BCF students minister to poor, gain experience

By Barbara Denman and Lauren Urtel
July 18, 2008

JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—A few miles from the resort hotels of Ponte Vedra Beach and posh river-front communities along the St. John’s River, low-income housing developments clutter Jacksonville’s northern downtown district like another world.

Economically isolated from the city and often without steady employment, those who call these neighborhoods home often turn to drugs, violence and prostitution.

This blighted area proved to be a hands-on laboratory experience for nine students who traveled to the urban core for training in evangelism and missions as a requirement for a practicum class at the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

“Seeing the poverty, violence and drug abuse was an eye opening experience,” said BCF senior Julie Bender, a veteran of several overseas mission trips. “Through ‘Words-2-Works’ I saw that even though we live in luxury, it is not everywhere in this country and people do suffer in poverty.”

Words-2-Works is a ministry of North Main Street Baptist Church where BCF alum Nick Phoenix serves as pastor.

“With Words-2-Works we are mobilizing the message and taking the Gospel to the community,” Phoenix said.

“We understand the poor and hurting and want to give them hope in Christ and hope for tomorrow.”

The BCF students, led by Dean Robin Jumper, participated in prayer walking personal witnessing, children’s ministries and block parties to advance the Words-2-Work strategy of church planting in the multi-housing community.

“The students were a little nervous at first, but they quickly warmed up to their surroundings and did some wonderful work for the Lord and for the people of Jacksonville,” said Jumper, also a professor of evangelism and missions.

“The class is an opportunity for students to get in the real world and minister,” continued Jumper. “They are learning to love on children, talk to adults and many are growing and learning to share their faith in a difficult situation.”

The team worked within four different multi-housing areas and witnessed three professions of faith and many “good seed-planting and trust-building conversations,” Jumper said.

Bender said working with the children gave her greatest satisfaction. “Seeing the kids understand what Jesus is about and their faces light up when they can tell the Bible stories we have taught them was the best part of this experience,” said Bender. “These kids need love and we show it to them through Christ.”

The Words-2-Work ministry also trains other churches for urban ministry in their own cities, utilizing nearly 1,000 volunteers annually. After serving with the ministry for a week this summer, the youth and adult leaders from Grace Baptist Church in Tallahassee will use what they have learned in their own inner city.

The congregation plans to partner with other Tallahassee churches in their city to operate a similar ministry, according to youth pastor Doug Link.

The most important thing for our youth to learn from the inner-city ministry is “kids are kids no matter where they are,” Grace Baptist leader Sally Nobles said. “These kids are just kids and they need love.”

Phoenix said he believes people living in multi-family housing “is a largely unreached people group. Nearly one third of Florida’s population lives in multi-family housing. I want churches to go home and duplicate this ministry in their cities.”

Words-2-Works volunteer Keith Francis, 16, lives in the north Jacksonville community and became involved in the ministry during a block party.

“Working with the Words-2-Works ministry gave me a chance to get away from the evil and crudeness and have a positive place to come,” Francis said. “My faith is all I have and I try to stay strong and do Christ-like things.”

Francis assists the visiting missions teams and shares his experiences with the groups. “I pray that as they teach the Bible stories in my community that people will hunger and want to seek God,” said Francis.

Phoenix said he was grateful for the financial support by the Jacksonville Baptist Association, the North American Mission Board and gifts to the Maguire State Mission Offering. The ministry could not exist with out the hands-on ministry from volunteers and groups like BCF, he said.

Jumper added, “Words-2-Works did an excellent job of providing our team with an opportunity to grow and learn in ministry and missions.”

“I recommend this ministry to churches and other groups who are looking for a reasonably priced, planned, and meaningful missions experience.”