Reaching The Nations Within Our City
I’m excited to tell you about the international outreach that is going on in Myrtle Beach. About six years ago, a young pastor from Bulgaria named Stefan told me we would eventually have the nations coming to us in Myrtle Beach.
I’m still not sure if he realized he was prophesying over our church when he said that.
We bought a building in the center of the beach four years ago. Stefan went with me to look at it before we closed on it. It used to have an Italian Bakeria on one end. When Stefan saw it, he began to cry.
He said, “Tim, there are thousands of international students who come to the beach every summer to work, and this building is in the middle of their lives while they’re here.” (The program is called J1. It’s happening in many cities, so pastors can check to see if it’s active where they are.)
Creating A Safe Place
After we got in the building Susan Harrell, a former missionary to Italy herself, picked up on the vision and started an outreach. She offered a safe place to use the internet to call home, free coffee, snacks, games—just a friendly place to come and hangout.
The city now uses our building to do all of the processing, visa issues, etc., which has turned into a wonderful relationship. We recently fed 350 law enforcement officers at the convention center, just a block away from us, as we entered the season. Law enforcement is around alot because of the predators trying to recruit the students.
Other Churches Sending Volunteers
We now have multiple churches sending volunteers to help, they feed 250-350 international friends every Tuesday and Thursday night. At the end of the season the All Nations Cafe team hosts a “Christmas Dinner in August” for all of the students, complete with traditional holiday food.
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Visit the Seacoast Vineyard Church here.
