MBC youth pastors begin to bring hope to schools
MBC begins partnership
with FreeWay Foundation
By Staff
November 29, 2005
JEFFERSON CITY – The FreeWay Foundation and the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) are in the process of implementing a plan that builds a bridge for MBC youth pastors into the public school system.
Partnering with the FreeWay Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides character education and other drug and violence prevention programs and education to schools, are MBC Executive Director David Clippard and MBC Youth Evangelism Specialist Matt Kearns.
Keith Scarbororough, executive vice president of FreeWay, is excited about the partnership.
“We are not asking youth pastors to visit a lot of schools,” he said. “We simply want them to get into the schools nearest their own church. In this way we are allowing MBC youth pastors to meet kids exactly where they live, allow them to get to know them, as well as the school administration, and be available to them when needed.”
There are 10 newly trained members of “Operation FreeWay,” which is the name that has been assigned to the partnership. Brent Thies, youth pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Festus, is one of those 10. He has already been able to go into the Hillsboro School District to present the FreeWay drug, alcohol and violence prevention information.
“Operation FreeWay is just getting off the ground,” Scarborough said. “Our hope is to have MBC youth pastors from around the state join us in our effort to evangelize the public school system in their areas. Think of the possibilities when MBC youth pastors are able to have an active role in the lives of public school students, faculty and administration. I believe this out-of-the-box approach is a great way for Missouri Baptists to have an impact on the lives of people in their community.”