What's going on in Crossroads Racing Ministries.....
This past year we expanded our partnership in our Kansas Speedway ministry with Lenexa Baptist Church in Kansas. Lenexa Baptist was able to provide volunteers, equipment (popcorn machine/hot dog machine) and musicians to help with the two NASCAR race weekends. This is a continued answer to prayer as we have been searching for a Kansas City area church to come on board. We look forward to working with them again this year. Our hope is that this will ease some of the difficulties of trying to coordinate/organize the campground activities from Springfield. Dave MacLachlin has been a huge help in this endeavor. Dave is Lenexa Baptist’s local missions and cares pastor, and has provided much needed help each weekend. This year, the two weekends are May 2-5 and Sept 26-29 . Please be in prayer, as we are already finalizing plans for the May race weekend. In addition to the Kansas Speedway race weekends, there may be an opportunity to help with the National Fellowship of Raceway Ministries team that is working the NASCAR race weekend in St Louis at Gateway International Speedway. This is a new venue (2nd year) for a full NASCAR weekend and so there is a need for people to help start up the ministry at that track. Last year NFRM helped by managing one of the campgrounds for the speedway. In return, they were able to also have a worship service on Sunday morning. The race is on the first weekend of June. We plan on helping in some capacity, but are unsure what that looks like at this time. On the local scene, with the structural components of the garage complete, we can focus on providing quality automotive services. Some of the new equipment we have purchased this year are a fuel injection service kit, A/C service kit, transmission jack, and a few more tool storage carts. These have been critical in allowing us to properly diagnose and repair the vehicles presented to us. We will continue to be active in the local car show scene this coming year by attending the Route 66 Festival and some of the Coffee and Cars cruise-ins as our schedule allows.. Many of the same people attend the car shows and this will give us another chance to form those all-important relationships. This past year we again put free bibles in a small display under the hood of the show car, and over 50 bibles were taken at the Route 66 Festival. We plan on continuing this practice again this year. In addition, we are continuing to partner with Elevate Lives, and do mechanical work for needy families in the area. This past year we have performed over 80 repairs for families and neighbors in need. We anticipate starting the car maintenance curriculum with Elevate Lives this Spring/Summer. The plan is to incorporate proper car maintenance into a curriculum that emphasizes spiritual maintenance through the regular study of scripture and obedience to God’s word. Each aspect of caring for a car will be compared to our spiritual work with Christ and how to properly “maintain” that relationship. The car repair aspect of Crossroads Racing Ministries has become a large part of the ministry, and has also become our greatest financial need as we perform the work, and often the parts, free of charge. There has also been the need for obtaining new tools and equipment in order to perform the service needed for their vehicles. With the stress and strain of inflation and poverty, it seems that the needs of our neighborhood are growing ever faster. We need your help in continuing to provide affordable services. Ministry Overview: After years of racing dirt late models as a major part of the ministry, we felt God leading us to expand our reach to the car enthusiast community, while continuing to do the work at the race tracks. In order to do this, we needed to dismantle the racing aspect of the ministry and, at the same time, add show cars. God has made this change possible through a series of divine conversations and circumstances that allowed us to be good stewards of our finances. In June of 2014, we were given a retired NASCAR race truck to restore and use in ministry. It will take time and work to get it ready, but we are grateful to have the chance to use it in the future. We have secured an engine and many other parts as we are in the long process of constructing a street legal race truck. In July of 2014, we traded our late model race car for a 1972 Pontiac Lemans Coupe. This car is show ready and has already been entered numerous car shows. Our intention is to spread God's Word in this new venue. Please pray for wisdom as we venture into this new territory. We have also continued our ministry efforts at Kansas Speedway. We have been heading up the campground ministry there since 2010 and look forward to creating a worship service each race weekend for the all the fans, not just the ones that are in the campgrounds. In 2017 we were able to take the muscle car and the Gospel "behind the walls" to inmates in 2 correctional facilities in Missouri. Over 1500 were reached with the Gospel with many becoming followers in Jesus. In 2020, COVID created a bunch of issues with our primary ministry events. But we have been able to focus on our LOCAL ministries and have seen God work in the lives of those around us as we use our new location/garage as a place of ministry. We are currently expanding our ministry to include providing low cost vehicles and free maintenance to needy families in our neighborhood in north Springfield, MO. We have been able to provide one vehicle so far and have 1 vehicle nearly ready to be used. In 2021 we started back at Kansas Speedway and finished work on the garage in preparation for my retirement from teaching and the move to more full-time ministry work. 2022 has brought more than 13 families in need of car repairs to us through Elevate Lives referrals, and our neighbors in the north Springfield community. We are still going to be organizing the Family Ministry Tent at Kansas Speedway and have teamed up with Lenexa Baptist Church to help make that happen. We hope this new partnership will continue to grow. Your support is needed more than ever as we seem to have more opportunities than ever before to reach our neighbors with God’s love. Thanks for your continued prayers and support, Mark Penticuff 2022 Events:
2015: SBU Homecoming parade - show car - Sept 26th Kansas Speedway - Race Weekend - Oct 15th - 18th 2 - 3 car shows - Sept - November 2016: May 5-7: Kansas Speedway race weekend Summer: continued work on building NASCAR race truck - installed engine and transmission Camp Barnabus mission work Fall Kansas Speedway weekend - largest worship turnout so far! Route 66 Car Show and Parade - August SBU Homecoming parade 2017 Events: Ozark Area Racer's Reunion Raceway Ministries annual conference Cars and coffee Car Show/Cruise-ins Ozark Dragway (Rogersville, MO) Kansas Speedway Campground Ministry Route 66 Parade and Car Show SBU Homecoming Parade Continued work on NASCAR truck restoration |
Crossroads Racing Purpose and MissionVision Statement: Crossroads Racing is dedicated to fulfilling the call of God to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the racing community. Mission Statement: Crossroads Racing seeks to plant seeds in the hearts of men at racing and "show" events that attract automotive enthusiasts of all ages. Our desire is to use this unique platform to reach thousands of fans and competitors with the Gospel. In order to meet the funding goals, Crossroads Racing seeks to secure sponsorships and support from like-minded individuals and businesses that desire to see the Gospel spread to race fans throughout the nation. . |