Picture Mill City on July 4th. The celebration is already moving. The parade is over. Families walk through town with kids beside them. Someone is looking for food. Someone is looking for shade. A child is looking for something fun to do.
Then a basketball hoop catches his eye.
He stops. A volunteer smiles and hands him the ball. The shot goes up. The parent slows down. The ball bounces back. For a few seconds, nobody feels rushed. We learn a name and welcome a family.
That is the moment I do not want us to miss. I love our town, and I know many of you do too. Mill City is not just where our church sits. It is the place God has asked us to love. A child plays. A parent slows down. Someone from our church learns their name.
Show Up Where People Gather
Sometimes outreach starts with a basketball, a smile, and one willing volunteer. Jesus said, “let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16, NIV). Light belongs where people can see it. Our town should know our church. I have learned that many people meet a church before they visit on Sunday.
Many people will not walk into our building first. They will meet some of us at a booth, beside a basketball hoop, during a town celebration.
Give Families a Reason to Stop
The Hoops & Hope booth will include a basketball hoop game for families. Kids can play. Parents can pause. Volunteers can meet people without pressure.
The hoop is not the point. The person in front of us is the point. A child gets encouraged. A parent gets greeted. A family gets treated with care. Why does this matter for the people who serve? Outreach can feel hard in theory. It becomes clearer through one hour, one game, one conversation.
Practice Faith in Public
Many church members want to reach people, but they do not know where to start. Hoops & Hope gives us a simple place to begin. No one needs to preach a sermon or have every answer.
Volunteers can listen well and speak about God as the door opens. One hour at a booth can help us grow in courage.
God often uses ordinary obedience in public places. A kind greeting can stay with a family longer than a flyer. I want Mill City to see our church serving before they ever hear us asking.
Mill City Christian Church will host the booth from 1:00pm to 5:00pm during Mill City’s 4th of July Celebration. The booth needs volunteers for four one-hour shifts, with two people serving each hour.
Four one-hour shifts may not sound like much. Yet God can use one faithful hour.
Training will take place after service on Sunday, June 28. Volunteers will walk through the tools, then practice common conversations. Please reach out to Natasha Allen to serve. Come ready to help children play, meet families, and speak about God.
