Week 9- The Mill Church, FBC Midlothian & The Squires Family

Rosamond

45 times on 45 days we went out: into the sun, into the heat. It was rainy on occasion, but most often hot. The miles walked canvasing, the back aches gained giving children rides, the sunburn and exhaustion; it was all worth it for the chance to advance God's Kingdom. A big thank you to the Mill Church and to the Squires family from St. Louis who joined us this week. Thank you for helping us finish our race strong. With the finish line in sight, they did not grow tired but pushed strong and loved well. We could not have asked for a better week 9 to finish off summer 2016. It was a splash! To everyone who was praying for the kids, we thank you. To everyone who supported the missionaries who came into Memphis to love on this community, we thank you. And to each and every person who answered the call this summer, to serve as the Lord's hands and feet, bringing light into darkness and hope to the hopeless, we thank you so much! Keep praying for this community and these kids throughout the school year - that God would continue to guard hearts and prepare souls for entrance into the kingdom. See you next year!

-Kaden & Brianna

Guernsey

Hey everyone! What’s hanging! This week Guernsey was on fire welcoming FBC Midlothian in the house. The team came in excited and on fire for God. They were on top of everything and always willing to be flexible. The team welcomed and loved on every kid with excitement and compassion as they entered bible club. This week’s numbers stayed constant in the mid to upper 40s, along with a high of 55 on Friday! For the week the team played many games of tips and kickball, sang song silly songs, and some very animated bible stories. Oh, and how can I forget, the kids colored and loved the pillowcases that we decorated all week! We were very thankful to have FBC Midlothian come and be the hands and feet of Jesus this week in Memphis! A huge shout out to the team for coming for the last week so that we may love on the kids one more time! It was a great week to close the summer out; while its always hard to say goodbye, we take it as a see you later. To all of the teams that came and served at Guernsey this summer thank you from the bottom of our hearts! God bless everyone as your summer comes to a close. Until next summer everyone, remember, “We’re hanging out on G-street!”

-Armskrong, LB & Joey 

National

I can't believe that I'm sitting here writing the very last blog of the summer. It's crazy to think that we've already had 9 weeks of bible club. I can't even begin to explain how truly thankful I am to have been able to be apart the work that God has done in this city. As I sit back and think of all of the things that He has done this summer, I can't even wrap my mind around it. All I can say is that He is a good good father. He truly is. I am extremely thankful that National was running for the last week. Most of the bible club sites ended last week, so I was so grateful to get to spend another week with my kids. On this last week of bible club, we had FBC Midlothian in the house to love on the kids one last time. A lot of people on this team has served at National for many years now. It was so awesome to see the relationships that the team already had with a lot of the kids. Some of the kids remembered who the team members were and they were so excited to see them. The kids had a ton of fun this week at crafts as they mad pillow cases. It was such a special time for me and the team members to sit down and talk to the kids while they were coloring their pillow cases. Bible story was also really cool this week. The leader of bible story dressed up Moses and the kids thought it was so funny. One of my favorite things about working here is being able to sit back and watch the team members authentically love the kids and vise versa. That's exactly what I saw this week. The team completely got what they were here for, which was to be the hands and feet of Christ. Thank you so much FBC Midlothian for all of the love you poured out this week. It means so much more than you will ever know. Thank you to every team that gave up their time to serve this community. Goodbyes are never easy. They're really hard. However, I am leaving with the complete peace and comfort of knowing that God has plans for each of these children. And that is the best hope and truth that I could ever know. All glory to God for all of the work that he has done this summer. How awesome it it that we get to be a small part of it? Well, I am saying peace out for the summer. National, it's been real, and I already can't wait to see you again soon. 

-Morgan

What an amazing week & group of missionaries to finish out the summer with! A huge thank you to The Mill Church, FBC Midlothian & The Squires Family for your willingness to come in and answer the call and give the kids one last awesome week of Bible Clubs! You all came in and finished out the summer strong and we could not be any more thankful for the sacrifices you made to come in and love the community well. 


This summer 1,736 kids came out to bible clubs all across North Memphis! We have seen the Lord working and know that seeds have been planted, watered, and harvested throughout this summer by the hundreds of missionaries who have come from all across the United States.  What is even more amazing is the faithfulness of the Lord to bring 61 of these children into a relationship with Himself and this isn't even the end of it! These kids are going back into their homes, families, and schools and sharing the life changing Gospel that has been told to them. His good news is invading dark places! Please continue to pray for these children as these dark places still exist. Pray that the Lord would give them boldness to shine His light. That they would remember what they have been taught and that they would not be content with just that but that they would grow in their relationship with The Father. That they would understand His love for them and be compelled to share it with others. Thank you to all who have made this summer possible by coming to Memphis, giving, and praying.  We truly could not have ministered at the capacity at which we did if it were not for the sacrifices that were made by you all to answer the call. 


"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Week 8- FBC Greenwood, Barfield Baptist, New Shores Baptist, Eden Church, Calvary Church West Campus, Western Springs Baptist Church, and No Fences Cowboy Church

Rosamond 

What a week 8 at bible club Rosamond. From a hot Monday to a wet Friday, with the city cutting branches overtop of us, we managed to not get distracted but keep our eyes on the prize - namely the spreading of both love and gospel to the children. Thank you to the group from No Fences Cowboy Church, all the way from Alabama. Together, children learned such great stories as Noah, David and Goliath, and Jesus' death and resurrection. Lots of kids could even recite memory verses! I'd say it was a good week. Keep praying as we approach our final week. We have 5 more days to lead kids to waters of life, pray that they will drink.

