By Pauline Masson –
Eight years ago, Mission Community Church Pastor David Lange and his wife Christy wanted to create a summer learning experience that went beyond the traditional Vacation Bible School and host a summer adventure that combined ministry with activity.
They decided on a baseball camp and partnered with the Pacific Youth Association (PYA) to hold the camp at the PYA field at the end of South Fifth Street.
For the first four years they recruited local teens to coach the athletes on the basics of baseball. Four years ago they connected with SCORE International Ministry, a sports ministry that focuses on short-term mission trips to connect missionary teams with local churches.
SCORE introduced the Lange’s to Bigtime Ministry in Birmingham, Alabama, an interdenominational ministry that inspires youth through Bible studies, retreats, and mission trips
This week, for the fourth year in a row, Mission Community Church, Big Time Ministry, and the PYA hosted boys and girls age four to 13 to practice the skills of baseball, softball, soccer. Some 124 young athletes registered for this week’s camp.
Each morning at 9:00 a.m. young athletes showed up at the PYA Field to find that the coaches had set up a series of stations where coaches would guide them through skill building drills in baseball, softball, football and soccer.
“Originally the sports camps were just baseball camps,” Pastor Lange said. “But it was decided to add the other sports that kids go out for.”
In baseball, young athletes learn how to throw, bat, run, catch and field a baseball. Basic skills in other sports offer more opportunities.
“It can be as basic as how to hold a football in order to throw it” Christy Lange said. “And how to kick a soccer ball.”
The teen missionaries also taught the young athletes to memorize the Bible verse, John 8-12. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” They staged an open air presentation of the Bible story of Jonah and the Whale, complete with Jonah being swallowed up and spit out. And they led the youngsters in a series of songs. Christy Lange captured the performance in a glorious video. If you go to Mission Community Church you might be able to see it
The timing of this year’s sports camp was especially meaningful to the PYA. Gerling pointed out that the organization is rebuilding after three years of no league games.
Gerling was active in the PYA as board member and occasional president for 18 years from 2002 to 2019 when his kids played in the league.
“When my kids aged out, I moved to other things,” Gerling said. After Pacific was dropped from the St. Louis Area Baseball Association, I came back to help get it going again.
Since Gerling’s return the PYA now has 16 T-Ball teams and four age 7-8 teams.
“We also have adult sotfball and co-ed softball,” Gerling said. The PYA will host two tournamentsthis fall, Sept. 21-22 and Oct.19-20. Plus movie night
“We’re rebuilding,” Gerling said. “We still need more players . You have to have a number of teams so they have someone to play against.
I met the Bigtime Ministry visitors Monday afternoon when they followed their morning of coaching young athletes to adding the finishing touches to the Historic First Baptist Church restoration project.
Under the leadership of Pastor Lange and retired NFLer George Hinkle, the young missionaries power washed the siding of the sanctuary and education building, stained the stairs, ramp and landing at the church entry and installed carpet in the sanctuary. With 32 pairs of hands the entire project was completed in less than three hours.
