouring out fun and Christ’s love, and the children both received it and kept wanting more. One of my favorite moments of the week came on Friday when a 9-year-old left Bible story and started pouting, saying something about race. I asked him what was wrong and he just starts asking me what color Jesus was. I tried to explain to him that Jesus was Jewish/Hebrew but he claimed that Jesus was black. Our conversation became more confusing as he started mixing his races and religions together. “I’m Hebrew,” he said. And when he asked me what I was and I responded Caucasian he asked, “is that like Baptist?” So, I come to find out that someone, probably his stepmother, has been teaching him the Old Testament and Hebrew beliefs such as: not eating ham, believing only Jews are going to, not heaven, but Jerusalem, and that he doesn’t like the term “Jewish” because it means “kinda Jew” and that they prefer “Hebrew” or just “Jew.” So we, together, began walking through the Old Testament, creation to the fall to Cain and Abel, talking about God’s design and perfection vs. the evil distortion sin has caused and the fact that God will one day bring creation back to perfection. He believed me, but again believed only Hebrews are going to be there. I told them that only good people get to be there because God says he is going to punish everyone who has ever done anything wrong. He agreed. So I asked him who would be in New Jerusalem if everyone has done wrong. He did not know. So I told him, “Jesus.” And began explaining Jesus’ substitution for us in the punishment that we might get to be there with God in perfection. Be praying that this Bible Club will continue to grow, that the kids will continue to be ministered to, and that our resident Israelite (he isn’t really) will one day know Jesus personally as the fulfillment of the Law he is already being taught. Have a great day, a good week, and remember: you only YOLO once apart from Jesus. BYE!!!

-Kaden

What a fantastic, fun, and fruitful week we had here at Street Reach. Upon closing week six, we are now two thirds of the way through with the summer. These next three weeks of intensive ministry will fly by. Please be in prayer for our summer missionaries as they finish the race and say goodbye to their kids, for our mission teams who will set the final tone of the summer in this community, and for all of Memphis, that Jesus would be made known--not stopping in August, but going into the rest of the year and until Jesus returns, as well.

Additionally, be praying for our discipleship program! Kids from Rosamond, Guernsey, Pope, and Kippley have been discipled these past few weeks. Those will continue to get poured, but we will also be going out to meet with even more Bible Club kids who have accepted Christ. Pray for not only our program, but for the abundance of kids who will continue to come to Christ in the coming weeks.

"Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house the holiness of your temple! By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas." Psalm 65:1-5