When Michael Nolan, director of Baptist Builders Club, learned about the shooting on the campus of Santa Monica College, he contacted Pastor Russell Boone, pastor of Santa Monica Bible Baptist Church. He let the pastor know that through BBC–USA, the GARBC is willing and able to help in any way needed in the shooting’s aftermath.
During their conversation, Michael learned that everyone from the church, including students who attend the college, are okay.
After briefing Pastor Boone on all the help available, Michael told him about the Why? tracts published by Gospel Literature Services. These tracts “ask a lot of questions that people ask: ‘Why did this happen?’ ‘Why does God allow evil?’ ‘Why did it have to happen to me?’ ‘Does God not love me?’ A lot of why? questions,” Michael says.
“When I told them about it, they were excited,” says Michael. “They were like, Listen, we would love those because we would use those in our community. We would give them to our college kids. We will go and minister on that campus.”
Reaching out to churches in the aftermath of tragedies is just one of the benefits of fellowship with the GARBC. “We can communicate to all of the churches in the association so they’ll understand and know that this church is there and ministering to the needs, and they can be praying for them. I think this is huge as far as network goes,” says Michael.
Michael reports that BBC–USA has already received funds that are helping to print the Why? tracts and ship them to Santa Monica Baptist. “We’ve already raised support for it. It happened that quick—right away,” says Michael.
The church will go to the campus to hand out the tract and engage students there. Interestingly, the church’s College Bible Study recently finished learning what the Bible teaches about why bad things happen, better preparing these young adults to answer their peers on campus and in the community.