-Kaden @ Rosamond

Guernsey

First Baptist Church Greenwood brought so much love for our kids over at G-Street! These students and leaders brought a passion to share the gospel with kids. They were excited to see their familiar friends from last year and make new relationships this week. Their excitement helped us have many kids come out to Bible Club this week! We reached a high of 58 kids, with the other days having numbers consistently in the 45-55 range. Although we had a very wet week, FBC Greenwood was not affected and continued to let their love “pour” out. At Bible Story, the kids learned all about the life and ministry of Jesus. We also watched the kids transform into eagles and hawks playing “Birds Fly” at the games station! The songs station brought out guitars to put an interesting spin on our Bible Club songs. Thank you FBC Greenwood for bringing out a passionate group this week at Guernsey. Please pray for the Guernsey kids and missionaries as we conclude the summer next and as they transition back into the school year.

-Joey, LB, and Hunter

National 

This week at National we had Greenwood FBC in town. The kids had a lot of fun this week as they made some really cool crafts. They made slap bracelets, salvation bracelets, necklaces, and some other fun crafts that the kids really enjoyed. The kids had battles everyday singing "We love Jesus yes we do, we love Jesus how about you". I loved hearing the kids scream these words across the park everyday and hearing how much they do love Jesus. The team fell in love with the kids and the kids absolutely loved the team. It's so awesome to think that so many people come from so far away to love on these kids that they don't even know. That's what the gospel is all about, and I'm so thankful to be apart of it. We couldn't do anything that we do without the teams that sacrifice their time to come in and invest in these children's lives. At the end of the week, the team wrote letters for the kids so that the kids would be reminded how much they love them, and most importantly how much Jesus loves them. Thank you Greenwood FBC for coming and serving at National this week! Please pray for the kids and the teams that are coming in as we go into our last week. I can't wait to see what God has in store. 

-Morgan & Katie P.

Johnson

Hey y'all! What a summer it has been at Johnson! New Shores Baptist Church was in this house this week ready to serve! Everyone was very excited to back and reconnect with some old faces. The team was ready to go out and serve on Monday morning! The kids this week had loads of fun at Bible Club! Energy was fabulous all week and it reflected during Bible Club. Great energy led to our high of the summer of 69 kids!! God blessed the team and Fish and I bringing out those 69 kids on the last day of Bible Club. New Shores ended Johnson with a bang this summer and I couldn't be any happier. Thank you so much New Shores for answering the call to serve the kids of Johnson Bible Club. I was very blessed to get to work with yall the last week at Johnson. The kids love each and everyone of you very much! I hope yall made memories that will last a lifetime. Many tears were shed on the last day but God has given all of us peace because we will see them again one day in Heaven. God has blessed Johnson Bible Club and I pray that those blessing will keep pouring out. Thank you so much New Shores for serving. None of this would be possible without you guys! God bless New Shores and Johnson Bible Club.  “We are, we are, JOHNSON”

-Bobbby

Jackson

This past week has been a hard week, I won’t lie. From finding out that it was our last week with the Jackson kids & having to say goodbye on Wednesday, the emotions ran very high. Holly and I got to spend our last few days with Eden Church, and they made quite the impression on the kiddos. From making water wells to dressing up for bible story, the kids seemed to enjoy Eden! One of my favorite but saddest moments was on Wednesday during dismissal. I had just called the Orange walking route and I look over and see Kameron walking away. I ran and caught up to him as he was walking with his head down. I asked him what was up, but he wouldn’t answer. In that moment I realized that as much as Holly and I will miss the kids, the kids will miss us just as much. I pulled Kameron into a hug and let him know that we loved him and that we loved having him this summer.  I want to thank Eden for serving this week and giving not only Holly and I say good bye to the kids, but for also letting the kids say goodbye to us. This summer has been incredible. We started with Loudon County Association and were able to end the summer with Eden, and in that span, we were able to minister to the kids 38 different days. What an incredible ride it has been.   
-Tedder

Whittier

God was moving at Whitvegas this past week for our last week of Bible club - on Friday, our very last day, we hit a summer high of 66 kids that got to come out & witness the love of Christ!! We are very thankful that Western Springs Baptist Church joined us this week. We could not have made the impact we made this week without y'all, so thank you for giving up a week of your summer to come serve our community.  The kids learned new songs, made fun, unique crafts everyday & even got to take home shirts & CD's to help them remember the truths they learned this week, which they absolutely loved! Thank y'all for letting God move through you & use you this week here in Memphis. Please please please join us in praying for these precious kids & their families as the school year starts. Pray for their safety. Pray that the faith of those who accepted Christ would keep growing & that others will come to know Him. Praise God for the amazing, impactful, memory-filled summer we've had at Whittier Bible club this year & for all of His precious children He graciously let us make relationships with & spend our summer with. God is so good & He is moving in this city. 

•"Ain't no party like a Whitvegas party cause a Whitvegas party don't stop"•
-Claire & Meredith

Que Que

This week we closed out Que Que with Calvary West. From day one they loved on those kids like crazy! We started off the week with 48 kids and our high was 62! Everyday the kids learned a different part of the Lord's prayer. They had conversations about what a good and loving father is, why our God is Holy, and how Christ is the best superhero there is. They hammered the points in by making Crafts related to the bible story, the highlight was the shield with a J on the front letting all the kids become mini superheroes for a day. In games we saw the oldest truly become kids again as they spent time playing kickball, bubbles, and finger darts. A huge thank you goes to Calvary for the love you poured out on these kids! They truly saw Christ through your actions and we hope to see you again! Pray for the children and families of this community as summer closes out and the school year comes in.

-Katie W. 

Kendrick 

Barfield Baptist Church came to close out Kendrick for the summer. The minute we arrived on Monday the kids were eager to have fun at bible club. The sounds of Big Big House and other songs could be heard throughout the week.  We had a high of 46 kids on Wednesday. It was a week full of love for the kids. They were full of energy each and every day at bible club without reserve. The kids learned about Jesus and a lot of his ministry.  They had great games planned for each and every day. There wasn't a kid on site who wasn't having fun. Every station was full of fun and energy. Each and every kid at Kendrick felt loved  everyday. It's been a great summer hanging out at Kendrick Bible Club this summer   Thank you so much for coming to serve, love at closing Kendrick Bible club with a great week. 

