When we think of missions, we usually think of foreign mission fields – Taiwan, Japan, Romania, Iraq, etc. We don’t usually think of domestic mission fields, especially those of us who live in the Midwest or south where we can find a Gospel preaching church in every town and city.
Missionary Ron Taylor and his wife, Susan, are on a domestic mission field as they work to bring the gospel to New York City. As we all know, New York City thrives with businesses that touch every corner of the country in one way or another. More than eight million people live there, yet despite their technological advancement, they are a spiritual wasteland with very few Gospel preaching churches.
Ron and Susan’s goal is to establish five Baptist churches in each of the five boroughs of NYC – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. They have already established a church in Brooklyn and are currently working to grow Rockaway Beach Baptist Church (otherwise known as the Beach Church), which is the one that they started in Queens.
This summer, I had the privilege of going on a missions trip with six others from my church to New York City to help the Taylors. Ron and Susan had a day damp at the Beach Church for the local children that ran from 10-2 pm, Tuesday through Friday for four consecutive weeks. They averaged 25 – 30 children a day. Our group arrived the last week of camp, helping with crafts, supervision, interaction with outdoor play, set-up and clean-up. Anything that needed done, we did it. Of course, the children also had a Bible lesson every day. And day camp was a great tool for Ron and Susan to get into nearby homes to share the Gospel with parents and children and families, to see people saved and the church grow.
Pray for them as they followup with each and every child that attended day camp.
- Pray for the families that they are trying to reach with the Gospel.
- Pray for the people who live in Rockaway Beach that God would draw them to salvation.
- Pray for the Beach Church, that it would grow and become self supporting.
- Pray that God opens doors for them in Manhattan as they work to establish contacts in Union Square where he’d like to begin the next work.
God is working in New York City. Pray for the Taylors.