Baptist Campus ministers wear many hats. They wear the hat of a mentor, providing leadership for student ministry teams and giving counsel to individual students. They wear the hat of a teacher, often leading students in studies of God’s Word on a weekly or even daily basis. They wear the hat of administrators, keeping track of ministry finances, campus details and other important deadlines. They can even wear the hat of a handyman, fixing toilets in the Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) office, hanging pictures or painting a new wall.

But if you ask the football team at Jacksonville State University (JSU), the first hat they see campus minister Gary Brittain wearing is the hat of a popsicle delivery man. Brittain has found an innovative way to reach football players at JSU — by sharing frozen treats with them after a grueling practice. For years, Brittain and BCM students delivered popsicles to the marching band members who would often spend 12 hours on the field as they prepared for the fall season. In 2014 they began to bring popsicles out to the football field too.

It may sound simple but the small act of providing a popsicle has opened a lot of doors for ministry for Brittain and for JSU’s BCM. Students Milton Bice and Jared Jones, both active in BCM and on the BCM leadership team, have been involved in this outreach to football players. Jones shared that this is part of their vision to reach people by meeting their needs. The popsicle ministry has given opportunities for Brittain and other students to connect with the football players, coaches and staff. (continued…)

Read the rest of the story as originally posted at http://www.thealabamabaptist.org/print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=34591