Growing the Kingdom

This weekend we will welcome former members of Forest Park Baptist Church as they hold a reunion on the grounds adjacent to Forest Park Ministry Center.  We are so grateful for the foresight of this body of Christ to provide the facility for the ministry center, to help support the ministries there through the years, and most recently, to fund with the proceeds from the sale of their church building so many much needed improvements to the ministry center building.  We hope that, as they tour the center on Saturday, each person will be assured that their investment in the center is indeed an eternal investment in missions that will grow God’s Kingdom.

            Speaking of growing God’s Kingdom, it was a joy and privilege to witness the dedication of a precious toddler by his mother as he was presented to the church on Mother’s Day, just two weeks after she professed her faith in Christ and was baptized before that same body.  As she continues to be mentored through ministries at the center and discipled through Bible study in her church, I marvel at her spiritual growth.

            This summer, two young college women with a passion for the Lord and for missions have joined us as Summer Missionaries.  Charlotte Walker from Autauga County, a student at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, and Jordan Holley from Montgomery, a student at AUM, will be assisting both at Forest Park Ministry Center and at Community of Hope with child care, children’s Bible study and literacy events,  sports outreach events and Backyard Bible Clubs.  They have a very full summer ahead, and are pumped about it!  Several churches have asked them to share on Wednesday nights with their youth about missions opportunities at Forest Park, but there are a couple of Wednesdays still available.  If you would like them to share with a group at your church, please call us at the center 269-5726 on Monday or Wednesday morning (they will be “out and about” doing ministry otherwise!) so that we can schedule it.

            Please continue to pray for the guests who visit the ministry center.  As the summer progresses, numbers of guests increase, and especially while children are out of school and reduced / free lunches not available, food shortage is even more dire than at other times.   In May, we saw over 130 families, helping about 350 family members, distributing nearly two tons of food.  The M&M’s Bible Café, a Bible study for young moms and mentors, continues each week and many more literacy, sports, and outreach events have been planned and are being implemented for the summer.  Stay tuned for details about the summer, and for details about a Fall Open House so that everyone can see the growth and progress happening here!