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Youth at First Baptist Church in Macon, Ga., volunteer at the Rainbow House. Photo courtesy of First Baptist Church
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ATLANTA – On an ordinary Wednesday night last November, during a month when their missions education emphasis was on the disenfranchised, dispossessed people of the world, the youth at First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Ga., decided to plan a visit to a nearby shelter for people living with HIV/AIDS. Conceptualized at first to be simply an effort to "meet their neighbors" – to extend the friendship of Jesus to people in need of friends – the outreach idea has since expanded and has gained wider interest among other groups within the church.
The youth were originally inspired to visit the Rainbow Center/Diversity House, a shelter located in an old restored hotel that offers housing for up to 40 people at a time, by the Fellowship’s missions education resource for youth, called Ignite.
In a unit that focused on being a caregiver, the youth studied John 13:1-15, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, and learned about Fellowship field personnel Ana Marie and Scott Houser, who work with people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The following week, Jody Long, minister to students, invited Sophia James, a church member and AIDS research nurse, to come talk to the youth about AIDS’ local impact in Macon.
"It’s one thing for me to read out statistics [about the incidence of AIDS] in South Africa, but it’s another to have the nurse who works with one of the nation’s foremost physicians in AIDS research tell us that we have 2,000 documented cases of HIV/AIDS in Middle Georgia, but we suspect closer to 8,000-10,000 cases," said Long. "Sophia talked frankly to the youth about how you contract AIDS, and what are the symptoms, and especially what it does in adolescent teenagers."
The unit struck a chord with the young people, and, when asked if they would rather participate in observing World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 or volunteer in an AIDS community center, they voted to go out into the community and interact with people living with AIDS.
During their first visit, 20 youth and adults visited with about 25 Rainbow House residents, making hospitality their focus.
"We brought homemade cookies and brownies with us, as well as winter survival kits, which included Chap Stick, cough drops, hot chocolate, a pair of gloves, a knit cap and hand lotion," Long said. "Some of the youth played pool or cards with the residents, some sat around and ate cookies and told stories with no explicitly evangelistic overtones. I was really impressed by my students’ ability to do that. They met people where they were with no fear, no masks, no rubber gloves. At the end of our time there, I had to tell them, ‘We’ve really got to leave now.’ We told the residents, ‘We’ll be back soon.’"
Because of Ignite’s missions emphasis and its local applicability, Long said, his group was able to go more deeply into a unit than ever before.
"The curriculum and study did a good job of laying out how Jesus relates to those at the end of their rope," he said. "Going to the Rainbow House was a way for us to focus our worship lives on how we can be a part of a solution, and raising our consciousness: How is Jesus calling me to respond? What can I do?"
The youth returned to The Rainbow House at Christmastime, to sing carols, and the church plans to invite residents and provide transportation from the shelter to its Good Friday luncheon and service. Long is in the beginning stages of planning a future project to meet any small repair or construction needs The Rainbow House has.
"We are working toward making this an even more formalized ministry by planning outreach projects at the Rainbow House at least once a quarter," said Long. "Our adult church members are very interested in participating – we’ve had a great response so far. The members of our church knitting group have made scarves and caps for the residents, and other adults have taken an active interest in caring for the least in our community. There were definite connections made both times we’ve visited, so we’ve looked at other ways we could continue our relationship with them."
Ignite, the Fellowship’s missions education resource for youth, incorporates practical missions activities and teaching about global missions. For more information, to see a sample session, or to order missions education resources, visit www.missionseducation.org