THE CHURCH
Passion Church in Parrish, Florida
THE CHALLENGE
Reach low-income youth outside the church.
ONE BIG IDEA
Start a strategic ministry at a local doughnut shop.
It’s not very often that a craving for doughnut holes turns into a holy mandate, but that’s what Lead Pastor Brian Royer of Passion Church in Parrish, Florida, says happened one Monday evening while out with his wife.
Royer was headed into Dunkin’ for a treat when he saw a group of children from a nearby low-income apartment complex eyeing the doughnut case with hopefulness.
“When I walked out of the doughnut shop, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me, Go back in there and buy everybody’s food. I told my wife. She looked at me and said, ‘Well, you better go do it.’”
He returned to the shop and—to the kids’ surprise and delight—told them to get in line and order whatever they wanted. And that was the night a ministry was born.
So, they got the word out about a Monday-night ministry for kids ages 5 to 12 called DD for JC—Dunkin’ Donuts for Jesus Christ.
Each week, the Royers lead the youth in prayer and a short Bible study while they enjoy some treats and drinks. They typically have 12 to 15 kids and youth in attendance, but rarely the same group comes every time. Passion Church purchased Bibles from The Gideons International to make sure each child received one.
According to Royer, the ministry inspired new ways to reach kids in the 125-unit apartment complex. The owners allowed the church to host a fall festival there, and at the time of this writing, an Easter egg hunt is planned as well. The next step is to purchase a church van in the hope that the kids’ families will want to attend church, and Passion Church can provide transportation.
“Our main goal is to tell people about Jesus,” Royer says. “We believe that if the kids want to go to church, their parents are going to want to go to church, too.”
Through DD for JC, as many as 23 youth have decided to follow Christ. Royer believes that any church, any size is equipped to be a positive influence in their community.
“You can make a difference. Don’t worry about failing,” he adds. “Maybe one day they will think back and remember this guy who came to Dunkin’ Donuts and told them about Jesus.”
