Students Help Local Community
Through M-FUGE

Debris piling steadily around him, camper Cahle Buckingham tugged firmly at another nail wedged in the dilapidated wall. Sweat dripped down his face as he triumphantly yanked it out.

“I always liked building with LEGOs, and I wanted to see what that would be like with a house,” said Buckingham. “That’s why I really wanted to do PCY.”

PCY stands for painting, construction and yard work, one of five service areas students attending M-Fuge, or Mission Fuge, could select to work in during the missions summer camp.

M-Fuge, sponsored by Lifeway Christian Resources, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention, has been in existence since 1995. Over 420,000 hours of service have been given to communities around the nation through this program. M-Fuge, which has eight locations across the nation and three international sites, is designed to offer youth both a summer camp experience and a personal ministry opportunity in the same week.

Students and counselors are divided into groups based on their preference for areas of service. These groups minister through painting, construction, and yard work; children's work; games and recreation; creative arts; and social work. All of these services are provided free of charge to the community.

Although for many students summer camp means lots of relaxation time, Buckingham and his fellow campers spent much of the week investing their time and talents serving the Mobile area.

"The M-Fuge purpose is to serve the community, to equip students to do ministry in their areas and to see their faith lived out and put into action," said Melissa Lathem, site coordinator for M-Fuge at the University of Mobile.

“I think it teaches that the love of Christ doesn’t always have to be shared with words. M-Fuge empowers kids, letting them know that they’re equipped to go out into the community and share Christ. It also teaches them to have a heart for all people,” she continued.

Throughout this summer approximately 2,400 teenagers and counselors from 15 states will travel to the University of Mobile and spend a week away from home serving the south Alabama community.

Each M-fuge group consists of 15-25 youth, ages 12 and up, with a leader--a college or university student hired on the basis of his or her experience in a particular area of service. There are 15 groups of youth and adults who go out daily, Mon.-Thurs., to minister in the Mobile area.

Each day begins with Bible studies and devotions. Campers then leave for ministry sites and spend the next several hours ministering to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Some M-Fuge campers brave the hot, humid temperatures of summers in southern Alabama to do yard and construction work at places such as Light of the Village in Prichard. Other groups spend their time indoors working with children at locations like the Salvation Army or with senior citizens at Baptist Oaks Apartments. Over the course of eight weeks, campers will minister at 47 different locations in the Mobile area.

Every evening, campers return to the University of Mobile campus for a worship service, Night Life--a time for games and fun--and church group time.

While campers have plenty of fun, they also learn more about themselves and the positive impact they can have on their local communities.

Buckingham, who is from First Baptist Church, Hopkinsville, in Hopkinsville, Ky., said M-Fuge gave him the chance to achieve a major goal.

"I’ve always wanted to minister to people, and this seemed like a perfect choice to do that," Buckingham said.

“At M-Fuge, you’re doing something for God, and you’re working really hard, and it will all pay off in the end,” he continued.

Another camper, Kim Rainey of Downtown Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., said M-Fuge helped her learn more about the variety of ways people can help others.

"I learned that there are so many different ministries, and so many different qualities and characteristics to do them," Rainey said. “M-Fuge will make a difference because I have more of a taste for these different ministries; I can see what my abilities and gifts are, and I can go home to use them to help.”

Caleb Bristow, a member of First Baptist Church, Columbia, in Columbia, Ala., said he was also motivated to make a difference in his own hometown, thanks to a renewed commitment to serve Jesus.

“M-Fuge is a fun week. You learn a lot about Christ, and it relights your fire,” said Bristow.

“It’s helped me see that getting out and working for God is not that hard. In the process, you get to share His Word with people. I’m ready to go back home and do it now,” he continued.

The University of Mobile is a Baptist-affiliated university located in Mobile, Ala.

"Community service is an area our students and faculty focus on at the University of Mobile, and hosting M-Fuge is one of the many ways we can make a difference in the lives of people in south Alabama. It's invigorating and inspiring to see campers from across the nation approach this ministry with such energy and enthusiasm," said Kathy Dean, director of public relations at the University of Mobile.

For more information about M-Fuge, visit the website at www.fuge.com.

For information about the University of Mobile, call the admissions office toll free at 1-800-946-7267, or visit the website at www.umobile.edu.