SPRINGDALE -- Children came running as the brightly colored van from Cross Church entered the Eastwood Apartments parking lot. Even though rain clouds still darkened the sky to the south, the storms had cleared and the children were expecting the church team to show up as they do every Thursday evening.
The outreach, known as IMPACT (Individual Mobile Platform Announcing Christ's Truths) Clubs, is at its peak in the summer. Volunteers from the Springdale-based megachurch take what is essentially a mobile church to apartment complexes and housing authority sites across Northwest Arkansas to visit with children and their parents, play a few games and tell them about Christ.
The ministry started in 2007 as a replacement for the church's bus ministry. Instead of transporting children to church, the idea was to take the church to them via a van equipped with a sound system, fold-out stage and big screen TV.
"When you read God's word it says 'Go and tell,'" said Richard Cox, associate minister of missions and coordinator of the IMPACT ministry.
The church's mission statement is "Reaching Northwest Arkansas, America and the world for Jesus Christ" and Cox said the IMPACT ministry is part of the outreach to the church's neighbors. The mission refers to the Great Commission that Jesus spoke of -- to go out into the world and make disciples of all the nations.
Cross Church has clubs at 15 sites -- in Bentonville, Centerton, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale, which is home to the most at seven. Most are held at apartment complexes and clubs meet in one or more of the locations every day except Saturday and Wednesday. During the summer months, special events are held on Wednesdays, including block party style Bible schools, similar to a Vacation Bible School experience. Other gatherings are also held throughout the year at various sites.
The goal is to get to know the children, and hopefully their parents, and establish relationships.
"It's not about inviting them to church but about being there in their community," Cox said.
By going where the children are, the church teams are able to connect with parents more so than through a bus ministry, in which the kids would often come alone, Cox said.
"I think we see more parents coming out and watching and we have the ability to talk with them and help meet their needs," he said.
If a parent needs help with groceries, for example, Cox said the church team can help connect them with the church's Compassion Center, located in Springdale. There they can get help with food or clothing or apply for rental and utility assistance.
"We can invest in their lives," Cox said.
The IMPACT outreach also includes free clothing distribution and a traveling Sunday morning worship service called Radical.
"We come on Sunday and set up a tent and do a full worship service with preaching and teaching and then we feed them a barbecue dinner," Cox said.
A typical IMPACT Club gathering for the children includes music, games, a lesson, prayer and a snack.
Eric and Rosa Bryant have been volunteering at the Eastwood Apartments club in Springdale for about four years.
"We knew it would be a good opportunity to make a difference and we thought it was a good thing to do together. And we just love the kids," Eric Bryant said.
On a recent Thursday, the team set up the stage and cranked up the music as children began to gather, about two dozen in all. Some sites attract up to 100 kids, while others have much smaller groups. The children participated in relays that included sack races and hula hoops. As the games got underway, more children arrived, with older ones carrying the little ones. A few first-timers were there, too, and were quickly welcomed into the group.
After game time Bryant sat on the stage and the kids sat on a tarp to listen. Bryant shared the biblical story of Samuel and his mother, Hannah, and how for years she had not been able to have children and had begged God for a son. He linked the story to the importance of prayer and being faithful to God.
"If you really pray, He can really do something special if you trust Him," Bryant said.
The children sat, listening quietly. After a few questions, it was time for the closing prayer and then a snack of animal crackers.
Edith Bryant, Eric's mother, is also a longtime volunteer.
"I enjoy the kids and when I get to teach I really enjoy teaching," she said. "It's fun to see the kids together helping one another."
Turnover is often high at the housing units, with families moving in and out. The Eastwood club used to have almost 100 children every week and although now only a couple of dozen attend, the Bryants think it's an important ministry.
"It's nice to be where the kids are and it's a way to minister to them and to be in their community," Edith Bryant said.
Ultimately, the team hopes to see the children learn about Christ.
"We want to see lives changed," Eric Bryant said.
Most of the clubs meet from the time change in the spring to the time change in the fall. Some sites have community rooms available and meet in the winter. For those that don't, Cox said the teams try to have a few special events, like stopping by with hot chocolate and candy canes.
"We want to keep those relationships," he said.
For Cox, the ministry seemed a perfect fit. He didn't grow up attending church, although a family across the street from his boyhood home took him to Cross Church (then known as First Baptist Church of Springdale) a few times starting when he was 8. As he grew older, he got caught up in alcohol and drugs and it was years before he returned to church.
"I gave my life to Christ at 28 and it totally transformed my life," he said.
He came back to Cross Church and five years ago said he felt the call to ministry. He joined the IMPACT ministry on its kickoff day.
"When all the kids came running I could see they had some of the same challenges as I had and I felt God speak to me -- 'This is your flock.'" he said. "That's why I do it. Just like me, I know these kids may not get it but ... that seed was planted for me at 8."
Cox said it's not about what the church can get out of the experience. It's all about the children and their families.
He said he continues the ministry "to show others they are valued, loved and that God has a plan for their life that is good. They will experience no greater peace, purpose and joy than that which they receive with a personal relationship with Jesus. This is what the couple that took me to church when I was young showed me."
Religion on 07/19/2014