Domestic mission trip options
by the Tribune
Although much of this magazine has focused on international mission trips, there are other options that do not require a passport. These trips can be equally impacting and life-changing. Two options are serving with a church plant and with the BBF Builders.
From its beginning, the Baptist Bible Fellowship has been a church-planting movement. One of the best investments a church can make is helping and supporting new churches. Over the past two years, church planter Chris Highfill has had eight churches from outside his ministry area of St. Louis partner with him and his church. He states, “Most groups come in the summer months, which is usually considered a slower time in ministry world, but it is actually one of the greatest seasons of growth for our church.”
Community Baptist Church of The Woodlands, TX, and Pastor Dan Greer participated in a short-term mission trip to serve alongside Gracepoint Baptist Chruch and Pastor Chris Housewright outside of New Orleans. During this trip the churches worked together to host a sports clinic for the community. The week’s efforts resulted in several families visiting the church the following Sunday. Other ministry options included servant evangelism, canvassing a neighborhood, ice cream truck takeovers, helping host a VBS or a movie night at a local park. Chris Highfill states, “One of the greatest challenges of church planting is letting people know you exist as a church. Having other groups of volunteers always makes a huge splash in the community. Without them there is no way we would be where we are today as a church plant.”
Another domestic mission trip idea is to serve with the BBF Builders who are church construction missionaries. BBF Builders launched in 1999 with the primary purpose of helping church plants get into their first building. It has since grown to also help existing churches with renovations, additions, and new buildings. The goal is to help save a church as much money as possible so they can use their resources to reach their community with the Gospel. For example, Faith Baptist Church of Joplin, MO, was completely destroyed after the tornado hit their city in May 2011. The BBF Builders helped the church save $450,000.
Both church groups as well as individuals can serve with the BBF Builders. It is better if those serving have construction experience, but it is not necessary. There are ministry opportunities for anyone who chooses to volunteer. National Director Ron Trosclair says, “It is truly amazing how much can be accomplished in a very short time with a team of volunteers working together.”
BBF Builders recently helped renovate an old 8,000-square-foot nightclub into a church. With the help of several churches coming in at different times, they were able to complete the renovation at minimum cost. A vacant 13,000-square-foot space above a Family Dollar store was also remodeled into a church with the help of several different church groups at different phases of the project.
The BBF Builders have two projects scheduled for this spring and fall in Illinois and Iowa and another in Arkansas in 2017.
If your church isn’t ready to consider an international short-term mission trip, then a domestic short-term mission trip to partner with a church plant or with the BBF Builders may be the best solution. To learn more about opportunities to partner with a new BBFI church plant visit www.apexnetwork.tv or email info@apexnetwork.tv. To learn more about partnering with BBF Builders contact National Director Ron Trosclair at rontros@yahoo.com.