February 9, 2000
Padre Island's Beach Reach expands
ministry with new Internet services
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___Beach Reach at South Padre Island will go high-tech this year.
___The annual ministry and evangelism project by hundreds of college students from Texas and beyond will add several new Internet-related components this year, according to Buddy Young, Baptist Student Ministries director at West Texas A&M in Canyon. Young is coordinator of Beach Reach.
___The effort now has its own website: www.beachreach.org, which serves several purposes. The site includes extensive training materials that Beach Reach volunteers must complete before arriving on the Texas Gulf coast March 11. It also includes a daily prayer guide, supporting a "40 days of prayer" emphasis which began Feb. 1.
___Once Beach Reach kicks into gear the week of March 11-17, daily updates will be posted on the site, including digital photos of the day's events.
___But computers will help Beach Reach reach even further than that, Young said. A new component of the Beach Reach ministry this year will be offering all vacationing students access to free Internet connections to check their e-mail.
___Young is looking for individuals or churches willing to loan Internet-ready computers for the weeklong project. These computers will be set up in designated and well-publicized locations where anyone who wants to can log in and check e-mail.
___By using the ministry's free service, however, the sun-soaked spring breakers will have to register their names and campus e-mail addresses, which will provide natural opportunities for follow-up, Young said.
___The Internet connections also will be used nightly to e-mail Baptist Student Ministries offices around the country with names and addresses of students from their campus who have been touched in any way by the Beach Reach ministry. This will ensure better follow-up for students who hear the gospel at Padre or who make a spiritual decision while there.
___Every year, hundreds of college students make professions of faith in Christ or renew their commitments to Christ through the touch of Beach Reach.
___The impact of this year's 20th anniversary Beach Reach will continue long after spring break, Young said, because the Internet site also will offer follow-up materials to help the new Christians grow in their faith.
___Anyone interested in what's planned for this year's Beach Reach may find complete information on the website. Young asked Texas Baptists to pray for Baptist General Convention of Texas-supported ministry both before and during spring break.
___The site also lists a variety of supplies needed, including cellular phones to borrow for one week, donations of cellular airtime, packages of sunscreen, paper cups and plates, plastic dinnerware, napkins, pancake syrup and pancake mix.
___Traditional projects of Beach Reach to be continued this year include serving free pancake breakfasts every morning, offering free water on the beach, creating biblically themed sand sculptures on the beach each day and offering free rides around the island for students either lacking transportation or too inebriated to drive.
___To make a donation to Beach Reach, call Young at (806) 655-7705, write to him at West Texas A&M University, Box 60815, Canyon 79016, or visit the beachreach.org website.
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