Ready to serve where needed

David Sexson joined the Baptist Temple Family last month and went to work right away. He started in the thrift store sorting clothes, helping folks with groceries and was soon doing client interviews. He might have set a record by serving 16 clients in one day.

David was an unchurched teenager who came to know the Lord at age 14 when a church planting missionary invited him to a new church start. David's life was headed in the wrong direction but he found a new life in Jesus that set him on the right path.

Serving 26 years as a Dental Technician, David retired from the US Air Force and, then, worked for another 21 and a half years at the UT Health Science Center Dental School. He greatest joy, however, comes from serving God. “I consider it a privilege that He works through me,” David said.

David has served churches in a variety of administrative and teaching capacities, always ready to pitch in when needed. He has been on mission trips to the border and Illinois but the most memorable one was to a leper colony in Thailand. There he witnessed a level of human suffering that he had never seen before or since.

Baptist Temple made a strong first impression on David. He said, after his worship service with us, that he truly felt God's presence and that the people were very welcoming. He was also impressed by the level of activity and the many opportunities for him to serve. “I'm not going to a church where I can't do things,” he said.

Six Churches, One VBS

For the second year, the churches that meet on the Baptist Temple campus joined forces to put together a high quality VBS. The level of energy and the spirit of unity displayed were beyond measure. The Sunday morning attendance of the BT campus churches ranges from 20 to 150 and includes Baptist Temple Church, Community Bible Church Highland Park, Mision Bautista Betel, Family Deaf Church and Sunny Slope Baptist Church.

These churches have a diverse membership that crosses ethnic, racial, language and economic barriers. We were joined this year by a church that ministers to African refugees, Iglesia del Dios Altisimo. Their African children plus a student mission team from Baptist University of the Americas brought a total of 14 different nations to our campus that week.

Our efforts resulted in over 90 workers, 173 students enrolled, 667 dinners served, $730 raised for missions and six decisions for salvation. Although the six decisions seems a low number, we had a lot of children return who had made decisions last year.

The most significant impact of that week was the Kingdom impact of six churches, different from each other in many ways, working together for the sake of the gospel!

Click here for a slide show recap of VBS 2017 on YouTube.

VBS Answered Prayers

Guest blog by Kay Richardson

VBS on the #BTCampus is June 11-15... just days away! Things are coming together. The only area I'm a little weak in is guides and God has really answered some prayer this week!

Last Monday, I was in the church office when a man called and asked if he could enroll his 4th grade autistic son in our VBS. I spoke with him and asked if he could meet me Thursday so I could talk to him about his son. I have 2 adult guides for each grade level, but I knew I was going to need another adult in that 4th grade class because this little boy probably will need some 1 on 1. Later that afternoon, I was working in my SS room on some VBS stuff and a young woman came in. She said, "Do you have to be a member of the church to work in VBS?"

I told her NO, I could use the help! Then she said, "I'm a 4th grade teacher at the charter school."

I told her I had just the place for her! She then told me her parents have a small church on the west side of SA and she just wanted to be a part of our VBS to learn. She said they have some Swahili children who come to their church and asked if she could bring them to our VBS! Oh, my! What a blessing to have these sweet children come and be a part! She has to learn to drive her church's van so she can bring them! So pray she is able to drive their church van!

Now, know that we REALLY need guides for PK4 & Kinder!

I sat in front of the church at a VBS table to catch parents from the charter school to enroll children in VBS. We had sent home a flier the day before. I enrolled 2 different families. BOTH parents were interested in our Adult VBS AND one parent said she has 3 teenagers who would love to help!!! Hello PreK/K!!!

A couple of other people took registration forms with them and said they would return them later. I really was afraid they would forget – it was the last day of school – BUT they did not forget! One family registered a child and an 8th grader who might be a guide. Another family registered 5 kids.

We so want to reach out into our community for this VBS. Last year we did a prayer walk and passed out flyers but didn't get much response. This year we have sent fliers and set up tables at our school and day care. We will be doing two prayer walks and passing out fliers. This year we added "call the church office if you need van transportation" so we'll see what happens.

A young mother has been coming to my Sunday morning Bible study class. She and her kids are living in a women's shelter. She wants to bring her kids to VBS and help so we will be picking her up on a van! Perhaps there are others who live there who will want to come.

My van drivers are gonna be busy!

Please continue to pray for our VBS! If you can be a part of one of the Prayer Walks through the neighborhood that would be great! We have 2 opportunities to pray and pass out fliers on Saturday, June 3 from 9-11 and Friday, June 9 at 6pm.

I'm praying that God will use all of you to teach kids about Jesus and encourage them to follow him!

We will have time for set up on Saturday, June 10 from 9-12 and then after morning worship on Sunday, June 11. I plan to meet with the Guides at 3:30 and ALL volunteers at 4:30. We can then go eat dinner at 5 and we start at 6.