There is an opportunity for a short term International or North
American missions right here in North Myrtle Beach. It's for visitors
or locals, churched or unchurched - it's interaction with
lifeguards. YOU can be a
missionary, on our beach, by walking up to a lifeguard with a
cold drink of water and a snack. Tell the person that YOU are
a Christian and are bringing them a cold drink and snack because
Jesus said, "...when you do it in my name....it's the same
as if you did it for ME..." If you're not brave enough to
say words about Jesus, just take a drink and snack! (They love
your extra motel goodies, too.) Take the time to THANK them for
looking after you and your loved ones. Tell them The Church Lady
said to!
2009 North Strand Lifeguard Supper Summary
Click here to review all the photos taken of the lifeguards
What a wonderful summer 2009 was! It ended too quickly. Over 550 suppers were served to NMB lifeguards and summer missionaries. (This number does not include support/serving crews).
We never know what seeds are planted for His kingdom but each supper was in Jesus' name and we told them so. Summer missionaries were awesome - they took water and visited with the lifeguards on the beach several times each week. Over 50 surveys were completed by the guards and they loved coming to supper on Tuesday nights. They look forward to time with each other, the routine of knowing they will have a healthy supper and being "loved on" a little. I went to lifeguard check outs to tell them suppers would be beginning soon...the newbies said the repeat guards had told them how wonderful it was but they did not believe it was true. That anyone was going to feed 50+ free each Tuesday for 10 weeks. I wish you could read their comments. Please pray for them - more than half are unchurched. Forty two New Testaments were taken this summer.
Two of our lifeguards got married this summer - Jenny and John Stanley. They met three summers ago as lifeguards.
Beady Moore (The Church Lady)
North Strand Meal Coordinator (843-249-2448)
20 states were represented: South Carolina, North Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida and Washington.
Four guards were from Bulgaria - two of them were here last year.
Thanks to these churches for "feeding His Sheep" each Tuesday night: Buck Creek Baptist (Longs), Faith Baptist (Aynor), Wampee Baptist (Hwy 90), Jamestown Baptist (Conway), Living Water Baptist (Hwy 9). Thanks to these Sunday School Classes of First Baptist of NMB: Friends in Christ (2 suppers), Faith, Hope & Love, and the Singles Class. Also, to the NMB Optimist Club for 200 hot dogs and 200 hamburgers and there weren't many left! Many thanks to First Baptist Church of NMB for paper goods and use of the Family Life Center each week. The guards enjoyed their fellowship time around the tables and playing volleyball!
Blessings on each that prayed for the Lifeguards, summer missionaries and the work by the Intracoastal Outreach of the Waccamaw Baptist Association.
Planning was done by Todd Wood and Peter Copeland. We're sorry to lose Peter. He was with us three years and will be going to New Orleans Baptist Seminary this fall.
Also, thank those who contributed monies - Adult Workers and Kindred Spirits Sunday School Classes of FBC/NMB and Mrs. Helen Johnson.
Thanks too to Gerald Smith for helping things run smoothly each Tuesday and Pastor John Gambrell for his support and presence. Thanks to everyone who took a lifeguard a drink or snack and spoke to them!!
When you patronize these establishments please thank them on behalf of the Lifeguards: McDonald's and Chick-Fil-A. They donated coupons for free sandwiches for each guard. Thanks to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, Logan's Roadhouse, Outback, Sticky Fingers, TGI Friday's and the Grill House who donated food. KFC, Boulineau's, Wal-Mart and Papa John's Pizza gave us discounts.
The World comes to North Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand each summer.
We'll never know what these young men and women take home from the suppers, but 10 Tuesday nights they were fed in Jesus' name. Surely, they tell others they were fed and loved and enjoyed the fellowship time. Jesus told US to plant the seed and He will take care of the harvest.
Forty seven NMB and Horry County Lifeguards qualified to participate in the South Atlantic Coast Regional Lifeguard Competition. NMB was host to more than 250 guards from Virginia to Florida participating in this event.
Our church was represented on the beach with a mini sun lotion area. Fifteen to twenty of you came out to lend your support to guards and have a presence on the beach. Twelve New Testaments were taken by tourists and many of them as well as lifeguards took advantage of free sunscreen. Many tourists just wanted to talk to us. We discovered no provision to feed our guards lunch had been made to Chick-Fil-A came to the rescue. Thanks to the Sunday School Classes who supported this first effort of being a presence on the beach: Kindred Spirits, the Singles, New Beginnings, Friends In Christ, and to Joyce and Charles Parker.
