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Merry Christmas from Gulf Area Resort Ministry! »

2007

 

The Son & the Sand
January 2007

Short and Sweet

The message I send to you this month is short and sweet. We at gulf area resort ministries are looking forward to another wonderful year of ministry. Your friendship and prayer support are amazing. We look forward to sharing about what God is doing through our ministry efforts in 2007. Please let us know how our ministry team can be praying for you.

Looking Ahead in 2007 (Prayer Concerns)

><> Jeff and Thea’s part in the March Annie Armstrong Week of Prayer (visit www.namb.net for more information)

><> Christmas in August (our ministry will be a receiver of much needed ministry supplies)

><> Ongoing seasonal ministry efforts (snowbird, spring break, summer, festival, and holiday ministries)

><> We pray that we will experience a hurricane season much like ‘06 on the gulf coast; however, we will potentially assist with disaster relief ministries in ‘07

Looking Back on 2006 (Answers to Prayer)

><> No hurricanes in ‘06

><> Thea began her seventh year teaching at Foley High School (wow! how time flies)

><> In December Jeff graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters Degree in Divinity

><> During October our ministry team and dozens of resort ministry volunteers assisted with the National Shrimp Festival

><> During the summer Jeff and Thea worked with 18 student missionaries in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

><> Gene & Ruby, Butch & Vi, Bill & Shirley, and Betty continued to play an important role in our snowbird ministry efforts (thankfully, they are continuing their ministries to the snowbirds in 2007)

FYI: Baldwin Baptist Churches

Jeff is available to speak at Baldwin Baptist Churches throughout the month of March regarding the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.

Jeff is also available to speak in February and April at area churches that take part in the Annie Armstrong Week of Prayer.

One Last Thing

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 6:14

In Christ,
Jeff & Thea Ford

 

 

The Son & the Sand
February 2007

High Tech / Low Tech

We have never claimed to have a very high tech website. The site www.barefootbelievers.com has been and may always be a bit out dated compared to a lot of other sites on the web. Currently we use a program called front page ‘95. The program was released over eleven years ago. There is no doubt about it - our site is a bit low tech.

Despite our low techness (is that even a word?), we strive to keep our ministry partners up to date with the lastest happenings at gulf area resort ministries through our website and monthly emails. The link to the following website reveals the hard work of the 2007 Annie Armstrong / North American Mission Board film crew. We had a blast working with them.

I hope you are encouraged by the following video clip… Enjoy our February 2007 “high tech” video newsletter segment…

http://imagesaes.316networks.com/namb/AAEO_07_Jeff_Ford_Long-Youth_MS.mpg

One Last Thing

…How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:15

Your favorite low tech webmaster,

Jeff Ford
resort missionary

 

The Son & the Sand
October - November 2007
 
October saw one of the largest events on the calendar for Gulf Shores as the Shrimp Fest was held October 11-14. Gulf Area Resort Ministry served in the Children’s Village once again this year. Our responsibility was the Craft Tent and we had nearly 90 volunteers that joined us in this effort. Whitesburg Baptist Church and Northpark Baptist Church brought volunteers who served in various ways at the festival and at other sites in the area. We also had several local churches represented in this volunteer effort. FBC Gulf Shores, FBC Orange Beach, Crossroads @ Bellforest, Calvary @ Foley, & FBC Bay Minette were each churches that were represented. Other volunteers included a grade school group from a local Academy in Gulf Shores. Thank you all for your hard work and willingness to serve. During the weekend over 700 people heard the Gospel presented in one on one encounters!
 
During November we’ve seen Snow Birds coming from all over the country and Canada. We’ve began our Sunday Morning RV park services at the Gulf State Park and saw 34 people for our first service. Butch and Vi Riek are Service Corp. Missionaries that are serving along side us in the Gulf State Park. They arrived during the first week of November and they have been a great support in the ministry already! We are planning a Thanksgiving Celebration for November 18 at the Park and Dr. Larry Patterson is planning to be with us to share at that service. 
We plan to begin Sunday Morning Services at Island Retreat RV and at Luxury RV during the month of December.
Please pray for the Gospel to be spread through the efforts of Gulf Area Resort Ministry! 
 
Opportunity is available for volunteers to help out in this ministry! Hope to see you soon!
 
 
Because of Jesus,
 
Nate Diehl
Director of Gulf Area Resort Ministry
Baldwin Baptist Association