By MACY WEATHERFORD/Talon Contributor
UT Tyler’s Baptist Student Ministry is passionate about students sharing the gospel. Many college students tend to party and get drunk during spring break. But not the students taking part in BSM’s Beach Reach.
BSM beach reachers will be at South Padre Island March 5-11 on a mission trip to share the gospel of Jesus with spring breakers and to provide free pancakes and van rides.
This ministry’s purpose is to reach students in the midst of their brokenness, organizers said. To prepare for the trip, students attended training sessions to become more confident in talking about Jesus. Students learned techniques to share the gospel and had an opportunity to practice the techniques.
In the last training, students practiced evangelizing in a van to get an idea of what it is like to share the gospel in a vehicle.
“I am most excited by the idea of getting to serve God’s people that think he has forgotten them and I hope to show them the reason for the hope that we hold,” Eli McClain, a BSM student leader, said.
Beach Reach was established in 1980 to serve South Padre and to reach others for Christ. This ministry has grown over the years as Baptist Student Ministries and other churches team up together to serve others.
“UT Tyler students are drawn to serve at Beach Reach because they live alongside college students. What we recognize in that moment, as people experienced destructive and hard things they are looking for help and are looking for hope. I think UT Tyler students are drawn to be a personal representation of that help and that hope,” Joe Osteen, UT Tyler BSM director and Beach Reach coordinator, said.
He continued, “For our Christian students, they recognize the best possible thing a student can experience at spring break in South Padre Island is to meet a Christian who will tell them about Jesus. Our students are drawn to go and be an opportunity for someone who is far from God to hear about Jesus. I think that is really compelling to our Christian students to go and serve in that way.”
Beach reachers will hand out hotline cards to spring breakers to spark gospel conversations. If someone calls the hotline, beach reachers will pick them up from Louie’s Bar — a busy spot on the island — and take them to where they are staying.
When spring breakers leave the club at night, they can get free pancakes and van rides. Beach reachers continue spiritual conversations and help wherever needed, whether that’s walking and praying with people, picking up trash or directing traffic. Before going out each night, beach reachers gather for dinner and worship.
“What I’m looking forward to the most at Beach Reach is using our time over spring break to be intentional and reach lost college students at a time where they can be at their lowest and wanting answers and hope!” Logan Baker, a BSM student leader, said.
Students going to Beach Reach are assigned to a group. Each night, half of the group goes out in the vans sharing the gospel with spring breakers, while the other half stays at Island Baptist Church praying for the beach reachers and their gospel outreach.
One of the most important roles in the van is the navigator. The navigator tells the driver where to go and logs how many gospel conversations were spoken, how many people were prayed for and who decided to accept Christ into their lives.
The navigator also tweets updates to those at the church, especially with news about those who have decided to be saved. When the students see these tweets, they are excited to gain a new brother or sister in Christ, participants said. On the last full day, organizers baptize in the ocean all who dedicated their lives to Christ.
“Baptism at Beach Reach is a very unique experience. The presence of God is unmistakable and [there’s] uncontainable excitement everywhere. A large crowd gathers in the ocean where the baptisms take place and people press in to celebrate and see the life-changing decisions being made. There is praise, tears, worship and ultimately new life!” Sammie Bast, campus missionary intern at UT Tyler BSM, said.
When the students return to UT Tyler, they reflect on the trip and on how to keep in touch with students who accepted Jesus.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Macy Weatherford is a mass communication major and active in the Baptist Student Ministry.