-Beef 

This has been such an amazing summer and week 8 was no exception! We are so thankful to have had FBC Greenwood, Barfield Baptist, New Shores Baptist, Eden Church, Calvary Church West Campus, Western Springs Baptist Church, & No Fences Cowboy Church in town to share Christ & His love all across this community. As we are starting to close out the summer and a lot of Bible Clubs for the year, these teams poured every last bit of energy & love that Christ has given them to finish out many of the Bible Clubs strong. Please be in prayer as we begin the final week of the summer. 

Week 7-Third Street Baptist, Townville Baptist, West Hartselle Baptist, Lifepoint Baptist, and The Gathering Place

Rosamond

Welcome back my friends to Street Reach Rosamond. It was a hot but fantastic week! It's hard to believe that we had as many as 65 kids come out into near 100 degree weather. But it is evidence of the love shown by the wonderful team from West Hartselle that kids kept coming out to be with them. With crafts from snorkels to periscopes and games from parachutes to lion hunts, bible club was a ton of fun in the sun! One of my personal favorite moments this week was a challenge from a couple of kids to a drawing contest. We spent the next few days drawing superheroes, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and Pokemon. Eventually some of the kids even drew happy birthday wishes for our birthday boys this week - Jonathan and Ceasar. Thank you to West Hartselle and thank you to those who are praying. God is moving at Rosamond, several kids confessed to have prayed for Jesus and others are seeking answers. So please... continue to pray. Thank you, and have a great day!

-Kaden @ Rosamond

Guernsey
The Word Community Church came from Alabama to spread God's love at G-Street this week! They brought lots of energy with them and love for all of the kids they met. They're canvassing skills were on point and they were super excited about getting more and more kids each day. This week we had a high of 64 kids on Thursday! It was a lot of the TWCC team's first time at Street Reach but man did they leave an impact on these kids. These kids obviously don't care how experienced you are but care more about your excitement to see them and love on them and this team really understood that. Even though it was a really hot week, I hardly heard any complaints from the kids because I know they were distracted by the fun they were having! The team didn't complain either because they knew it was so worth the sweat and fatigue to have the possibility of seeing these bible club kids in heaven one day. Thank you so much TWCC Student Ministry for coming this week, we couldn't have done it without y'all!
-L.B., Joey & Rachael 

National
Wow. I can't believe week 7 of the summer just ended! We were so thankful to have West Hartselle Baptist in town this week. I was able to work with this team last summer, and it was so cool to have them back. Before we went out to club on Monday, one of the team members asked me if a girl named Camiya was still at Club. I told her yes and she was super excited. When we got to club Monday, Camiya ran straight up to the team member and said that she remembered her and was so happy to see her. It was such a special moment and so cool to see. It's so awesome to see that team members make such an impact on these kids lives that some of the kids remember them a year later! The kids had so much fun this week as they did obstacle courses, played soccer, and made some super awesome crafts! This team was extremely intentional all week and a couple kids ended up accepting Jesus in their hearts. All glory to God! It's so beautiful to sit back and see team members praying with the kids and seeing the kids stepping out of the dark and into the light! I sat down and talked to a lot of the kids who were saved and I was amazed by the understanding they have of what it means to be in a relationship with Christ. The understanding that they have is because of all of the teams who have poured into them throughout the summer, and of course because of the work God has done in their hearts. Thank you West Hartselle Baptist for all of the love you showed this week. Please pray that God will continue to show up big these last two weeks.
-Morgan & Katie P.

Johnson 

Hey everybody! Week 7 at Johnson was a blast. The Gathering Place was in the house this week ready to serve! They came in Sunday with lots of great energy and were very excited to be back. Monday morning came and they were ready to go! GP+Y got to reconnect with some old faces and the kids did as well. Energy was great all week long and that reflected at bible club. The kids had so much fun at Johnson from the crazy dancing to all the cool crafts made! Great energy led to our high of the summer with 60 kids on Wednesday!! In just one day 60 kids got to hear about Christ and be loved on by the team! Thank you so much Gathering Place for being the hands and feet of Christ. The kids have been impacted by each and everyone of you. I pray that you have made memories that will never be forgotten with these kids. Thank you for giving up a week of your summer to serve in Memphis. If it wasn’t for you and the others teams none of this would be possible. It was a blessing getting to work with each and everyone of you! Thank you so much again for loving on the kids at Johnson bible club and showing God’s love to them. GP+Y!
-Bobbby & Fish

Jackson

What happens at Jackson bible club, stays at Jackson bible club, right? Wrong. The amount of love shared by The Gathering Place this week was awesome. Even through the heat they managed to find a way to love on the kids. I don’t know what they were doing but they seemed to get more energy as the week went on. Even with a heat advisory every day this week, the kids still came out in bunches to bible club. We even had a whole new family come that had never been before! We’d been bothering this dad for weeks and finally he came and talked to me and the next day they were all down in the park with us. This week, the kids learned about the Ten Commandments and even though some of the kids might not be able to count to ten, they could still say some of the commandments back to me by the end of the week. At one point this week, little Carter and Keyderick (it’s been seven weeks and we still don’t know how to spell his name) had taken all of the hula hoops and covered a team member with them and told him that he was now in jail. The fact that the Team member let them do this and played along with it so well was really a great illustration of how servant hearted this team really was, they were willing to do whatever they could to have happy club kids. Thank you The Gathering Place for serving this week! 

