Ray Cucancic is the master builder guiding the work of Texans on Mission Church Builders in Huntsville this spring. However, the retired contractor does more than build on the work site. He also teaches.
“I love working with people who are eager to learn,” said Cucancic, a member of Northside Baptist Church in Huntsville.
The eager learners in Huntsville recently were from First Baptist Church in Hempstead. Each year, the Hempstead congregation involves a group of high school and college students — both young men and women — in a spring break project with Texans on Mission Builders.
Building bridges
“These spring break projects have not only increased the students’ knowledge of construction but also fostered a greater appreciation for the wisdom and experiences of the older generation,” said Rooster Smith, leader of the Hempstead group.
“They have helped our youth grow more comfortable in sharing their faith, both how they came to know the Lord and how He continues to work in their lives.”
Wayne Pritchard, coordinator of Texans on Mission Builders, said having the group from Hempstead join them was “extremely encouraging” to the veteran Builders.
“It gives us a sense of purpose as we get the opportunity to share our knowledge with the next generation of Christian men and women to serve our God,” Pritchard said.
Providing additional space for Covenant Fellowship
This year’s spring Church Builders project is converting a covered patio into enclosed space for Bible study and other ministries at Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville.
“We are out of classroom space,” said David Valentine, senior pastor at Covenant. “The original bid to do this project was about a quarter of a million dollars, and we’re cutting that expense by about 60% because of the volunteers with Texans on Mission, and we’re very appreciative of them.”
Covenant Fellowship emphasizes community ministries, some of which received initial funding from Texas Baptists about 15 years ago.
As the congregation has engaged with the community, worship attendance has grown from about 120 to almost 400, Valentine said.
The new space will be used throughout the week for ministries such as Celebrate Recovery for those dealing with addictions, and other Bible studies and activities.
“Our facilities are being used seven days a week, and we’re just out of space, and so we praise the Lord for what he’s doing,” Valentine said.
Texans on Mission Builders framed the exterior walls and internal rooms to prepare for sheetrock installation, said Wayne Pritchard, coordinator of Texans on Mission Builders.
The Hempstead group worked the first week of the two-week project to coincide with local school spring break. The team included Royal Ambassadors and Challengers from the Hempstead church.
Going deeper
Beyond working together with the experienced Builders, “we challenged our youth to share their testimonies with the Builders, who, in turn, shared their own faith journeys with the students,” Smith said.
“It was incredible to hear how God had worked in their [the Builders’] lives and to witness those experiences being passed on to the next generation. This exchange of testimonies was the first step in forming relationships that deepened throughout the week.”
Each evening, the students “eagerly shared what they had learned from the more experienced Builders,” Smith said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Ferrell Foster and originally published by Baptist Standard.
