Every year, Baptist Student Unions across Virginia band together to raise money for Virginia Baptists' collegiate summer missions program.
This program places college students in ministries in Virginia, around the country and around the world. Students have served in Africa, Chile, Jamaica, and Washington, D. C.; in camps around Virginia; and as youth and children's ministers in Baptist churches. Some do backyard Bible clubs, some work in orphanages and some do coffee house or student ministries. The money raised by BSUs helps students spend their summers in ministry at minimal or no financial cost to them.
In the past, the Longwood University BSU has set a summer missions goal of $3,000. Last year, they stepped out on faith and set the goal at $4,000. Everyone was amazed when more than $8,000 was raised.
This year, the BSU went a step further and set a goal of $5,000. At the end of the spring semester, students had raised more than $9,000 for summer missions-an amount unprecedented in the BSU's history.
Churches in the Southside Baptist Association have always had soft hearts where Longwood students are concerned. Each week representatives from churches bring meals for Thursday night programs. At exam time, churches donate snacks or money for care packages. Several churches have lunches after church for students.
But by far, the biggest contribution the Southside Baptist Association's churches make to the BSU is generous giving to summer missions. The $9,000 raised this semester was a result of a team fundraising effort between churches and Longwood BSU students.
Longwood students held a variety of fundraising events, including an annual student auction, leading associational missions studies, participating in church services, planning and leading youth events and child care during Wednesday evening church services.
Though each event raised a significant amount of money for summer missions (the student auction alone raised over $700), in the end, dessert auctions and spaghetti dinners were the most successful.
Students buy everything for the spaghetti dinners and take care of all the preparations for the meal, which includes salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, dessert and beverage. Church members attend and make donations for the meal.
For dessert auctions, church members make their most tasty desserts and bring them to church the night of the auction. Longwood BSU students provide an auctioneer and auction cards and “sell” the desserts back to the church members. If you wonder how such a plan could raise money, you underestimate the competitive nature of many church members who just have to have Mrs. Allcock's cherry dump cake or Mrs. Hunsucker's famous rolls. Particularly competitive are husbands who know they cannot go back home without their wives signature desserts, for the financial cost is minimal compared to what the consequences would be otherwise. The end result is an evening full of fun, laughter and good-natured competition.
This spring three churches hosted spaghetti dinners and dessert auctions: Burkeville Baptist Church, Heritage Baptist Church, and Mount Tirzah Baptist Church. Total profit for summer missions from these three events was over $3,500.
Taking the prize for the Most Enthusiastic Dessert Auction Bidders was Mount Tirzah Baptist, which contributed $2,200, the most money raised at any dessert auction in BSU history. Other churches in the association hosted events last fall, with each event bringing in handsome profits to help meet and exceed the summer missions goal.
Cheri Wise recently became Baptist campus minister for Longwood. Pam Headley has been serving as interim campus minister.
Special to the Herald