Bus ministry in Longview adapted to the times

LONGVIEW—John Wallingford knows a good missions outreach when he sees it. As missions minister at Macedonia Baptist Church in Longview, Wallingford has led mission teams to Burkina Faso, sharing the gospel through storytelling. However, he didn’t have to go far to find another unreached people group—children in Longview without a gospel witness.

In response to the need, a new type of bus ministry was born. For the past four years, Wallingford and his volunteer workers have provided a separate ministry on Sunday nights for children and adults who want to ride a bus to the church for a meal and Bible classes.

“It (bus ministry) used to be a mainstream thing, but I really believe what we do is better,” Wallingford said. “The bus ministry is an entity to itself. Kids on the bus are a people group. They are different than church kids. Kids who ride the bus don’t know Abraham from the Man in the Moon.”

Macedonia pastor Steve Cochran supports the novel approach to ministry. 

“Parents aren’t like they used to be,” Cochran said. He notes that parents in the area won’t get their children up to attend Sunday morning Sunday school, but they will allow them to get on the bus for a Sunday evening class at the church.

And get on the buses they do. Each Sunday afternoon, Wallingford and his volunteers run three buses from about 3:50-5:15 p.m., bringing about 60 children and adults to the church. Their evening begins with a meal.  

“We feed them every week,” Wallingford said. “Lots of these kids are not eating on the weekend.”

Following the meal and recreation, the group shares in a time of worship and Scripture memory. Then the younger children break out into an age-graded group while Wallingford shares the Bible story for the week with the older children, youth and adults.

Writing his own curriculum and using principles he’s also used in Burkina Faso, Wallingford shares biblical truths through storytelling. 

“Many of these kids don’t read well; they are oral learners,” he said. “That’s their bread and butter.”

Wallingford said that he always gives an explanation of the context for the day’s story, sharing biblical principles and then using a story to illustrate the truths. He then gives his students a Bible passage to look up. The group then breaks into small groups and answers questions.

“They are discovering that the Bible has answers that are understandable,” Wallingford said. “I want these kids to know what the Bible says.” So far, Wallingford has been able to teach from “Creation to the Cross” several times in the past four years. 

At the close of Bible study, the buses run again, dropping the children off at home. Then it all begins again the next Sunday.

All those Sundays have added up to lives changed—both for the children and adults who attend and for the volunteers who give of themselves each week, Wallingford said. 

“A lot of adults are coming over on the bus. It helps us having more adults and they are studying what the kids are studying.” One lady, who is a member of Macedonia and attends the bus ministry regularly, recently told Wallingford, “You just can’t believe what I’m getting on Sunday night.”

Wallingford said the same is true for the children who attend. One of the important teachings of the program is helping children understand the need to respect authority.  “You are obeying God when you obey your parents. So many of these kids come from broken homes.”

Approximately 30 volunteers work in the bus ministry each week. 

“It just amazes me that I have the number of workers I do,” he said. “It’s like candy to them.”

Although lives are changing through the bus ministry, it has not been without its challenges.  

“We shut it down a few years ago,” Wallingford said. After a time of prayer and brainstorming, he invited those interested in continuing the ministry to meet. Thirty people showed up. He said they had to make hard choices.

Some of those choices included implementing stricter rules for those in attendance. 

“If you demonstrate that you have an agenda that’s not our agenda, then you are not coming,” Wallingford said. “If you hinder, you are not going to be here.”

The number attending the bus ministry dropped from 100 to 60, but it’s been worth it, Wallingford said. 

“It’s like Heaven. Our goal is not numbers. For the sake of our work and the reputation of the Lord, we are not going to do that.” The revamped rules have allowed the program to continue to reach children and adults with the gospel in a much more effective way.

The bus ministry at Macedonia Baptist continues year round with breaks for major holidays and summer events. But on most Sunday evenings, Wallingford and his volunteers run the bus ministry because they see their mission field and know what they are doing matters.  

“It’s making a difference to these kids,” he said.