Wooster Fireworks Outreach

Joann Ackerman helping kids enter the Inflatables






















What does one tent, two inflatable games, 900 drinks, 21 coolers of ice, and many volunteers add up to?

Impact!

This was my first Wooster Fireworks Outreach. I was filled with excitement as we gathered at the church for preparation. Our set-up teams arrived, we took all the ice from the building, gathered for prayer, greeted the inflatable company rep, and proceeded to the Kinney Field.

I marveled at how many people came to serve. I am so proud of each of them. One family, the Mills Family, came to set up. Nate & Carol Mills brought their kids to help out. The kids helped pull the wagons to get ice in them. They proceeded to the site to help erect the tent. Then they joined us in prayer for the outreach. We challenged them to pray for us as they saw ice, felt ice, tasted ice or heard the word ice throughout the rest of the day.


Faye Rush & Linda Gelsinger under the tent






















Another group of heroes are Helen Thompson and Linda Gelsinger. Both ladies are fairly new to Wooster Grace, but both signed up to help with outreach. Helen pulled a wagon filled with water, ice, and cold drinks around the soccer fields with a partner. Helen was so enthusiastic--she wanted to start passing out cold drinks right away at 4pm. I love her gungho attitude. Likewise, Linda arrived to man the table of literature. She not only sat at the table to await people to come into the tent, but she also went outside the tent to meet, greet, and to invite others to come into the tent. She had a couple of long conversations with people while she was there. The great thing is both Helen and Linda are suppose to be seniors 60-plus years old. Neither one acted their age--both served the Lord with passion and heart. I hope I have their stamina and their desire to reach people for Christ when I pass the 60-year mark.



Bill Buckwalter engaging in conversations




















I could go on and share how Bill Buckwalter lets us use his tent, he comes early to get tables and chairs for under the tent, then stays talking with people. Even after we finished tearing down, some high school students arrived asking if there were any cold drinks left. Bill took the time to talk with the students for an extended time. Contacts he has made in the community with athletes who are very influential in high school.

Overall, I praise God for the hard work and the presence of our church WITH the people of Wooster on THEIR turf. As Jesus said, "Go!" I thank God for our church's core value of reach out. May God bring people closer to Him through this contact of people in our community.


Marlin Oyer engaging people

After the Fireworks went out

photo by sassy gardener



As the night crept in, I left the field in Wooster where we set up to serve our community. We served 900 drinks. We connected with numerous people. We mobilized many Christ-followers who came to serve God through setting up, through prayer, through pulling a wagon loaded with an ice chest filled with ice and cold beverages. We sent them out two-by-two or as families. We offered the cold beverages for free.



One of our fully-devoted followers of Christ shared with me how one man tried to give them a donation. They politely refused sharing that we do this so that we can share God's love in a real way.



We also moved children through two inflatable bouncy games. There were so many children--you couldn't count how many times they jumped. Their happy faces as they jumped were only countered by the sad faces as they left the line to go with their families to find a place to watch the imminent fireworks.

photo by navets

One of our fully-devoted followers of Christ shared how parents, grandparents, and older siblings reacted when they found out its free. Amazement! In fact, one of God's servants, informed each parent that all the child needed to say was, "May I please jump in your game." The answer was always a welcoming, "yes!"

I hope to post some pictures from Pastor Ivanildo's camera to add to the spectacle but also to add to the stories from Wooster Fireworks Outreach.

One more story. Rob Miller and I went to Wendy's to inquire about putting ice in our ice chests for our outreach to the community. And the manager graciously approved. I want to thank Wendy's for their help in offering cold drinks to our community. I'll have to compose a note and drop a note of thanks in the mail on Sunday.

I also want to remember to retain suggestions of some parents to provide glow sticks, coffee (after 8pm), signs that advertise Free Cold Drinks, and a banner that identifies our tent--as The Tent.

photo by .:t.e.mphotography:.

Rain, rain, go away

photo by rhys jones photography

Tomorrow we get to conduct another outreach to the community of Wooster and Wayne County from 4-10pm on July 4th. We are hoping to conduct kids activities, games with prizes, and offering cold drinks to those who camp out and reserve their spot for the night's fireworks.




We are meeting at the church for set-up and pre-event meeting at 3:30pm. Then we will go over together to set up. We intend to conduct one hour shifts to do one of the following:

• Facilitate inflatable games for children from 5-9pm


• Handout water and pop from 5-8pm


• Greet and meet people under the tent from 5-8pm


• Tear down and clean-up at 9pm

Please take a moment to ask God to remove the rain and to allow us to share His love in a real way tomorrow with those who stop by to visit or with those we go out to visit all afternoon. May God help us sow seeds for the Gospel.