Children dance during a block party outreach in a field outside Oasis Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.
Cru®’s inner city ministry envisions cities transformed by the hope and justice of the gospel. To do this, the inner city ministry partners with local churches to holistically serve the community and proclaim the gospel in relevant ways. Oasis Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, is one example of this partnership.
In the inner city, Christians must not only talk about hope, but demonstrate it in practical ways. Leonard Hatcher, pastor of Oasis Baptist Church, and others from the congregation hosted a block party—complete with inflatable slides, face painting, Kool-Aid-soaked pickles and “bags of love” for the kids—to meet and serve those in nearby neighborhoods, while giving them a chance to hear about Christ.
Face painting, food, music and games bring neighbors to the church.
To the beat of the DJ’s music, adults join in the dancing that the children started.
A volunteer helps organize children in line for one of the event’s most popular activities, an inflatable slide.
The ride down the slide was worth the wait in line and the climb up for these neighborhood children.
Joy and laughter ring across the field during the outreach.
A church member inside the church offers a shaved ice treat.
Volunteers bag hot dogs, popcorn, candy and drinks in the church kitchen.
Catching bubbles makes time waiting in line for the big slide seem to pass quickly.
Children make bracelets or necklaces that represent the message of the gospel from colored bead kits provided by Cru®’s inner city ministry.
Young women who helped paint faces and make gospel bead jewelry show off their smiles and their bead necklaces.
Oasis Baptist Church’s pastor, Leonard Hatcher (in white shirt), announces the drawing for a television donated by the tax service next door.
Pastor Leonard gives a salvation message through an illustration using a cross, water and a few drops of dye.
During the outreach, each child and teen gets a “bag of love” distributed by a volunteer from a partner church.
Each “bag of love” contains an age-appropriate gospel booklet.
Smiles and sips from a drink reflect the outreach day as neighbors prepare to go home.
Guy isn’t much of a city person. Paddling down the Wda river in northern Poland with participants of a Cru® summer mission project describes a great place for him to photograph. He likes being outside, doing anything with water, and he enjoys making things with his hands. Guy serves as a photographer for Cru.
Contact MeRead more from the October 2017 issue
From the Field
When an Unusual Group of Women Shows Up at College
What started as Cathy Thompson’s prayer about competing desires resulted in Ask Mom, a ministry of sharing cookies, biblical advice and prayer with college students in Florida.
October 2017