-Tedder & Holly

Whittier

God truly blessed us with another amazing week over at Whitvegas full of Jesus, fun & laughter! Lifepoint Baptist Church from Alabama joined us this week as we continued to love on this beautiful community. Despite the tough heat this week, Lifepoint was so joyful to be out in the community & with the kids at Bible club. They taught the kids new, fun songs throughout the week at circle up, brought tons of energy & excitement at games, & helped the kids make unique crafts that reinforced the Bible story/message for each day. The kids had a blast! Wednesday we had 47 kids that got to see the love of Jesus through this team & I cannot be more thankful for all of their hard work & love they put into everyday. On Friday, the Gospel was explained at Bible story & we had multiple kids accept Christ!! They also got to take home salvation bracelets to help them grow & remember what that decision means for them. Lifepoint, I can't thank y'all enough for coming & giving up a week of your summer to love on our community in Jesus' name. Thank you for loving & eternally impacting our kids all week long. Hope to see y'all again! Please be praying for our kiddos, who are new believers, that they will grow & deepen their understanding of this decision. Please pray for staff & incoming teams that we will fix our eyes on Jesus & let Him take over as we get ready & excited for this coming week! Lastly, please pray that as we are coming to a close on the summer, huge, lasting impacts would be made in Christ's name. Thank y'all in advance!! 

-Claire & Meredith 

Que Que

This week at Que Que we had Third Street Baptist Church in the house. The team started off the week with a solid 35 kids and ended even stronger with a jump to 70 kids on Friday. The team was able to speak to the kids about being unashamed and sold out for Christ. On Monday while we waited for lunch, Zeke, our group leader was able to rap for some of the kids. People from the community came out as they watched our kids yell out that they were sold out for Christ. The team was able to connect with the kids early on in the week and were very intentional on truly sharing Christ with these kids in both of their actions and words. We were able to see the manifestation of this as our older kids began asking more and more questions, resulting in seven salvations through the week! One of our older kids came to club one day telling us that in his kitchen the night before, he and his family sat down and all prayed for the living water of Christ. A giant thank you needs to go out to Third Street for your flexibility and your love for these children! We hope to see you next year! Please continue to pray as the kids of Que Que gain a new understanding for who Christ is and what it means to be his follower  as we come to a close this summer.

-Katie W, Marcus & Steeley 

Vernon 
How’s it hanging everybody! This week we welcomed a new and an awesome team, Townville First Baptist! Like always, Vernon was a burning, but this week it was on fire! The team hit the ground running on day one and didn’t stop until after club on Friday. This week the team journeyed out and canvased as well as they could; so this week with some harsh heat Vernon had on average 20-25 kids daily. We had a great time everyday doing some amazing dance songs, and fabulous crafts! The kids got to take their crafts home everyday, and also a huge bag full of goodies on Friday. The kids had a blast! It was amazing to see what God had planned for Vernon this past week. Although it was hot, the team was very flexible and kept the kids entertained the whole time. It’s always a pleasure to have Townville in the house; the connections the team always makes with the kids are AMAZING! A huge thanks you to Townville Baptist Church! The kids loved you all, and I can’t thank you all enough for fulfilling the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus this week in Memphis. Hope to see everyone next year. Safe travels to everyone! Vernon is a burning, cause its HOT ,HOT!

-Armstrong

It's crazy to think Summer 2016 is coming to a close in just a couple of weeks! We are so grateful for the hundreds of missionaries who have already answered the call and the ones who will come in the next weeks to finish the summer out strong. This week we are thankful to have had Third Street Baptist, Townsville Baptist, West Hartselle Baptist, Lifepoint Baptist, and The Gathering Place in town. These teams had so much energy and excitement that could be seen all over Memphis. Whether they were at Bible Club, in nursing homes, at community centers, and even in the laundromats, people around them knew that they had joy! The community saw the Gospel lived out in the way that these missionaries loved not just the community but each other so well! These teams were constantly encouraging each other and serving one another. What a blessing to see! We are so thankful for each of you who have come to Memphis, given, and prayed this summer. We have already had the privilege to see much of the fruit that the Lord has brought about and we know that this isn't the end! Please continue to pray for these final weeks of Bible Clubs. That the children will not forget what has been taught and shown to them all summer and that the missionaries coming in will not grow weary in faithfully planting seeds. 

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Week 6- Waterbrook Bible Fellowship, Lakeview FUMC, Lakewood Baptist Church, FBC Jamestown, Old Shooting Creek Baptist Church, Cumberland Fellowship, & The Brook Church

Rosamond 

Thanks to FBC Jamestown, Week 6 at Rosamond was an absolute blast! The team's passion shined as they loved on our Bible club kids and the surrounding community. Bible Story was a hit every day. The kids especially enjoyed being involved in teaching the lessons, and playing quick games that reinforced the lessons afterward. Craft leaders also did a wonderful job of sharing the gospel with our kiddos as they made salvation bracelets, good news booklets, and much more. A 12 year old even accepted Christ during crafts station this week. Hallelujah! FBC Jamestown shook up songs station this week, and our older girls enjoyed that particularly. Last but not least, everyone loved playing outdoor basketball and pool noodle horseshoe with the missionaries at games station. The team brought kids old and new to club day after day, and went out of their way to make sure the kids' needs were met. We are so thankful for the capacity at which Jamestown was able to minister this week. Rosamond misses you already, Jamestown! See you next summer! 

