Genesis of the Rodeo

Some may wonder how we came up with the idea for a rodeo outreach. If my memory serves right and I'm not 100% sure as to the accuracy of this, but my first recollection of any mention of a rodeo dates back a couple of years to when we were in the process of purchasing the 12.5 acre farm field. I recall Pastor Scott mentioning in passing that we could use the field for a rodeo. Last summer, the Science Teacher at Lititz Christian, who happens to participate in a Christian rodeo ministry over the summer, invited Pastor Scott and myself to attend one of their events. It didn't suit our schedule, so we never made it, but that was the next time a rodeo appeared on our radar. Fast forward to the Fall of 2006.

Having almost doubled the number of people attending our staff meetings, Pastor Scott realized we needed to do some team building exercises. He divided the staff into 4 groups and asked them to work together to put together a staff meeting. One of the groups, knowing that we would be hosting the Operation Barnabas Orientation in the Summer of 2007, led the staff in a brainstorming session of what ministry opportunities we could use to partner with Operation Barnabas. In that brainstorm, the rodeo appeared on the radar again, this time, gaining momentum and turning into a full fledged endeavor.

So it's not too far fetched to say that it's an outreach that's more than two years in the works.