Three ministries honored with Texas Baptist Missions Foundation awards

The Texas Baptist Missions Foundation celebrated 25 years of service at its annual mission awards luncheon during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting, honoring a medical clinic, a ministry to urban youth and a church that discovered new avenues of ministry after being devastated by Hurricane Ike.

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HOUSTON—The Texas Baptist Missions Foundation celebrated 25 years of service at its annual mission awards luncheon during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting, honoring a medical clinic, a ministry to urban youth and a church that discovered new avenues of ministry after being devastated by Hurricane Ike.

Casa El Buen Samaritano, a medical clinic located in a predominantly Hispanic community in southwest Houston, received the Adventurer Award, given to a ministry that embarks into new, unchartered areas in presenting the gospel.

Lydia Eckhoff is executive director of Casa El Buen Samaritano.

Barry Landrum, pastor of West University Baptist Church, noted the mission began as an outreach project to a group of undocumented immigrants living just a few miles outside of Houston.

Attempting to reach out to those who could not help themselves, Landrum, Steve Spann and others formed Casa El Buen Samaritano in order to provide needed medical care and also establish an avenue for sharing the love of Christ.

Since its establishment, thousands have received free medical care from hundreds of volunteer doctors. Members of Iglesia Horeb in Houston, a partner church with the ministry, also are available to help through interpreting, sharing the gospel or providing counseling for those who visit the clinic. Iglesia Horeb Pastor Campo Londono noted their work allows them to be a part “of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.”

“It is a blessing and honor to receive this award,” Eckhoff said. “And we want to thank the (missions foundation) for their support over the years. We hope that this award will provide us a platform that will let other local churches to know about the work we do and partner with us.”

• The Innovator Award for creativity in missions was presented to Street Life Worldwide, a Houston-based ministry to urban youth led by Terrance Levi. The award is given to ministries that explore new and creative ways to present the gospel.

Salvatore Sberna, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, presented the award and described the ways this ministry penetrates into the hip-hop culture to bring people the hope of Christ.


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Street Life Worldwide engages in many typical outreach activities, such as apartment ministries, festivals, revivals and sports ministries, but it does so through hip-hop music and media.

With a special eye to redeem all of creation, including the creative arts, for God, Street Life Worldwide has produced music and short films, and is working on a feature-length film, all told from an urban perspective.

One way these media creations are delivered is the Mobile Multi Media Missions Machine, or “M5,” a large bus outfitted with speakers and screens that travels into neighborhoods to set up block parties.

Funds from the missions foundation helped to purchase the M5. In the last 12 months, Street Life has held 63 events that reached 15,000 people with 9,250 who accepted Christ for salvation.

In accepting the award, Levi pointed to the concept of cultural penetration as a great need for the church in the years to come.

“We have to have a penetration mindset and be willing to do some different things,” Levi stated. “For the church to make the impact we want, we have to be willing to penetrate the culture.”

• Pastor Ray Meador and First Baptist Church in Galveston received the Pioneer Award for service in missions, which recognizes ministries that endure special hardships and persevere in their commitment to the gospel.

Alan Reed, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, presented the award to First Baptist Church. Reed described the ministry of the Galveston congregation after facing the destruction of Hurricane Ike in September 2008, as well as noting God’s provision during that time.

During the past year, First Baptist in Galveston has faced the severe damage its own faciliities sustained, as well as the displacement of many of its members. However, instead of being focused on devastation, the church became a center of ministry to the hurting community.

Working with churches from around Texas, First Baptist provided showers for the homeless and the volunteers.

The church established Grace Mart, which distributed clothing, household items, baby supplies and food to people seeking help. Members also worked to staff Mercy Clinic, providing medical assessments and assistance. Even though the church’s facilities are still months away from restoration, the church has continued to offer freely the love of Christ in visible, meaningful ways, Reed noted.

As Meador accepted the award, he reflected back to a sermon series he began two years prior to the storm that focused on Jeremiah 29:7. In this passage, God calls upon his people to seek the welfare of the city where they live, and in turn, they also will find their welfare. Meador explained how this passage became real to him over the past year.

“The great thing about being where we were,” Meador explained, “was seeing how God used his hand to make us bring about his hope.”

 


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