The Gardere Baseball/Softball Clinic Outreach this past Sunday was a big success!

To view a brief video showing some key parts of the afternoon go to www.connectionsministry.com and click Videos on the upper menu. Then click the picture for the Baseball/Softball Clinic and the video will play.

M.L. Woodruff, the Parkview Baptist Baseball Coach led the outreach. About 100 children took part in the clinic. Some of the parents of these children stayed in the ball park for the afternoon allowing some good times of interaction with them and they were able to hear the testimony and Gospel presentation after the clinic.

At the end of the afternoon, we served hamburgers and hot dogs. Then as the children were leaving, we gave them baseball equipment that had been donated. Monday, Martin Luther King Day, was a day off from school. Someone was thrilled to report to me that he saw kids in the Gardere neighborhood out playing with their new baseball equipment.

At the end of the Gospel presentation we gave comment cards to the parents and children. That way they were able to let us know if they want to learn more about a relationship with the Lord and if they would like to be contacted. Pastors and church members of the Gardere churches will be back in touch with these folks and we hope that many of them will become meaningfully involved in a church.

Thanks to those who prayed, volunteered, donated baseball equipment, donated money, or participated in some other way! The Lord is using us to make a difference in the lives of folks in the Gardere Area!

Clayton Hays

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The Lord is on the move again in the Gardere Area!

About three months ago M.L. Woodruff, the Parkview Baptist Baseball Coach, called me and said, “Clayton, I want to help reach kids for Christ through baseball. I have 30 boys on my team at Parkview. What can we do in the Gardere Area?”

This is another example of the Lord moving His people to shine His light and love upon folks who live in a dark and unloving area of town! It is so incredible to get to watch Him do this!

As a result of that conversation, M.L. is heading up a free baseball and softball clinic on Sunday January 17th from 1 PM to 6 PM. It will take place at the new and beautiful Cypress Mounds baseball complex on Gardere Lane. The group above is one of the planning groups that has been involved in preparing for this outreach the last couple of months.

From left to right in the picture is Eddie Henderson, Associate Pastor of Sixty-Aid Baptist, Dwayne Pitre, Director of Outreach at Istrouma Baptist, Tricia McClelland and Kendra Farris, key members of the Gardere prayer team, M.L. Woodruff, and Katie Snee, Administrative Staff at Cypress Mounds. All of our planning meetings have been at Cypress Mounds with their staff.

This clinic will provide top notch baseball and softball instruction for boys and girls, ages 5 to 14. Roger Cador, the Southern Baseball Coach, Southern players, professional and former professional players, and the Parkview and Dunham baseball and softball coaches and players will participate.

In addition to great baseball and softball instruction, the Gospel will be presented to the kids and their parents, we will enjoy a good hamburger together, and we will give baseball and softball equipment to children who don’t have any. This is shaping up to be and outstanding time!

Even though our focus is on Gardere folks, this clinic is open to any children in the city. So feel free to come and bring your kids. And bring other kids and their parents.

We are looking for volunteers to cook and serve food, supervise children on the inflatables, and visit with parents and help them feel welcome.

This Sunday (Jan 10th) at 1:30 PM we are meeting at Sixty-Aid Baptist to pray for this outreach and then to go into the neighborhood to pass out flyers to children and their parents.

If you want to join us this Sunday afternoon or volunteer at the clinic, please let me know!

Thanks to so many who have already volunteered in Gardere outreaches! God is using us to touch lives and to make a difference!

Clayton Hays

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