by Norm Miller, posted Friday, March 28, 2008 (16 years ago)
ROXANA, Del. (BP)--Church planters Andy and Tanya Ehlers started High Tide Baptist Church by walking their dog in a park.
Though few may regard walking a dog as an evangelistic activity, the Ehlers struck up relationships and invited other canine enthusiasts to a Bible study in their home. The initial meeting in August 2002 drew a dozen people.
Now, more than 350 attend two weekend services at the fire department building where the church meets in Roxana, Del. -- and 30 percent of them are children age 12 and under.
"At Southeastern [Baptist Theological Seminary], I heard the need for church planting and was called to do it," Andy said. "I just couldn't consider going to an established church unless I planted one first.
"Tanya and I both believe that God called us to minister outside of the Bible Belt and go where there weren't a lot of churches," said Andy, who noted that Delaware has but one Southern Baptist church for every 33,000 people.
While Andy is quick to credit the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware's church planting training and support system, he said, "We chose the parachute method. We dropped into a community … and said to ourselves, 'Go get 'em.'"
"Our first converts came from that park," Andy said of the location where he and Tanya walked their dog. "We got to know a couple, invited them to dinner and shared the Gospel with them." Read More
