Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/444908
Smith, who traveled with the Creative Arts Service Team (CAST) last summer, called the urban mission team another "perfect" opportunity to share God's love. "It's unique to be in a situation where your job is just to go and minister to people," he said. "You don't have to worry about doing anything else and you can really put your ministry first." Smith said when people saw them move into the neighborhood, "That definitely takes off some of the edge or some of the reserve that they might have." Eller, who is at- tending communi- ty college while on the mission team, said he wants to "get people into the church who don't even know what The Salvation Army is." "I've always been told to follow what Jesus has planned for you and to obey what He has for you," Eller said. "When they asked me to do this ministry, I thought that this is what God wants me to do right now. "The people are seeing us around more and more. We're starting to build relationships." The initiative clearly meets the urban mission and young adult empowerment priorities of "Strikepoint," but Major Thomas says you can't leave out deeper discipleship since Smith and Eller meet weekly with a mentor from the corps. "While they minister, they are be- ing ministered to," he said. "We have several people in the corps who have the responsibility of caring for these young men as they care for other people." Major Barbara said the congregation has come alongside the team. "Serving is such an important part of discipleship," she said. "Getting your people from a place of sitting in a pew on Sunday morning to going and serving, that's a challenge for any corps officer. "This idea of inspiring our corps people on to greater service … that's discipleship. We're meeting all of these Strikepoint initiatives through the urban mission team." Major Barbara said she leads Smith and Eller in a weekly Bible study and thus trains them to be leaders, fulfilling yet another "Strikepoint." "They're developing their own leader- ship skills through this ministry and maybe one day they will become Salva- tion Army officers or great local officers," she said. Smith, who draws people to Christ through the Gospel arts, said he wants to touch lives through the stage—or urban mission. "Any way possible," he said. "I love acting and I love being able to reach out to people and make friends. What we're do- ing is what The Salvation Army is all about." Ashcraft said he has always believed that the Millennial Generation (people born from 1982 through 2004) will "buy The Salvation Army mission of service 'hook, line, and sinker.' "I see this step of urban mission teams as the first stop in engaging Millennials in the 'nitty-gritty' of The Salvation Army," Ashcraft says. "I think in the future it will be a different–looking Army. I think it will look more like it did back in William Booth's day." ROBERT MITCHELL 9 www.saconnects.org