As a French pastor was setting up for a community outreach event during the Olympics, he recalled a conversation he had overheard years before and had never been able to forget. A mother and child were walking along the street in front of his church.
“What is this place, this building?” the child asked. “It’s a museum,” his mother responded.
The pastor was inspired to set up an art show inside the church building during games. Many families visited the makeshift art gallery set up during the games.
Pastor Jason Harris said now the church is going to be busy following up with locals who were on the streets during the games and visited the art show.
He didn’t know how many prospects they may have but said this past Sunday as the Paris games concluded there were a number of visitors to the church’s Sunday service.
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For three days in July, the population of Sturgis, Kentucky soars from 1,650 to more than 10,000 people when the western Kentucky town hosts the Little Sturgis Bike Rally.
Along with the motorcycle enthusiasts, ministry opportunities abound for churches and partners who look for creative ways to serve the guests to the city.
A ministry called Showers of Blessings provided showers to more than 400 bikers, said Barry Yates, associational mission strategist for the Ohio Valley Baptist Association (OVBC). They use a mobile unit to set up showers for bikers who camp during the event.
As you can imagine, it creates opportunities for all kinds of conversations, but the volunteers say their favorite ones are the ones about Jesus.
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If you ask someone at church to name their favorite story from the Old Testament, they may mention Moses or Noah, but they might also talk about Jesus or Paul.
“While churchgoers may open a Bible at church, at least 1 in 5 may not be familiar with how it’s organized and what distinguishes the New Testament from the Old Testament,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. Read the full Lifeway study at Baptist Press.
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