Missions Ministry - Missions Action - Cool Spring Baptist Church



COOL SPRING MISSIONS ACTION
Missions Action is involved in finding opportunities for church members to participate in specific missions projects. All ages can participate in these exciting projects, even children. Some Missions Action Projects are ongoing, such as ministering to young men at the Hanover Juvenile Correction Center. Some projects are recurring, such as distributing backpacks to homeless men in Washington, D.C. each winter. And some are one-time projects, such as being involved in an international mission trip. Click here for information about Community Missions Projects. Click here for information about International Mission Trips that the Student Ministry of Cool Spring has participated in. Below are listed some of the Mission Actions Projects that Cool Spring participates in. Most of these fall into the general category of Community Missions. Where indicated, click on a Missions Ministry for more information.

	LOCAL COMMUNITY MISSIONS PROJECTS
	C.A.R.I.T.A.S - Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter was organized to care for the homeless year round. Each Spring, shelter is offered to homeless families for two weeks at Cool Spring. This ministry began in 2002 and has offered refuge for infants to adults. Volunteers are needed for Prayer, Meals, Overnight, Cleaning, Laundry, Nurturing, and Setup teams. This ministry involves the entire church family. Click Here for More Information About C.A.R.I.T.A.S. C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Works (formerly EMBRACE Richmond) - C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Works is a ministry that provides household needs to families that were homeless but have found homes. Cool Spring members donate household items during the weeks of C.A.R.I.T.A.S. for delivery to C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Works. It is also possible to donate throughout the year. Contact Andrea Richardson. Food Pantry - Cool Spring maintains a Food Pantry to assist those in need in our community. Recipients come to the church to pick up the food which is collected through the Adult Bible Study classes and missions organizations. The food is sorted and stored at the church and is distributed by the church staff on an as-needed basis. Recipients complete a request form and may receive assistance once a month. The Food Pantry is open on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Church Hill Ministry - The Church Hill Christian Wellness Center is located in Mount Tabor Baptist Church and is a ministry of the Richmond Baptist Association. The Wellness Center offers after school tutoring, adult Bible study, computer classes, fitness equipment, food, clothing, and health classes. Individuals or groups can use their passions and fits for this urban ministry. Hanover Juvenile Correction Center - Cool Spring members provide Bible study every Thursday night for teenage boys in a correctional setting. Occasionally recreation is incorporated into the evening. Volunteers must be trained and approved by the center. This ministry began over 35 years ago at Barrett JCC. This is a seed planting ministry; however, we see lives changed and boys won to the Lord. Essex Village Ministry - Essex Village is a local community project for underprivileged families, often consisting of single mothers with children. In partnership with the pastor of Essex Village Community Church, Cool Spring provides assistance to the residents of this Richmond Housing center. This ministry supports a 24 hour child care as well as other ministries. An annual Turkey Distribution for Thanksgiving provides hundreds of turkeys and groceries along with scriptures to those in need. Sunday school classes from Cool Spring frequently "adopt" a family in Essex Village to help provide for their daily needs, as well as for special events, such as Christmas presents for children. Click here for photos from the Essex Village 2006 Turkey Distribution. Habitat for Humanity - Cool Spring has been involved in Habitat for Humanity home construction on an ongoing basis. Habitat for Humanity International seeks to end poverty housing worldwide. Different churches come together in partnership with people in need to build simple, decent, healthy homes. They are then sold to partner families at no profit, through zero-interest loans. Cool Spring has helped Habitat for Humanity projects locally in different ways: Providing volunteers to serve at the construction site and on committees. Providing meals for construction workers. Making financial contributions. Providing part of the funding and labor to build the home. Prayer for the Habitat ministry. Volunteering for international projects. Gospel Jail Ministry - The Gospel Jail Ministry is a non-denominational, evangelical organization that provides pastoral care for inmates and staff regardless of race, religion, sex, handicap, criminal charge or sentence. The ministry works to bring the good news of the Gospel to the inmates through personal contact, worship services, Bible study, family contact, follow-up and liaison help. Mechanicsville Churches Emergency Functions (M.C.E.F.) - Mechanicsville Churches Emergency Fund is a nonprofit organization developed by area churches to provide emergency assistance to families. Various churches house clothing, food, furniture, and other items when disaster strikes. Funds are also made available for temporary housing and other short term needs. Mission to Hanover - Cooperative Hanover Churches partner with County Social Services to winterize and repair homes of Hanover citizens as need is determined by county agencies. This is done the second Saturday in November with the opportunity to assist throughout the year. Needle's Eye - Needles Eye Ministry is a nonprofit Christian ministry to the business and professional community of Richmond. Small group, men's and women's Bible studies are offered as well as monthly luncheons for fellowship and testimonies. Counseling and support groups are also available for those in need. Our support for this ministry is minimal, yet we feel that it is a worthy ministry to the Richmond business community. Operation Christmas Child - Operation Christmas Child is a division of Samaritan's Purse founded by Franklin Graham. Each year shoe boxes filled with toys and personal items are collected and shipped to children in need around the world. The shoe boxes are a way for Americans to share with less fortunate children and provide a way to share Jesus. A Christmas tree is decorated at church with brochures for families to take so they can fill a box for a boy or a girl. Suggested Items to Fill Shoeboxes Include: Small Cars, Slinky's, Writing Pads, Balls, Ball Caps, Picture Books, Dolls, Toothbrush & Toothpaste, Stuffed Animals, Yo-yos, Washcloth & Soap, Jump Ropes, Pens, Pencils, Sharpener, Markers, Stamps & Ink Pad, Toy Jewelry, Sunglasses, Hair Accessories Click Here for More Information About Operation Christmas Child. Refugee Ministry - Each year hundreds of people come to Richmond from other countries a refugees. In 2001, six Sudanese young men came to Richmond to find a new home. These young men were "adopted" by our church and assisted with their adjustment to life in America. Two of them joined Cool Spring. Some received training in Pennsylvania and Iowa, while others remained in Richmond. We assist with seasonal clothing, food, and training in the American way of life. Recreational Evangelism Ministry - This form of evangelism is growing worldwide and provides opportunities for short term volunteers to teach American sports and share Jesus. Volunteer teams are needed to travel overseas to share in this unique ministry. New Vision Ministry - Used eyeglasses are collected at church to send to missionaries overseas to provide sight to individuals with no eye care. Our members clean, adjust, and read the prescription to aid the missionary doctors in dispensing the glasses. Volunteers are needed to organize the collection and to prepare and send the glasses to the missionaries. Wyatt House - The Wyatt House is providing temporary housing for International Personnel during stateside assignment as well as Christian fellowship in our church. This also brings to the church a great opportunity to identify with the ministry of International Personnel, learn more about missions, and be more active in international missions. The whole family can be actively involved in our church and share their gifts and skills. We have the opportunity to keep the Wyatt House furnished and in good condition for our International Personnel guests. Click Here for Photos of the Wyatt House Dedication Children's Mission Camp - Children in 4th & 5th grades have the opportunity to attend summer camp with a mission focus. They are encouraged to strengthen their relationship with God through daily devotions and worship experiences as well as have fun and make friends.

	REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PROJECTS
	Disaster Relief Ministry - The Disaster Relief Ministry has been developed at Cool Spring to provide assistance to individuals and families in times of natural disasters, such as floods, fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. There are periodic seminars locally in Disaster Relief Training. Whether assisting in community disaster, supporting Virginia Baptist relief efforts, or supporting the North American Mission Board, we utilize all of the volunteers, resources, and equipment that we have available to assist those in distress. Volunteers will receive training through the church, Red Cross and State Baptist Disaster Ministry. Responders are individuals or groups of individuals with specialized skills, abilities, knowledge or experience or with other particular resources such as commitment to prayer, financial giving, or simply an able body and willing heart who stand "on call" to offer themselves when Virginia Baptists' mission ministries have need of their gifts and talents. Student Mission Trips Ministry - The Student Ministry provides opportunities for middle and high school students as well as college students to experience missions first hand. Day and week long trips are planned for each group. The Student Ministry provides brochures on specific missions and dates. Some of the ministries include CIA Mission week, Impact Virginia, AIM, as well as foreign missions trips to countries like Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Richmond Homeless Ministry - Since 2003, the Middle School Youth have distributed donated backpacks, coats, hats, gloves, socks, personal grooming items, food items, and copies of the New Testament to homeless individuals living in the streets of Richmond in the winter. The Students use the opportunity to minister to the homeless as well. Hundreds of backpacks have been distributed. Washington D.C. Homeless Ministry - The High School Students at Cool Spring have annually traveled to Washington D.C. in the winter to distribute hundreds of donated backpacks, clothing items, food items, and copies of the New Testament to homeless individuals living on the streets. This is an excellent opportunity for the Youth to minister to these individuals. International Missions - The Student Ministry has participated in numerous international mission trips over the past several years. This is often a life-changing experience for both the students and adults involved in these trips. Some examples of trips of the recent past include: Guadalajara, Mexico (Senior High) - June 22-28, 2002 Reynosa, Mexico (June 28-July 4, 2003) Dominican Republic 2004 Mission Trip Photo Pages The Dominican Republic - June 25-July 5, 2005 The Dominican Republic - July 5-17, 2006 The Dominican Republic 2007 The Dominican Republic 2008 - July 12-19, 2008 Flagstaff Arizona - Navajo Indians - July 5-13, 2009 Botswana, Africa - July 25 - August 6, 2010 Adult Mission Trips Ministry - The church approves budget money each year to support people on mission. Applications are available from Mission Ministry Team Leaders and are approved on a case by case basis. We need leadership capable of coordinating and implementing groups of adults to go on mission projects each year. A partnership with the Dominican Republic has developed with adults providing medical and water purification and recreation ministries. Other partnerships may develop and are defined by the Missions Ministry Team as part of the North American and Virginia Baptist Mission Board. Cool Spring ministries maintains water purification teams as part of the National Disaster Relief Team. The Recreation Ministry has also been involved in starting an Upward Basketball league in Nova Scotia, Canada.



	Missions Opportunities at Cool Spring:
	Missions Home Page Missions Education Missions Promotion Missions Updates Mission Trips Missions Action Community Missions Action Projects Regional and International Missions Projects C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Food Pantry Hanover Juvenile Correctional Center Student Mission Trip Ministry Adult Mission Trip Ministry Wyatt House Disaster Relief Ministry Habitat for Humanity Operation Christmas Child Other Missions Projects