" Campaigns went really well even though it was a , building year. ' - Daniel Chern;, director ofspring break campaigns 18 /I student life • campaigns spring break groups focus on Texarkana Spring break campaigns in 2003 paired the faithfulness of one Arkansas town with the enthusiasm of more than 130 Harding students to accomplish great things for the Lord, junior Jimmy Huff, campaign leader, said. Harding students split up among nine groups that went to Texarkana. The groups worked with a round 20 Texarkana-area churches, Dr. Eddie Cioer, professor of Bible and organizer of the campaign, said. The groups held a week-long gospel meeting for the churches to help reach those who were once thought to be unreachable. "We claim they Inon-Christians] can't be reached." Huff said. "But a lot of times that's because we haven't tried - it takes boldness to try." As a result of the Texarkana outreach, more than 150 people were brought to Christ through baptism, Cloer said. "It helped jump-start an entire town," Daniel Cherry, administrative assistant to the president and director of sprin g break campaigns, said. Since the Texarkana campaign focused on evangelism, the students needed to be trained before the week. - "Each group went through a pretty intensive training session on studying the Bible with someone," Huff said. Cloer said the main objective was to help the chu rches in the area become stronger in their fa ith. 'He said the concept of the week was a soul-winning workshop. Before the campaigners came to town, Cloer wanted the churches to prepare themselves to be able to continue this work after the campaigners went home. "We wanted to just come in and help," Cloer said. "We just d idn't wan t to do it for them." Along with the Ha rding students, around 12 Freed Hardeman students, four Texas A&M students with Aggies for Christ and 25 members of the congregations did the majority of the work. In total, around 175 people participated in the event. Overall the school sent out 34 campaigns, with 375 campaigners, across the globe. Cherry said those numbers were lowered from yea rs past in order to evaluate the program. "Campaigns went really well even though it was a building year," he said. - Renee Lewis and Justin BroilsOlI Senior Miriam Scott tears out a wall with a sledgehammer while on a 2003 spring break campaign in Fort Worth, Texas. Campaigners worked with the Fortress church of Christ to convert a retirement home into a church building. (Photo courtesy of Miriam Scott)
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