- Brianna & Tyler

Guernsey 

Waterbrook Bible Fellowship from Texas brought lots of energy and love to Guernsey this week! It was their first time ever here at Street Reach and by Friday they were already bible club pros! The high for the week was 60 kids on Wednesday! They were super flexible on Thursday when we had to switch bible club and afternoon projects because of rain in the morning and on Friday the rain held off for a great last day. The kids got to learn lots of new songs and dances at our music station and our team learned some of the kids' songs and dances as well! All of them were interactive at games this week and I loved hearing kids reciting Bible verses at Bible story. The team was prepared every day for club and even had backup plans so it was a very smooth and structured week. They got pumped up before club with their morning dance parties in the caf which also helped energize the other teams and the staff! It was just what we needed since we're more than halfway through the summer and our energy was waning. Thanks so much for giving the Guernsey kids another great week of bible club Waterbrook, I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did! We would love to have y'all back next summer!

-LB, Armstrong & Kaden

National

What a wonderful week we had here at Bible club National! This week we had a team from Waterbrook Bible Fellowship from Dallas, Texas. Y'all, I can't even explain how awesome this team was. Not only did they pour out so much love to the kids, they also poured out a ton of love to us as a staff. They were continually encouraging us and continually had a ton of energy. This is exactly what we needed as a staff because as summer progresses, we get more tired. This team was so ready and pumped to go out everyday and it helped remind us why we do what we do. Games station this week was so fun and literally every kid wanted to play the games every day. Also, bible story was super interactive and I watched as kids would recite memory verses back to the leaders without even looking at the verse! I am amazed at how much these kids are learning and the growth that I am seeing in them week after week. This team truly understood what it meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Everything they did and every conversation they had was a reflection of Christ's love. Seeds are continuing to be planted and continuing to grow. Many kids were asking questions this week about what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus and the team did a great job of answering all of those questions and also prayed with some of the kids. It's a beautiful sight to get to sit back and just watch our kids build relationships with these people that were strangers at the beginning of the week, but that are now their friends by the end of the week. Thank you so much Waterbrook Bible Fellowship. The National kids are going to miss you, and Katie and I hope to serve along side of you all again. This summer has been amazing so far. All glory to God because none of it could happen without his guidance and his great, beautiful plan.

-Morgan, Katie P. & Joey

Johnson

Hey everybody! What a marvelous week it was at Johnson. Old Shooting Creek came to Memphis ready to change the hearts of the kids. They came in with GREAT energy and were ready to go Monday morning. The kids had an amazing time all week and they were all truly loved on. God was doing amazing things this past week at Johnson. The biggest highlight of the week was hearing a kid accept Christ in his life. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces all week was such a blessing! The high at Johnson this week was 43 kids! Old Shooting Creek showed Christ’s love all week to the community. The kids loved each and everyone one of you! Thank you so much Old Shooting Creek for answering the call to serve in Memphis. It was such a blessing to get to serve with yall! Thank you for taking time out of your summer and spending it here serving the community. I hope each and everyone of you left with great memories that will never be forgotten. Thank you so much again for the amazing week and showing God’s love to the kids of Johnson Bible Club. 

-Bobbby & Fish

Jackson

First things first, Jackson park is the realest. The job that the team, The Brook, did was incredible. The kids loved getting to bible club and hearing music coming from the speakers as they arrived. There was a lot of impromptu dancing going on, even Holly was dancing. The energy was awesome this week and I could see the love of God being poured out by the team members and the kids seemed to pour some love back to the team. This week we had a big surprise when Lil Mike came running up to club one day, it was really great to see him again. Lil Mike and his little brother had moved after week 3 and Holly and I had missed them a ton, so it was great that they came to visit. The puppets at the beginning of club seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day and started to energize the kids. One thing Holly noticed as she walked her route was that the kids had hung up the wind chimes and the crosses they had made at crafts and every day the kids seemed to make use of the water bottles they made this week. All in all, this week was a great week and I am incredibly thankful for The Brook and can’t wait to see what God has in store as we wind down the summer. 

-Tedder, Holly & Katie W.

Whittier

Week 6 was a great week filled with lots of excitement over at Whittier. It was all Thanks to Lakeview FUMC. The energy they brought was off the chain. We had a high of 44 kids come out to dance and have fun learning about Christ. All of the kids were engaged and loved getting to be crazy. Throughout the week we got to learn all of the kid’s favorite dance moves and how they break it down. Even when the weather took a turn, the group pushed through to have a blast at bible club and finish the week strong. Lots of kids were showing off their crafts and explain just how it had to do with each day’s bible story. They could even tell me all about the characters in the story, and how God used those people. You could see Christ working through this team to really make an impact this week. I can’t wait to see what happens these next few weeks at Whittier, please keep the kids and new teams in prayer as we continue to be Christ’s hands and feet. 

-Marcus & Meredith 

Kendrick

Week 6 brought in Cumberland Fellowship at Kendrick! We had a high of 47 kids on Wednesday. The kids learned the stories of Peter in prison and Tabatha, just to name a few. We had kids carrying their craft around all week from Monday. The sounds of Bazooka Bazooka Bubblegum, and Mr. Bear could be heard around the entire bible club. Despite the heat, Cumberland was ready to love on the kids. Thank you so much for coming to serve at Kendrick Bible club. 

-Beef & Anna

Pope 

"We luh God. You don't luh God? What's wrong with chu? We love Him. We love Him. Love him. Love Him." This past week at Pope was great as the kids learned about loving God and making tough choices for Him. Thanks to Lakewood church who came into town with crafts a plenty and bible stories such as Silas and Paul, Paul and the Ethiopian man, etc. They built upon their performance each day and because of their willingness to adapt to the personalities of the children, they broke our summer record here at Pope not just once but twice for this year! Friday was our highest day with 46 children there to hear about Christ and how we should handle tough circumstances once we have Christ in our lives. In songs they switched it up and did everything from get to know you activities, to bible club songs, to Whip and Nae Nae, or I Luh God. Games station taught the older girls to play capture the flag and they loved it! With the younger ones they did relays and played with a parachute, while the older boys played variations of tag and 4 square. I am very thankful for the people we had at Pope as I know some great Christ centered conversations were taking place on the walking routes this week. Zoe, a ten year old girl who has lived in the area for about the past five years has started to come to club this summer. What is so remarkable about her being at bible club is that she has not been allowed to in the past and she comes from an atheist family. She accepted Christ earlier in he summer and this past week asked for and was given a bible. God is doing great things, children all over Memphis are being set free from sin and the promised consequences of it thanks to those who are trusting in God and letting Him move through them. It is a beautiful sight to see God fixing the broken with the help of those who were once broken as we ourselves used to be. Thank you again Lakewood Baptist Church for your willingness to come serve and to be a light in a dark community. 

