Georgia church makes pitch for Jesus

Old building provides
home for baseball
outreach to youths
United Methodist News Service
BRUNSWICK, Ga.—The cracks of baseball bats echo through the metal building as the boys of summer practice for the next big game.
But the building would have been nothing more than a pile of rubble if members of First UMC had not stepped up to the plate. Instead of razing the building, church members decided to start a ministry that would teach baseball and character—and, they hoped, attract new worshipers.
Using donated funds and materials, members turned an abandoned auto-repair garage next door to the church into an indoor training center for youth baseball. The slogan for the ministry is “Making the Pitch for Christ.”
“I’ve been loving the game my whole life,” said church member Cricket Mobley, who came up with the idea. ”It just turned into something that was really a passion, and I’ve raised my kids playing ball.”
Mobley approached the church’s pastor, the Rev. Richard Turner, with the idea. The church had already bought the property and planned to raze the building for a family life center. But local historians wanted to keep the downtown building intact.
“I was excited about it,” Turner said, “because as a youngster, I played baseball and remember what it meant to me.”
Mobley, a business owner in Brunswick, donated $5,000 to help equip the facility with batting cages and tees. Others donated several thousand dollars worth of clay, paint and additional needs as the idea caught on.
Mobley wanted to make sure the downtown facility was open to the entire community. Hundreds of youngsters have already used it.
“When you and I were kids, we played in the backyard every day,” he said. “Well, they don’t get that nowadays in a lot of places. Some of them don’t even have backyards.”
Kids learn about more than baseball, coach Bob Black said.
“I tell these kids, ‘If you’ve got the discipline to hang in there on an 80-mile-an-hour curve ball, then you’ve got the discipline to not steal that candy or not cheat on that test,’ or not do whatever,” he said.
“It’s very fun,” said Ryan Good, an 11-year-old church member. “I’ve got all the coaches here teaching me how to hit the ball better and pitch the ball better. They teach me some stuff that I need to hold on to.”
Bible verses and inspirational messages are painted on the walls. The church’s youth director, James Loggins, stops by to encourage families to visit First UMC and join in other activities.
“If you’re going to be a successful church, you’ve got to think out of the box,” Loggins said. “A lot of times, we get stuck in tradition.”
Since the facility opened earlier this year, two new families have joined the church as a result. Mobley said coaches used a “soft sell” approach to religion.
“We don’t hit them over the head with it,” he explained.
The youngsters look up to their coaches as role models.
“You know that you can trust these people and that they’ll lead you in the right direction,” said Nathan Harsh, 12.
Church member Melinda Holling-ton called the indoor field a “safe place” for children. Her 7-year-old son, Jeremy, has taken up the sport.
“It gives them a place to come and be where people can love them and they can learn baseball and have fun, all at the same time,” she said.
The training facility is to stay open through October, then close for the winter—when improvements will be made—and reopen next spring.