By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
For The Salisbury Post
The Rev. Mike Motley sits before a crowd of about 20 people at Trading Ford Baptist Church and conducts a Bible study. That’s not an unusual thing. What is unusual is that the Bible study is taking place in a brand-new, 20,000 square-foot building. The building, finished in August and occupied in November, contains an 11,000-square-foot worship center that can seat up to 650 people and a 9,000-square-foot gym. Motley says the gym is used for a youth sports ministry program. The idea is the brainchild of Motley, youth minister the Rev. Keith Mason and Rod Graham.
“The building is designed to be flexible,” Motley says. “It is a tool for ministry.”
The gym has basketball goals, mats and martial arts equipment. Mason says they wanted to have Upward Basketball this year, but will have to wait until next year. So Mason turned to Graham who already had an idea. Graham, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Aikido and Jiu Jitsu, suggested a martial arts ministry for youth. Mason agrees. The church now offers martial arts classes every Tuesday and attendance is growing. “We wanted to use sports to attract kids that wouldn’t normally come to church,” Mason says. “And minister to them if they need it.”
Graham says he always wanted to use his martial arts to minister to youth. The group is called Christian Soldiers. Graham teaches the classes free of charge to youth ages 7-17 and sits with the group to discuss a topic each night.”We discuss what they want to do with their life as Christian Soldiers, turning the other cheek, etc. ” Graham says. “This week we talked about confidence and belief.”
Graham says he is quick to let the youth know martial arts is for self defense only and tries to relate the Bible to everyday occurrences.”The Bible says ‘Train up a child in the way he should go,’ ” Graham says. “We teach them when they’re little, but what happens after that? Some make bad decisions. We want to help them make good decisions. It’s not about martial arts. It’s about Jesus Christ.”
The class is offered at the same time as Celebrate Recovery meetings, a 12-step program for addictions, so parents in recovery can bring their children to classes during the meetings. Mason says they hope to have Upwards Soccer in addition to Basketball in the fall.
The worship center currently contains about 400 chairs and attendance has been a little more than 340 people. Before the new building, the church was conducting two services in a sanctuary that could only hold about 200 people.
They were “crammed in there,” Motley says.
The center is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, two 12-foot by 16-foot projection screens and a large stage where the church band plays during services.
“The project totaled about $1.2 million,” Motley says. “Without the volunteer work from congregation members, it would have cost $1.6 million.”
One capital campaign has raised more than $450,000 and a current campaign services the loan. But, Motley says it’s all well worth it. The sports ministry program seems to be taking off, he says.”In this economy, it’s tough for churches to flourish,” Motley says. “Churches have to find new ways to attract people. My beliefs are conservative, but my methodology is outside the box.”