-Rachael & Leah

It was such a blessing & encouragement to have Waterbrook Bible Fellowship, Lakewood Baptist Church, Lakeview FUMC, FBC Jamestown, Old Shooting Creek Baptist Church, Cumberland Fellowship & The Brook in town this past week! These groups came in full of energy and passion and gave everything they had to reach the kids in this neighborhood with the Gospel. We are truly thankful for the sacrifices that you all made to come and serve for a week! Through the heat, rain, and switched schedules, these teams were nothing but flexible and full of excitement as they still counted it a blessing to get to go out and show Christ's love. This was an amazing week because of the Lord's faithfulness in sending out missionaries to answer the call and to show His love all across Memphis. Please continue to pray for the children who are being ministered to and the missionaries who will be the answer to the call. 


"Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:38

Week 5- Union Grove Baptist Church, FBC Salado, FBC Liberty, FBC Gleason, Grace Baptist of Brandon, and Arbor Springs Baptist Church

Rosamond 
Union Grove Baptist Church from North Carolina came to town this week, and they brought Christmas in July with them! Our Rosamond kids had a holly jolly time learning the true meaning of Christmas through the Bible stories told, and felt the love of Christ through the team's intentionality. From freeze dancing to kazoo playing, songs station was a party every single day. The munchkins enjoyed all of the crafts and games, especially the Star of Bethlehem kites and Christmas corn toss. Kids old and new were coming from all over to experience the fun and affection this team supplied. I am so thankful to Union Grove for lavishing our kids and community with love this week. May the seeds you planted here continue to sprout and grow. Keep the prayers coming. Until next year!
-Brianna, Meredith & Tyler

Guernsey

This week we had FBC Liberty all the way from Texas hangin' out on G-Street! We started off the week with the 4th of July on Monday and 24 kids at bible club and ended the week on Friday with 70 kids (a summer record!!) getting to learn about God! I know that the kids had lots of fun at Bible club because they kept coming back! The team was super prepared and had every station planned out which helped club run smoothly each day. The week was a great balance of structure and fun! I loved that at bible story they worked on a book every day that they got to take home at the end of the week. I was admittedly a little worried about glitter at crafts station but it was actually kept pretty under control. It reminded me that God is always watching over these crazy little lives running around at club and we're all under his control and protection. I thank God for keeping us all safe at club this week and I pray that he continues to do so even after this summer is over. I can't believe that the summer is now more than halfway over! I've been so blessed to have this opportunity and to get to meet such awesome teams every week who have shown the Guernsey kids so much love. FBC Liberty, y'all did an amazing job and thank y'all so much for all your help this week! Guernsey will be more than happy to have y'all back next summer!!

-LB, Armstrong & Joey 

National 

Hey y'all! We had an awesome week here at Street Reach! Monday was the 4th of July which means that the kids wouldn't get their normal lunches from Shelby County. However, the teams made the kids  awesome peanut butter and jelly lunches the kids absolutely loved. Even though it was a holiday and it was supposed to rain, we still had 27 kids come out to National to hear the Gospel. We had a high of 56 kids this week which was super cool. The songs station was fun this week as I literally saw every kid dancing. Even the older kids were dancing to whip and nae nae and the cha cha slide. This was really cool because the older kids usually think they are too cool to participate in songs; however, I saw them having authentic fun this week. Katie and I have been so thankful to serve at National so far this summer. Jesus is doing such amazing things in these kids lives and we have loved having the privilege of being able to sit back and watch it all happen. Please pray with us as this summer is coming closer to the end. Please pray for God to continue in the work he has began at National and for the teams that are to come. 

-Morgan, Katie P. & Leah

Johnson

Hey everybody! What a week it has been at Johnson! Arbor Springs came ready to serve this community and to be the hands and feet of Christ. Sunday afternoon was filled with lots of energy and they were ready to go Monday morning. All week the kids had a great time and the team as well. Are high for this week was 45 kids!! Arbor springs built relationships that will never be broken. The team left Memphis with memories that they can cherish forever. Thank you so much Arbor Springs for giving up your 4th of July and the rest of your week for these kids. It was a blessing getting to work with all of you. The kids had a great time and loved everyone of y'all. Thank you so much again for being called to Memphis. 

-Bobbby & Fish 

Jackson

Jackson Park was hopping this week! Even though the 4^th of July was Monday, 21 of our little friends still came to play with our team from Gleason First Baptist. The Gleason team accepted the unique challenges that came along with this weird week, and by the end of the week they had shared Jesus with 57 kiddos. Every time I looked over at games when I was about to rotate, the kids were always reciting the bible verse to get suckers. By the end of the week, I was worrying about if Gleason was going to have enough suckers to last, all the kids were reciting the bible verse! The way the team interacted with the kids was absolutely incredible. All week I saw team members bonding with the kids, from the ittie bitties to the ones about to enter middle school. This week was a fantastic time for the kids and for the team, and by the end of the week they knew that Jesus would never leave them. 

-Tedder, Holly & Katie W.

