Church makes pitches for Jesus with baseball training center
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Ryan Good, 11, uses a batting tee at First United Methodist Church's baseball ministry in Brunswick, Ga.
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Ryan
Good, 11, of Brunswick, Ga., takes a swing at a batting tee at First
United Methodist Church's baseball ministry. Members of the church
donated funds to save an abandoned building and start a ministry to
teach baseball and character-and, they hope, attract new worshippers. A
UMNS photo by John Gordon. Photo #05-465. Accompanies UMNS story #372.
6/30/05 |
June 30, 2005 By John Gordon* BRUNSWICK,
Ga. (UMNS)—The cracks of baseball bats echo through the metal building
as the boys of summer practice for the next big game. But the
building would have been nothing more than a pile of rubble if members
of First United Methodist Church had not stepped up to the plate.
Instead of razing the building, church members decided to start a
ministry that would teach baseball and character—and, they hoped,
attract new worshippers. “I think it was a great idea to build
this place for people and children,” says Paxton Shuman, an 11-year-old
player and member of the church. “Baseball is a fun sport to me—one of
the best ones that I’m good at.” Using donated funds and
materials, members turned an abandoned auto-repair garage next door to
the church into an indoor training center for youth baseball. The slogan
for the ministry is “Making the Pitch for Christ.”
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Cricket Mobley suggested turning an abandoned garage into a baseball ministry.
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Cricket
Mobley came up with the idea for a baseball ministry at First United
Methodist Church in Brunswick, Ga. Church members used donated funds and
materials to turn an abandoned auto-repair garage next door to the
church into an indoor training facility for youth baseball. The slogan
for the Connections ministry is "Making the Pitch for Christ." A UMNS
photo by John Gordon. Photo #05-463. Accompanies UMNS story #372.
6/30/05 |
“I’ve been loving the game my whole life,” says church member Cricket Mobley, who came up with the idea. “It just turned into something that was really a passion, and I’ve raised my kids playing ball,” he says. Mobley
approached the church’s pastor, the Rev. Richard Turner, with the idea.
The church had already bought the property and planned to raze the
building for a family-life center. But local historians wanted to keep
the downtown building intact. “I was excited about it,” Turner says, “because as a youngster, I played baseball and remember what it meant to me.” Mobley,
a business owner in Brunswick, donated $5,000 to help equip the
facility with batting cages and tees. Others donated several thousand
dollars worth of clay, paint and other needs as the idea caught on. Mobley
wanted to make sure the downtown facility was open to the entire
community. Hundreds of youngsters have already used it. “When
you and I were kids, we played in the backyard every day,” he explains.
“Well, they don’t get that nowadays in a lot of places. Some of them
don’t even have backyards.”
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon The baseball ministry at First United Methodist Church in Brunswick, GA includes indoor batting cages and tees.
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The
baseball ministry at First United Methodist Church in Brunswick, GA
includes indoor batting cages and tees. Members of the church donated
funds to save an abandoned building and start a new ministry to teach
baseball and character-and, they hope, attract new worshippers. A UMNS
photo by John Gordon. Photo #05-464. Accompanies UMNS story #372.
6/30/05 |
Kids learn about more than baseball, says coach Bob Black.“I
tell these kids, ‘If you’ve got the discipline to hang in there on an
80-mile-an-hour curve ball, then you’ve got the discipline to not steal
that candy or not cheat on that test,’ or not do whatever,” he says. “It’s
very fun,” says Ryan Good, an 11-year-old church member. “I’ve got all
the coaches here teaching me how to hit the ball better and pitch the
ball better. (And) they teach me some stuff that I need to hold on to.” Bible
verses and inspirational messages are painted on the walls of the
building. The church’s youth director, James Loggins, stops by and
encourages families to visit First Methodist and join in other
activities. “If you’re going to be a successful church, you’ve got
to think out of the box,” Loggins says. “A lot of times, we get stuck
in tradition.” Since the facility opened earlier this year, two
new families have joined the church as a result. Mobley says coaches use
a “soft sell” approach to religion.
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon "Making the Pitch for Christ" is the motto of First United Methodist Church's baseball ministry in Brunswick, Ga.
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"Making
the pitch for Christ" is the motto of First United Methodist Church's
baseball ministry in Brunswick, Ga. Members of the church donated funds
to save an abandoned building and start a ministry to teach baseball and
character-and, they hope, attract new worshippers. A UMNS photo by John
Gordon. Photo #05-462. Accompanies UMNS story #372. 6/30/05 |
“We don’t hit them over the head with it,” he explains.The youngsters look up to their coaches as role models. “You know that you can trust these people and they’ll lead you in the right direction,” says Nathan Harsh, 12. Church
member Melinda Hollington calls the indoor field a “safe place” for
youth. Her 7-year-old son, Jeremy, has taken up the sport. “It
gives them a place to come and be where people can love them and they
can learn baseball and have fun, all at the same time,” she says. The
training facility will stay open through October, then close for the
winter—when improvements will be made—and reopen next spring. *Gordon is a freelance producer and writer in Marshall, Texas. News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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