Not even frigid January temperatures were able to keep 15-year-old Justin Manning from learning about serving others.
Manning and 66 other students from 13 Alabama Baptist churches gave up a weekend of leisure to participate in the seventh annual Student Missions Weekend, held Jan. 16–17 at WorldSong Missions Place in Cook Springs, near Pell City, and sponsored by Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU).
Manning, a member of Snowdoun Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association, summed up the students’ enthusiasm for the weekend of missions as he rushed a gallon of paint to other students.
“This helps spread the Word of God by helping other people,” Manning said.
As part of the weekend’s activities, the students participated in a missions project, helping paint and clean the soon-to-be-opened Center at Central Park.
The center — located in the former education building of Central Park Baptist Church, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association — will provide various programs such as tutoring and senior adult activities and access to certain types of medical equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, etc.).
It will also serve as the headquarters for a ministry of transportation to rehabilitation facilities, according to Jim Branum, the center’s director of volunteer services.
Branum pointed out that the students’ efforts went a long way in readying the center, which he hopes will open in the next two months.
“We had a lot of work that needed to be done here and God provided. We know this is going to help us get started quicker,” Branum said.
While the students also participated in worship and Bible study as part of the weekend for seventh- through 12th-graders, Cynthia White, missions and ministry consultant for preschool and children with Alabama WMU, said the highlight was their work at the center, as it made missions personal for them.
“Often we don’t apply what we’re taught. I wanted them to see that not only can they hear about missions, they can be a part of it,” she said. “Hopefully the missions project can help students realize the impact that they can have on missions by seeing the contributions they made to the Center at Central Park.”
But the work the students did at the center only occupied three hours of the fast-paced weekend.
It kicked off Friday night with worship led by Adam Cunningham, worship pastor of The Church at Shelby Crossings, Calera, in Birmingham Association, and Paul Herring, a member of the church’s praise band.
Chris Mills of the communications office of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions led the Bible study.
The students gathered for worship and Bible study again the next afternoon, following their work at the center.
The weekend also included a challenge issued by Bridget Aaron, a student at Athens State University. Aaron, who has been on several missions trips, told the students they don’t have to travel far to serve others and reminded them that they could accomplish missions work in their schools.
For more information about Student Missions Weekend, visit www.alawoman.com.
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