Whittier 

Once again God provided yet another fantastic week of Bible club at Whitvegas! God sent us missionaries from Mississippi through Grace Baptist Church of Brandon this week & we couldn't be more thankful for all they did in our community especially through Bible clubs. Despite it being Fourth of July week, we reached a weekly high of 50 kids at Bible club on Wednesday! The kids had a blast with TWO water days in games & fun daily experiments at Bible story. They got to not only hear the Bible stories, but actually learn them through the experiments & also through the crafts they made throughout the week. Their Christ-like compassion showed daily in how well they loved on the kids, cared for them, took interest in each of their lives & began to develop relationships as the week went on. Thank you so much Grace Baptist Church of Brandon for your hard work, your selflessness in giving up a week of your summer, all of your preparation that went into making this week so great & your willingness to let God move through you in His city & in His precious children's lives. We hope to see y'all next year! Please join us in praying for the all of the teams & staff next week that we will be full of energy for the kids each day & ready to serve whole-heartedly & selflessly while keeping our eyes fixed on Christ all the while. Please pray that the kids & the community as a whole would see Jesus clearly through us - that they might come to truly understand the Gospel & accept Him as their Savior & Lord. Thank you for reading & thank you so much in advance for all of your prayers. Our God is so so good! 

-Claire, Armstrong & D'Marcus

Kendrick

Week 5 brought the heat, but that didn't stop Bible Club! The team showed up and showed out with the kids over at Kendrick this week. Everyday they're crafts coordinated with with the bible story, having the love of Jesus reinforced at multiple stations. They heard the stories of Zacchaeus, and Jonah, to name a few. Everyday "Big House" could be heard playing as the kids sang and danced to it over and over again. Let's not forget about the games station that the kids loved everyday. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. It was a great time had by all this week! 

-Beef & Steeley

We are over half way through Summer 2016 and Fourth of July week was no exception to the amazing work God has been doing in Memphis through the missionaries who have answered the call this summer! This week started out with handmade PB&J lunches for the kids and ended with summer records being broken on Friday! It was so sweet seeing the passion that the mission teams had this week to canvass the neighborhoods and reach as many kids as possible with the Gospel. We are truly thankful for the willingness these teams had to selflessly serve this neighborhood from making sure the kids were fed to finishing out the week strong. Thank you for answering the call and a huge thank you to all of you who are continuing to pray! 


"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:18

Week 4- Silverdale Baptist Church, FBC Thurmont, FBC Collierville, Simpsonville Baptist Church, FBC Paris, East Highland Baptist Church, Arcadia FBC

Rosamond

Good morning surfers of the inter-webs! I hope you are doing well because Bible club Rosamond had an AMAZING week 4! FBC Paris was in town with an excitement level of OVER 9,000, and our kids sure loved every minute of it. From karaoke at songs to making pillows at crafts, it brought joy to my heart to see so many children love being loved. Watching children succeed - be it at four square or jump rope, or coloring with chalk - and watching our volunteers from Illinois be there with them to congratulate and celebrate with them, it truly brought joy to my heart.  I cannot thank FBC Paris enough. And I also thank you who are at home praying for us and these children. James chapter 5 tells us that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful, that when Elijah prayed for drought it did not rain for 3 years. And again, we he prayed that rain would come, it came in droves. So please, have faith and continue to pray. God is preparing a bountiful harvest here, do not cease your requests that he would send harvesters. Have a great day!

-Kaden Sosebee @ Rosamond

Guernsey 

God really blessed us by placing Silverdale Baptist Church at Guernsey this week! The team of 31 canvased so well that we had a summer high of 68 kids at bible club on Friday! I saw several new faces throughout the week and we're praying that they continue to come for the rest of the summer. The kids loved the streamers at music and the parachute at games and I loved hearing their sweet laughter from those stations all week. They enjoyed making the meaningful crafts and heard all about God's love at bible story. At the end of the week, the team really started having deeper one-on-one conversations and we ended up having several salvations at club and even one in the community! I'm so glad God gave them the courage to talk and pray with people while on their walking routes. I was so inspired by the team's energy and willingness to help the whole week and they're encouraging words were so sweet. I could see the love that this team had for all the kids and their passion for spreading God's word! Thank y'all so much for coming and hope to see y'all back next summer! 

-LB and Armstrong

National

As I'm sitting here typing this, I can't believe that we just finished week 4! This summer is flying by, but we have been so thankful to have had so many awesome teams come and serve these last couple of weeks. This week we had FBC Collierville here to love on the National kids. This team has been coming to Street Reach for many many years, but this was their first time to serve at National. This team presented the Gospel in a way that was easy for the kids to understand and that was easy for them to remember. Bible story was on fire this week as one guy on the team acted it out and really grasped the kids attention. I would walk around and ask kids what they learned that day, and almost all of them could tell me exactly what they learned. Crafts was really cool this week as the kids did sand art and made salvation bracelets. The kids also loved games all week as they played soccer and did relays. The team related everything that they did with the kids, whether it was games or crafts, back to the bible story. I am certain that the kids have a better understanding of the Gospel because of what they learned this week. I saw a very authentic, selfless love that the team had for the kids and the kids had for the team. That is the most beautiful thing to see because that's how Jesus loves us. No matter what we do or where we come from, he loves us anyways. Thank you FBC Collierville for a great week! We hope to serve along side of y'all again. 

-Morgan & Katie P.

Johnson

Hey Everybody! This past week at Johnson was an outstanding week. Arcadia FBC rocked it everyday. Monday morning came and they were ready to go and serve the community. The team had lots of great energy and it paid off at Bible Club. Arcadia was stoked when they got to reconnect with some kids they have had before. Energy was kept up all week and the kids fed off of it. Wednesday was are high for the week at 53 kids! 53 kids got to come out and hear about God and experience His true love. The biggest highlight of the week was that we had multiple salvations!! God was moving through Arcadia at Johnson Bible Club and you could honestly see it. First Baptist Church Arcadia it was a blessing getting to work with y'all! Thank you so much for being the hands and feet of Christ for this community. The kids had a great time all week and were truly loved on by all of you. You all showed God’s love to the kids and adults in this community and that led to some miraculous works. Thank you so much for everything y'all did this past week in Memphis. 

