TxT us to Brazil - Lise Dawson tells us about God's blessing on her youth group

Stapleford Baptist Church is an independent evangelical church at the heart of a small ex-industrial town on the outskirts of Nottingham.

We have had a large children's and youth ministry for many years to which a large proportion of the members are committed.

During the late 1990s the 4-14 year-old children's and youth work was primarily with children from non-church families. For a long time we had struggled to maintain an older group and very few had been clearly saved and joined the church. For this reason there was a corresponding missing generation in the church.

In 2000 there were two groups approaching the upper age limit of the 11-14 year-old group and we decided to change from a club format to one in which teenagers could continue to explore Christianity and which would nurture the faith of those who had found Christ.

The rest is a testimony of God's goodness and love towards us all. In September 2001 we started a group called TxT ('TxT' because they were always sending text messages to each other and because it established a link with the Bible text message). Today the group has around 35 regular members, largely from non-church families and, praise God, the majority are Christians! We meet twice a week for a varied programme including in-depth Bible study, just-looking courses, topical teaching and prayer. In the last year, six of the group have been baptised and another five are looking to be baptised.

TxTpedition

We are very conscious that we should be developing a lasting work, building up this generation of young people in their faith and equipping them for acts of service. Accordingly, in 2001 we discussed the idea of an expedition to a developing country, where the importance, the effect and the cost of front-line evangelism would be experienced in a forceful way. We agreed four basic objectives for any trip:

* Service - giving time, resources and gifts to help others;
* Cultural experience - experience of a different culture, particularly the culture of a developing country;
* Widening our horizons - gaining a larger view of God at work;
* Personal development - of individual gifts, of working as a team through planning and involvement in the TxTpedition.

Of course, the over-riding principle would be to seek to glorify God and learn from him.

The members of TxT nominated each other for certain roles, recognising each other's gifts and skills. Four of the group formed a committee, a steering group for the project, who together have responsibility for making sure that the Expedition is successful in achieving its objectives safely, in good time and (above all) in a manner that honours God.

The plan was to first undertake a UK project in 2003, so the group could better appreciate the need for gospel ministry at home and in preparation for an overseas project in 2004.

What has God been doing?

In August 2003, 13 of the group with four leaders, spent a week at St. Peter's Church in Rockferry, Merseyside, helping to run two holiday Bible clubs for children.

The holiday clubs were based on teaching from John 3.16. On two afternoons there were opportunities for children to take part in crafts and games, and many came along with their parents. The holiday club ended with a service on Sunday morning followed by lunch for all those involved.

Rockferry is recognised by the EU as an area of social and economic deprivation. We were concerned to get involved practically and, during the week, TxT spent two afternoons clearing gardens in the local area for people with whom St. Peter's had links. These were great team-building times as the group spent hours cutting back brambles, digging, clearing rubbish and generally enabling a number of families to manage their outside space for their own benefit.

While in Rockferry we saw God work in many ways: three of our group became Christians; all of the team devoted themselves to service, building relationships with the children, helping with activities or leading singing and times of devotion. There was also lots of prayer, for each other and for the work in which they were involved .

And recently?

In and through the TxTpedition, God has accomplished far more than we expected or believed.

Following our return from Rockferry, the group has continued to build on their experience. Their outlook is increasingly outward and biblical, they have a greater concern to please God, there is a greater interdependence and support between them and the rest of the church and their prayer life is more focused and regular. They are mindful of, and seek practically and prayerfully to maintain their connection and support for, the work in Rockferry.

What are we planning to do?

In August 2004, the group is hoping to travel to Igarassu, NE Brazil, to spend three weeks at Project Emanuel. The Project provides residential accommodation for boys who have been referred by social welfare authorities. In many cases they have taken to the streets after experiencing abuse or hunger in their homes and are brought to the Project after being rescued by the local authorities. The project is part of the work of SAMS (South American Missionary Society) and is based on a farm.

Our main task will be to carry out improvements on the farm. We will also be expected to share our faith, as we get to know the boys through sport, by participating in the religious and other education of the boys and in the Project's Christian services.

We also hope to have the opportunity to see and assist in a related Christian project, based on a nearby refuse dump, reaching out to a community that makes its living recycling other people's rubbish.

Looking ahead

We hope to take a team of 18 to Brazil and to make a financial contribution to the work of the Project. We are under no illusion that, if we are to achieve this in Summer 2004, then we are wholly dependent on God to prepare the team for this work and to provide the means to go. We don't come from a rich part of the UK ourselves (although a lot richer than Brazil) and most of our TxT group can't expect a great deal of financial help from their families.

The members of our group are expected to be responsible to do what they can and to raise as much of the money required as they can, but there will still be a considerable shortfall between their contribution and the actual cost of the trip. We are looking to God to provide the means through, particularly, the group and God's people.

We hope that this article will encourage you, particularly if you are involved in youth work and are finding the going difficult at the moment. We have experienced and experience many discouragements and difficulties on the way but recognise and have been thrilled with God's goodness and love in the process. In particular, we've seen how a service project can be used of God to help young Christians grow and for other young people to be saved. We hope that some readers will be motivated to support the group in some way.

If you would like further information about TxTpedition please contact Lise Dawson: Lise_dawson@hotmail.com