July 16, 2001
Arlington church erects distinctive building to reach youth
___By George Henson
___Staff Writter
___ARLINGTON--"Every teenager in Arlington knows we're the church with the bubble in the back."
___Mission accomplished.
___When plans were being made for a new youth building at Rush Creek Baptist Church in Arlington, a typical building was considered but rejected, explained Minister of Students Marty Collier.
___"We may have been able to build a building with the usually four walls for close to the same money, but this is unique and teenagers just like things that are unique," Collier said of the dome-shaped building constructed by Sprung Industries.
MARTY COLLIER, minister to students at Rush Creek Baptist Church in Arlington, sits on the stage of the church's unusual youth building.
___The building, dubbed The Oasis, functions not only as the youth worship center but doubles as an activities building with foosball, ping pong, air hockey and video games. It also has a state-of-the-art sound system and retractable screen for video projection. Theatrical lighting is on hand, but has not been installed yet.
___"It's really given our kids an identity," Collier said. "I mean, they know they have an identity already as followers of Christ, but instead of, 'Teenagers, you meet in Room 402B,' everyone knows The Oasis is their place to be."
___The building was intended to be a unique outreach tool.
___"We've provided a place where students are excited to bring their friends," Collier said.
___As a result, the youth ministry has grown from about 75 youth on Sunday mornings to around 100. But other factors have contributed as well.
___Student greeters scour the parking lot for visitors to point in the right direction. Other students pray over each chair before the Sunday morning worship service. During the service, the praise band is made up entirely of youth, and the sound system is run by students as well.
___The involvement of the students gives them that much more encouragement to bring their friends, Collier said.
___The youth ministry is growing on Wednesday nights as well, a night when students do not meet at The Oasis, but in homes.
___"We have about 55 kids meeting in homes, and they are required to bring a Bible, a pen and their journal, and they are loving it," he said. Previously, Wednesday nights brought about 40 students to the church.
___The Sunday morning gathering, called Rush Hour, has more of an evangelistic emphasis, while the Wednesday evening programs, CrossWalk, are devoted to discipleship.
___"Our kids know The Oasis on Sunday mornings is where to bring their friends--not to one of our Wednesday night groups," Collier said. "We tell them bring them on Sunday morning, let us get them grounded in God's word, then we'll plug them into one of the CrossWalk groups."
___While building a youth building with outreach and evangelism as its primary goal betrays Collier's leaning in that direction, he also is aware of the importance of spiritual growth after conversion.
___"My heart is evangelism," Collier said. "But if someone asked me which is more important, evangelism or discipleship, I'd respond, 'Which is more important, inhaling or exhaling?' There has to be both for a ministry to be healthy."
___The Oasis has found its place in that symbiosis.
___"This building was designed and built for a service that was outreach oriented--where kids would want to bring their friends. And so far that's just what has happened."
___
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
