Baseball connects Gospel to community

FBC photo by Lauren Urtel

Children stand in line to receive personal pitching instructions at the free baseball clinic in Daytona Beach.

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DAYTONA BEACH (FBC)—With cleats tied tight and mitts in hands, over 130 children eagerly filed into the Jackie Robinson Baseball Park in Daytona Beach Nov. 10 for the 2007 "Cross­over" Daytona free baseball clinic.

The children, ranging in ages from 5 to 14, received instruction in hitting, pitching, throwing, field­ing and base running from high school, college and minor/major league coaches - as well as college and minor league players.

The clinic began at 9 a.m. with two and a half hours of baseball instruction. As the children ran bases and learned the proper hitting stance, clinicians shared their faith along with their love of the game.

"Ever since I stepped on the mound, I knew I wanted to play in the big league," said Sam Marso­nek, a current minor league player, as he shared his personal struggle of placing a priority on God.

Marsonek shared with the children and their par­ents how his experiences during a mission trip to the Dominican Re­pub­lic changed his life. "It made me appreciate what I had," Marso­nek said. "It has been has been two years since I was saved and I know I will follow His will and do what He wants me to do."

FBC photo by Lauren Urtel

Baseball coaches and players stayed after the clinic to sign autographs and share their faith.

After hearing these personal testimonies, 43 children and adults made professions of faith.

John Zeller, minister of recreation at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa, helped facilitate the Florida Baptist Convention's Personal Evangelism Department in putting on the event by recruiting instructors. "It was well worth it when we saw hands raised to accept Jesus Christ," said Zeller.

Steve Fager brought his 13-year-old son Josh to the clinic because the event was sponsored by a Christian organization.

"My son gets to interact with positive role models," said Fager. "They are taught morals, goals and responsibility. He gets enough of the negative role models everywhere else, this is more about fellowship and family."

Fager's son received a new baseball bag, one of many prizes given during the clinic. In addition to the baseball cards, ball and gear bags given, two children received new bikes.

Instructors were available after the clinic to talk with the children more about their faith and to sign autographs.

The baseball clinic, held in conjunction with the annual Florida Baptist State Convention meeting, was supported by 12 area churches through the Halifax Baptist Association. The pastors from these churches were on hand throughout the clinic to follow up with those who had made professions of faith.

Prior to the clinic, Evangelism Division staff members gathered together to prayerwalk the area. "We prayed for safety and for a connection," said Rick Shepherd, director of the Prayer and Spiritual Awakening Department. "We knew the most important factor was the God connection."

"This type of event is a great example for churches," said David Burton, evangelism director. "If we just touch one segment, we have reached the entire family. It has inspired pastors here to do jointly more intentional

evangelism in the future."

By connecting to people through their in­terests, they are much more open to listening to the Gospel, said Hessinger. He hopes that other associations and churches across that state will look to this event as a good example of how they can reach their communities.

"The priority wasn't the pitching and the hitting, it was shar­ing the Good News of Christ with boys and girls and moms and dads," said Jeff Hessinger, director of the Personal Evangelism Department. "We found a connection point in the community to carry out an outreach event."