Innovation and Ministry Shine at State Fair

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In September, 60 volunteers from churches and Pathfinder clubs took shifts at a booth at the New Mexico State Fair, where Texico churches have been represented for more than 30 years.

The booth offered a variety of resources and experiences. This year’s major highlight was the Virtual Reality Bible Museum. More than 150 children donned headsets to experience virtual environments such as the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, the sanctuary or dinosaurs. This ministry is the result of hundreds of hours of design and development, bringing the Bible to life in an interactive way that generated excitement and interest in spiritual topics.

To help draw passersby to stop and engage, volunteers offered “Jesus Loves You” stickers to children—and often adults too. “Everyone seemed to love our stickers,” one volunteer said. “Once they received a sticker, they were much more inclined to stop at the booth.” These simple giveaways opened doors to meaningful conversations and literature distribution.

Visitors learned about Diné Adventist Radio, the new Navajo-language radio station, and received literature, Bibles, coloring books and DVDs. 

At the prayer station, volunteers distributed more than 800 mini parchment paper scrolls and prayed with more than 50 people. 

During the fair, more than 100 individuals signed up for the family Bible giveaway, while 39 people requested Bible studies. Many others expressed interest in healthful living, the Christian lifestyle and end-time prophecy. More than 800 books were given away, along with countless tracts and other evangelistic materials.

On Sabbath, Sept. 13, volunteers gathered at the Albuquerque Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church to share testimonies of their experiences. 

Jep Choate of the Albuquerque Heights church remarked that the booth carries on the tradition of praying for others and sharing literature, just as Ellen G. White described the early church doing at the World’s Fair.

Special thanks goes to Reuben Estrada for coordinating and designing the booth and to all those who supported this evangelistic effort financially and through prayer.

To learn more about the Virtual Reality Bible Museum, visit VRBM.org or contact the Albuquerque Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church.

By Julia Lewis