Kids Turn Out for Art and Music During Scottish Mission Trip

In March, FBCO sent seven members to work with our Scottish partner, Milestone Fellowship, in Girvan in reaching out to community families through their children’s music and art. The team hosted ukulele classes and art sessions that included  gospel presentations for elementary students.

Matt White, lay leader for the trip, said Girvan organizers, “expected seven kids a day. It turned out we had most days in the mid to high teens and even got into the twenties.

“That’s a great turnout. It’s a smaller setting.” says missions pastor Brandon Kiesling, who participated in the 2019 Scotland trip.

“In the final day we were there doing (the music) project,” Matt says, “we had a concert for the parents and they really packed the church. We had a gospel presentation for the families.”

Art instruction also provided gospel discussions. Matt says the team had “an art project we did each day and it had a gospel message in each one of them. So, the kids got to hear that every single day they were there.” Art kits were supplied to the team by The Mark Project, a ministry of FBCO member Gina McAndrew. The Mark Project. offers simple art instruction and fellowship events around spiritual messages.

Matt says through the music and art events  “the hope is that (students and families) want to learn more and can plug into Milestone” because many who attended the events were unchurched.

During the day, the team helped Milestone with its ongoing ministries, including meeting with troubled teens, serving “toasties”–small sandwiches–and tea during a Wednesday open community get-together, and prepared a Wednesday evening meal for the community.

As area residents came into the open events, “we visited with them and taught several of them a new take on ping-pong,” Matt says. “We made some great connections with the families and the kids.”

The FBCO team hosted the church’s Sunday morning worship service and its mid-week gathering on Tuesday night. FBCO deacon Craig Reeds delivered the message on Sunday; Matt handled it on Tuesday. FBCO worship leader Alan Fath and his wife, Mandy, led the singing.

“It was a great trip all around,” Matt says. “It was blessed” despite close flights, some sickness among members, and COVID protocols that had to be met.

Other trip participants included Gracie Fath, Mary Ann Reeds, and Anna White (Matt’s daughter).

Gracie Fath offered her experiences from the mission trip:

“The goal of the trip was to not only see some breathtaking views, but also to share the gospel through our group-led events. The FBCO group helped Milestone Christian Fellowship by leading music and teaching a Sunday morning message.

“For the length of the trip, the FBCO group also hosted a music and crafts camp that consisted of making Christ-focused crafts related to everyday life. FBCO taught a group of kids how to play Christian songs on ukuleles. During craft time the children decorated their ukuleles. On the second to last day of the trip, the kids performed the music they were taught for their family and friends. It was a great door opener to share the gospel and show the love of Christ to these families, and it was possibly the first time some stepped into a church building. It was a humbling and eye-opening moment in our trip, and an important thing for us to see because it put in perspective that the church, Christianity, or singing songs about Jesus are normal things to everyone.

“Milestone Christian Fellowship is a small size church, but its faith and devotion to Christ make up for the smallness of the building. The church’s faith is truly astounding; it was willing to go and serve for Christ any time, any day.

“If you feel a tug on your heart from the Lord to go and serve, go. Serving the Lord can be such a blessing in your life, but you’ll never know unless you go.”