First Baptist Church and Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief (DR), along with several other volunteer organizations, ministered to more than 5,000 bikers at the annual West Kentucky Bike Rally July 17-20.
First Baptist calls it a Showers of Blessing event, with two shower trailers and a laundry unit provided by KYDR.
Kent Sayle, who is the lead person for First Baptist in the ministry effort, said this was the ninth year for the church to provide showers free of charge at the rally.
“We have Disaster Relief bringing those shower units to us and a DR team helping us. Church members help, and Kentucky Baptist Bikers come in and stay at our church, and we have a group of Faith Riders from Arkansas who spend the night with us,” Sayle said. He noted that other Christian motorcycle associations attend as well. “We have 42 to 45 people staying at our church to help us.”
Sale said more than 400 people took advantage of the shower units. First Baptist provides towels and washcloths for each person so they don’t have to use their own, and the DR laundry unit is used to wash those items so they can be reused.
A DR chaplain is on hand to provide sunscreen and treat any sunburn cases. First aid kits are also available.
“The response (from bikers) has been good — we have never had anybody turn us away,” said Sayle. “Everybody who comes through gets a New Testament Bible. Some even ask for Bibles because they have been with us in years past. It’s a pocket-size Bible that can go in the saddle bags on their bikes.”
Sayle said chairs are available in a shady area for people who wait for a shower unit to be available. “We have opportunities to talk with people while they are waiting. We share the gospel with them and have a lot of good gospel conversations. We are planting the seed.”
Sale noted that volunteers include associational mission strategist Barry Yates, who is DR trained, along with others from the Ohio Valley Baptist Association. Also, Sayle said some youth who have volunteered in the past return to help with the ministry effort.
The involvement of Kentucky Baptist DR workers is not limited to helping in times of natural disasters. Karen Smith was one of 19 DR volunteers who went to Sturgis to provide equipment and support for First Baptist.
“Every shower is cleaned from top to bottom after each person uses one,” Smith said. “Thursday was a washout — we had a monsoon here. But the washer and dryer have been going non-stop,” she said Friday.
She said along with the DR team that arrived in Sturgis, there were eight DR-trained members from the church who participated in the ministry. “When DR gets in your blood, it is there forever. When you want to be part of this (DR) family, you are always family,” she said.
“The church (First Baptist) is wonderful — they feed us well,” added Smith, who is known as the master cook for DR.
Photo courtesy of Kentucky Today
