As students gather together at TC we want to actually “do something” while being at camp. We want to look beyond ourselves and see the people around us as we serve locally and globally. This is why TC created "Activate." It’s just one simple way to make Jesus’ name known in the local community. So the challenge then becomes what can we do as a whole?
At TC 2007 and 2008 we challenged each student to bring with them at least one package of diapers and a box of diaper wipes. We raised over 10,000 of each package for the Pregnancy Crisis Center of the Ozarks. The donations went to assist mothers in the Springfield area.
TC09 “Activate”
Last summer our local project was supporting and giving to Victory Mission, a local
homeless shelter in Springfield, MO. Victory Mission is a non-denominational
evangelical ministry sharing the the gospel of Jesus Christ through emergency and
educational services that lead to long term rehabilitation and re-entry into society. Two
of their greatest needs were towels and toilet paper. They go through 100 rolls of paper
per week and provide showers for 100 people. The Victory Mission sees approximately
180 men and women on a given night.
The challenge:
Our goal was to provide them with enough supplies to last for a full year. We needed
to raise at least 4,800 total rolls. Each person who came to TC to brought at least 2
packages of toilet paper. The cost per package is less than $1.50. We ended up raising
over 10,000 rolls of toilet paper.
We also asked students to bring at least one bath towel in order to meet the need of
daily showers. TC collected over 1,000 towels.
For our global project TC partnered with Megavoice. They help take the gospel around
the world. We wanted to be able to purchase 55 Ambassador recording units that
will bring the gospel to these people who haven't heard the message of Jesus. Each
Ambassador recorder is $43 dollars; therefore we wanted to raise $2,365 by the end
of camp on Friday morning. By reaching this goal we're be able to help bring the Word
of God to over 7,000 people! TC students gave over $2,700 for this project. They gave
above and beyond the challenge.
At TC 2008 we partnered with an organization called Operation Worship. This organization is dedicated to provide our troops worldwide with a unique camo-covered special edition bible. The challenge this summer was for churches, organizations and individuals to raise 100,000 bibles in 100 days. As of August they have been receiving an average of 1,000 bibles per day.
"Our purpose is to further God's touch by enriching the spiritual lives of military personnel and their families with opportunities for worship, discipleship, and spiritual growth in Jesus Christ. Also to spread the word of Christ though the distribution of God's holy word to soldiers and their families with a special personally written message of encouragement to each one." --Operation Worship
This summer at TC, students purchased over 400 bibles to be shipped directly to our troops.
The day we promoted Operation Worship we wanted to honor one of our own local soldiers who recently returned from fighting in Iraq. Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) Marcus Moore is a fighter helicopter pilot in the United States Army. Marcus is a decorated pilot who has received multiple medals with valor. The day he arrived at TC he literally flew in his Apache helicopter and landed it on the quad of Southwest Baptist University. As soon as Marcus arrived we had a live interview with him on the main stage at TC.