-Bobbby and Fish 

Jackson

Wow, what a fantastic week over at Jackson Park! The Simpsonville Baptist Church team poured out their love for these kids and it showed. It may have been Simpsonville’s first time over here at Street Reach, but they seemed to really enjoy their time here and the kids really enjoyed having them. The team only got better as the week went on. From having the kids play hide-and-seek in Bible story to making friendship bracelets in crafts, Simpsonville was loving and engaged with our kids. The addition of a speaker in songs was a huge hit because our Jackson kiddos love to dance. It seemed like every time I looked over this week I saw kids dancing; even the older kids danced along and seemed to really enjoy it. On Thursday I was able to hang out with the kids and talk about the salvation bracelets they had made, which turned into some really amazing conversations. The way the Lord worked through the team was great to see and it showed through the impact they had on the kids. Please continue to keep Bible club Jackson in prayer as the summer continues! 

-Tedder, Holly & Andrew 

Whittier

This week at Whittier with East Highland was awesome! They were such a great team with so much passion! They never let the heat or how tired they were stop them from loving on the kids. They continued everyday to put everything they had into Bible Club and showing God's love to the kids. At crafts they made Salvation Bracelets one day and visors and bandanas another day; the kids loved it! The kids also loved doing "Lean and Dab", "Hit the Quan", and "Watch Me" at songs! We reached a weekly high of 50 on Wednesday! Thank you East Highland for all you did this week! We pray that God will continue to work at Whittier and work through the teams each week!

-Meredith & Claire

Que Que

This week at Que Que we had Simpsonville Baptist Church in town. Their church motto is SIMPly love which they put into action this week. The bible story was paired with a memory verse station, where the kids were taught fun songs to help them memorize bible verses such as John 3:16. The game station transformed our 5-7 year olds into superheroes who saved the day by taking down the bad guys! Crafts and songs were also exciting as the kids were able to show off their dance moves to the team, and show off their creativity with fun bracelets and coloring sheets.The team started out the week with 53 kids and were able to end the week on a high of 76 kids! We are so happy that the kids were able to be loved on by this group of willing team members. Thank you Simpsonville Baptist Church! Please continue to pray for the families and the kids of Club Que Que as teams continue to come and share the love of Christ with them.

-Katie W., Anna & Joey

Pope

Week four at Pope was an exciting time. FBC Thurmont was in town, all the way from Maryland. We were blessed with great, cool weather. Cool being a relative term. The group came in excited to be in Memphis and ready for God to provide opportunities to pour into kids. We had a high of 34 kids, and all week long new kids came out to have fun at Bible club and hear about Jesus. Free play was always a blast with their bubble tornado filling club with bubbles. They also brought fun puppets that got the youngest group of kids jumping up and down during bible stories and fun games that got even the grumpiest of kids having fun. One of the coolest times was the relationship built with a new kid. He wanted to come to club so bad because he saw his sisters go each day. The only problem was he is in a wheel chair. That didn’t stop these guys from getting him to club and helping him have fun. From lifting his wheelchair during bazooka bubble gum to having great conversations during lunch. He loved coming to club and it was amazing getting to see God work through the team to love on him in a way only God can. I can’t wait to see how God continues to working these kids’ lives throughout the summer.

-Marcus & Leah

Treadwell

"What can take God's Love away? Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing." Rang the voices of 46 children this week at Treadwell bible club! Collierville Baptist Church came to Street Reach and they were prepared with plan A's, B's and C's for their stations. In crafts conversations about Christ were the main focal point with the craft being used to get the kids to ask questions. One day they had a Roman's road sticker craft, and I overheard Sammya asking why the cross represented what Christ did for us if other people died on the cross too. They explained how the cross was the worst punishment at the time and Jesus still willingly died on the cross as the only person who lived a perfect life and could atone for our sins. Such great questions were being asked with good answers! In bible the kids were animatedly told not just the story, but why it happened and what we should take away from the story for our own lives. Each day there was an activity or demonstration for the kids. When they were taught about sin the demonstration was a balloon with a lighter held under it until it popped. The balloon represented our lives and the lighter represented sin. Then they held the lighter under a balloon that had water in it to absorb the heat and keep it from popping. The water demonstrated God's grace and how it absorbed the consequences of our sin saving us from destruction. Games was on point this week with three legged races, long jump competitions, sharks and minnows, and much more. I want to thank Collierville Baptist for putting so much thought into not only the activities, but in where each of them served as it was great to witness their being utilized to their best abilities whether it was games, crafts, or bible. "As each one has recieved a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4: 10-11

-Rachael

Kendrick

This week we had East Highland Baptist Church hanging out at Kendrick and we had a lot of fun! The kids had a blast from hearing the Bible story of Saul converting to Paul to making stuffed turtles at crafts. You could hear the songs station singing Bazooka Bubblegum from across site! Games station was a hit this week. The kids loved playing What Time Is It, Mr. Bear? and Marco Polo with the team. The team brought something new and exciting to site: puppets!! The younger kids especially got a kick out of the puppets that would join them in songs! Kids were connecting and building relationships this week with the team, but more importantly they were connecting and building a relationship with Jesus! We had kids asking open-ended about Jesus during club and parents told us that their kids were praying at home! Kids would also say the blessing during lunch! We are beginning to see the impact that Bible club is making on the kids at Kendrick. Not only have we had record numbers (there were 59 kids on Friday!), but we've had lots of spiritual growth this week. Thank you East Highland for loving our kids! And thank you, Jesus, for shining your light through this team!! 

-Beef and Tyler