While sharing the Gospel of Christ is central to the Christian faith, churches and pastors each have their own unique gifts in reaching a lost world in the name of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy writing the “Meet the Pastor” series.

Whether it be through a beans and rice ministry or a motorcycle ministry, I’m always excited to see what God is doing in our community through local churches.

This week, I had the opportunity to talk with Pastor Jason Green of Mineral Springs Baptist Church and learn how God is using their church to transform lives and draw people to Christ.

Chanel Bingham: What is the mission of your church?

Jason Green: To love and reach people where they are. People want to see our relationship with the Lord before they hear about it. What we want to do within the church is to disciple people in such a way that the people they meet in the street, the people they sit next to in a restaurant, the people they go to the movies with and everybody that comes in contact with our people will see and feel the Spirit of God on them and that will facilitate the conversation that will allow us to introduce our Lord verbally. If your relationship with the Lord has transformed your life, then your actions should follow that transformation and should have influence on the people around you.

Off campus, our greatest ministry should be the way we live daily and in the things that we are doing in our community to convey our message.

C.B.: How is your church fulfilling that mission in the community?

J.G.: Everything we do is intentional evangelism. If you are going to minster to somebody, you have to be where they are because you can’t minster from a distance. We are very active; our hope is to come along side folks and “do life” with them.

We have a youth ministry led by T.J. Phelps that is very involved in the school systems and building relationships with the students. T.J. goes to practices and ball games for different sporting events, has built relationships with band members and strives to be a resource for all students.

We have an active children’s ministry led by Jessica Glass with a focus on reaching and encouraging the family as a whole. Both our youth and children’s ministries strive to build up the family.

We also have a special group of senior adults that minister in our community, and they are fantastic at loving on people practically. Whether it’s fixing food for someone who’s sick or going by to visit them, they do a tremendous job of caring for and encouraging others.

Something that is unique to our church is that we are the church that sponsors the local F.A.I.T.H Riders chapter. F.A.I.T.H. Riders are motorcycle enthusiasts, and they are on the move ministering at different biking and community events. It’s an interesting way to build up a relationship and conversation with people that the average person might be a little hesitant to approach. That has been a special ministry and we have seen people saved because of it.

C.B.: What drives/motivates you?

J.G.: I don’t want to preach at somebody. When I preach or teach, I want to leave people with something they can apply to their lives and take with them. As Christians, if we are not leaving people with a tangible representation of what it is to love and know Jesus, then we are failing. I want to laugh and enjoy life. I don’t want to walk around with a sour expression on my face or have a “holier-than-thou” attitude. I want to find people, love people, respect them for who they are and for what their life experiences have made them, and hopefully somewhere along the way, help them to see and understand that the difference maker in their lives will be Jesus when they let Him.

To learn more about Mineral Springs Baptist Church and their ministries, contact the church office at (205) 646-3480.

Chanel Bingham is a freelance writer, blogger and public speaker. She resides in Thorsby with her husband and four children. You can visit Chanel at www.thepolishedcanvas.com or on Facebook at “The Polished Canvas.” Her column publishes each week.