Co(coa) into all the world
Jesus said, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42, NIV)
But, what about a cup of hot water…with chocolate?
Admittedly, I hesitated when our 2014-15 interns, Rebecca Spruell (Shallowater, TX) and Tanner Moore (Seminole, TX), approached me toward the end of the fall semester with the idea of doing a brand new, week long project. Buffs for Christ had not quit running since mid-August. Even though the schedule had been packed with good things–Welcome Week freshmen recruiting, Camp Blue Haven fall retreat, tailgating, football games, homecoming, intramurals, Sunday night volleyball and basketball, Monday night student led devotionals, Thursday night guys and girls devotianals, and Stuff the Buffs–it had been very busy none the less. I suspected that the students needed rest. Also, at the beginning of the semester we committed to making sure every Buffs for Christ activity ultimately served the purpose of reaching the campus for Christ, even if that meant cutting something out of the schedule.
But in the end I was persuaded, because the students were persuaded, that God is able. The idea became known as Mission WT. It was simple, too simple: Set up two stations on the main crossroads of the campus from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM for one week…and hand out hot chocolate. That’s it; no gimmicks, no sales pitches. Hand out hot chocolate. If someone wants to pray, pray with them. If they want to talk about God, converse with them. If a person wants information about Buffs for Christ, share with them. Be present, be intentional, be kind, but most of all, hand someone a cup of hot chocolate.
Wouldn’t you know, it snowed the weekend before Mission WT. Any Bible Chair alumni knows how biting-cold a simple stroll across the West Texas A&M Unviersity campus can be in late fall or early winter. Practically, this was a great time to hand out something warm. On a deeper level, a seasoned Christian knows how any young adult, even the ones who seem to have it all together, strolling across any college campus, especially during the difficult days at the end of a semester, may be struggling with sin, crying out for community, or desperately searching for hope. Spiritually, this was a great time to give away kindness and love.
Two things about the amazing work God did through Mission WT: (Oh, did I mention that this completely student led activity, this supremely simple idea, turned out to be Buffs for Christ’s MOST EFFECTIVE OUTREACH AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEMESTER?!) First, He impacted the students of WT. People could not get past how there was no catch. Still, prayer happened, conversations about God happened, and news spread about Buffs for Christ. A letter from a random student stated, “I know it’s not easy getting up early and setting up ‘just to give people hot chocolate,’ but please know that you all are making a huge difference…[a] guy next to me…asked, ‘Why would anyone give hot chocolate for free?’ And, I was able to tell him about Jesus…” Second, God impacted Buffs for Christ. Through a simple act of kindness and everything that came from it, He revealed something important about that which is “of first importance” (I Corinthinans 15:3, NIV)–the Gospel. Sharing the Gospel is simple. The theme I heard discussed among the students who participated in Mission WT is that sharing the good news about the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is simple. Praise God!
The BFC spring calendar is already full, of good things, but I guarantee you–young minds are planning another Mission WT.