March 21, 2022
A group of East Texas Baptist University Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) student leaders spent their spring break at South Padre Island, Texas, from March 4 through March 11 as a part of Beach Reach, an annual evangelism initiative to share the hope of Jesus by providing free food and transportation to college student beach visitors. In partnership with Texas Baptists (BGCT), the ETBU BSM team was a part of providing 5,917 rides, serving 2,310 pancake breakfasts, praying with 2,251 college students, and having 2,024 Gospel conversations, resulting in 58 students beginning a relationship with Jesus.
“It was on the concluding Friday of the 2020 Beach Reach trip when we received word that the ETBU campus (and the whole United States) was locking down for COVID-19, so it was great to be back on the sands of South Padre,” ETBU BSM Director David Griffin said. “Thus, in a way, heading back to Beach Reach seemed like everything was finally coming back to normal. Beach Reach is such a great service trip for our students. We have the opportunity to give free rides and pancakes with the spring breakers, and in so doing, show the love of Jesus. Our hope is that with many of our encounters with other college students, we get a chance to naturally share Jesus with them.”
While sharing the Gospel often feels intimidating and scary, students were equipped and encouraged to be bold in their faith while having conversations with strangers. The free rides offered to spring breakers provided abundant opportunities to meet people and strike up meaningful conversations. ETBU senior and Christian ministry and business major Darren Muirhead shared about an interaction during a van ride that stuck out to him.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned on this trip is that other people don’t have the same objections to God as me,” Muirhead said. “I realized someone I spoke with struggled with Christianity for totally different reasons than me. This was a huge highlight of what happened during one night on one of the ETBU vans. For me, it’s worth the whole trip for that one night alone; to think about the influence this guy has based on his profession. If he were able to share the Gospel with others and still has potential to become a Christian himself, there’s no telling what effects that night had for the Kingdom.”
Many of the students expressed the importance of relying on the Lord to reach people through prayer and preparation. Each day, the Texas BSM students attended worship, studied the Bible, and participated in Beach Reach training. At the end of the week, those who trusted Christ as their Savior and Lord had the opportunity to be baptized on one of the most popular beaches on the island. The baptisms were a public testimony of new Christian faith for all those watching.
“One thing this trip reminded me of is the power of the body of Christ acting as one unit, each using their unique gifting,” senior worship studies major Annika Johnson shared. “It’s not about the tally of Gospel conversations, or how many people we personally see coming to Jesus, or earning credibility for having gone on a mission trip like faith is some sort of spiritual resume. It’s about faithfulness to God, and grace upon grace for all of us. He has called us to join Him in the Great Commission, and that means giving everything to share the joy that we know.”
Beach Reach began in 1980 with 20 students who had a vision to reach their peers and serve the city of South Padre during spring break. The special missions emphasis week has progressively developed into the extensive ministry that it is today. To learn more about Beach Reach, visit beachreach.org.