Bob Green with son, Ray.

Bob Green is the head of the evangelism work group at Christ United Methodist Church of Youngwood, Penn., and is a lay delegate to the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. He was awarded a Harry Denman Evangelism Award by the Conference in June, 2011. He and his wife Heather have lived in Youngwood for more than eight years.  Their family includes a son, two daughters and two grandchildren.  Bob describes his faith journey as “sometimes bumpy,” and feels it may eventually lead to attending seminary, if God leads him there.

“I was so greatly blessed to receive The Harry Denman Evangelism Award and admittedly still grapple with the depth and weight of such an honor as this.  In reading the biography of Dr. Denman I began to rethink my own commitment and was challenged as well as convicted in many areas of my life.  It is a must-read for anyone working in the Ministry of Jesus Christ.”

Crosswalk to Calvary

2011 Crosswalk

Bob shares that for the last two years at Easter, he has been blessed to walk and help carry a ten foot cross of wood for about twenty five miles from Christ United Methodist Church to Calvary United Methodist Church of McKeesport, Penn. “The ‘Crosswalk to Calvary’ was something God laid on my heart to help bridge the racial gaps that exist between our churches and promote joint local mission outreach as we witness for Christ all along the way,” said Bob. He says it has been both a wonderful experience and a huge challenge.  ”One of the greatest gifts has been the friendship of the brother I gained in Tim Jordan, but it’s also given me a second church family filled with people I love who are a joy to worship and serve with.”

Eighth Avenue Place

Tim and Bob first met as they received communion at Eighth Avenue Place, a mission outreach in Homestead, Penn. Bob says that, “again the Spirit did what we never saw coming and began a friendship that is greatly blessing my life.”  Tim and Bob try to worship, serve, and study at Eighth Avenue Place whenever they can. Bob says that it has become a huge part of both their faith walks and feels like their “other” church home.  “We love the friends we have made there along the way with Pastor Keith and Monica Kaufold, some of whom walked last year with us on the Crosswalk (all day in the rain) and some are already talking about 2012 and walking again.”

Reaching Out to Skaters

PIPELINE Skaterz Outreach

Bob’s youth served as inspiration for another outreach to young skaters in the community. “For me the PIPELINE Skaterz Outreach is a calling I just couldn’t get away from.  When I’d see these guys hanging out skating, it reminded me of my youth because several of my friends and I were skaters and coincidentally were kicked off of every sidewalk in Hinesville, Georgia growing up.”

Initially, Bob says, he shrugged off the “gentle nudges of the Spirit” because he just didn’t have time. Yet, he kept trying to find a way that the church could serve this group of children that he says “God had placed on our doorstep”  and reach out to the community.

With the support of his pastor, Rev. Chris Livermore, in January 2009 Bob asked the Church Council for permission to use the gym for the first gathering to be held in March of that year.  “I had no idea what to expect or even what to do, how to proceed, who to contact, or anything; I just knew it was time to try and do something to reach out to these guys.”  Concerns for insurance and liability were addressed and ground rules were established before the March meeting.  “I thought, we’ll have to name this thing if it gets wings, and one morning at work, staring at the ring my coffee cup left on the note pad I thought it resembled the end of a pipe.  Then I thought of a PIPELINE as a conduit of sorts, and skaters skate these quarter and half pipes.”

Fifteen to twenty came to the March gathering.  Over the summer there were more gatherings and new faces continued to show up.

On one occasion we celebrated with pizza for supper and birthday cake for one of the guys who turned 13 that same day.  We had 8 guys join us and afterwards we went to Park and Pool, and joined the congregation for Saturday night worship and swimming that night; their first time in worship with us since we started.  In preparing for this trip I was introduced to parents and grandparents, visiting in their homes explaining our hopes for this ministry and their kids, and getting closer to these guys on a new level.  Parents of these guys were offering to help pay for food, dropping off snacks at the park, and I sensed a new energy and, to be honest, it was something I really had not considered in all my planning.  It was a true blessing to be a part of.

He not only feeds the youth physically, but uses the group meals as a way to feed them spiritually as well. “Our hope is to be a cohesive and positive loving presence in a world filled with negative influences.  In addition to pizza we also try to feed them in what has become our Skate Church segment where I present something for them to hold on to from The Word, followed by a Blessing, then the meal.  We hope to get them together as often as possible, and show them that they matter, they were made for a reason, God is with them, and real hope is found in fellowship in and with Jesus Christ.”

Through the PIPELINE ministry, God has been at work on the hearts of the Christ UMC family. The first Christmas gathering of PIPELINE ministry was so well supported by people from the church that they were able to give each skater a gift bag filled with goodies, some other videos and gifts. A complete skateboard was also gifted as well.

There have  been challenges in making the ministry work for all the various age groups that attend, however that has not deterred Bob from bringing the gospel message to the group in a way that is relevant to the young people. “[I remind] them of the fact that my/our love for them was preceded by Christ’s love for them.  Once while on a day-trip to skate I asked them why they thought I did this, to which they responded, ‘because you care about us’; to which I responded, ‘Bingo!, but you must understand that Jesus cared first and he sent me to do this.’”

Bob is optimistic about the future of PIPELINE. “I don’t have a blueprint or rule book to guide us as we get deeper into this, but I will promise you this, we are going to show them the love of the Savior, the love of their neighbor, and help them any way we can to feel acceptable and loved in the hopes that they may find their way to their salvation in the Lord through His Holy Word and witness.”

Fully Supported

Bob credits his wife, Heather’s, support with encouraging him to continue in ministry. “I’m so blessed to have my wife of twenty years, Heather, who has been with me every step of the way on both The Crosswalks, our Eighth Avenue Place mission outreach and The PIPELINE. Heather remains a constant source of encouragement when it gets hard to do and I don’t know what I’d do without her.

“We can’t imagine the wonders of God until we get out of our comfort zone and seek Him, then as we walk forward in faith He brings people and experiences to us we never could have dreamed of.”