DIRT Update

God has done great things over the last 10+ years and the time is long overdue for all our DIRT Crew partners and friends to come together and celebrate! This will be a wonderful evening of fellowship and rejoicing so please plan to join us because it will not be the same without you!

DIRT Crew Celebration Dinner
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2011
Time: Starting at 4 p.m.
Place: First Baptist Acworth

We want you to feel the excitement of DIRT Crew as you enjoy the talents and hear the stories of our students. You will be introduced to our DIRT Crew ministry leaders and enjoy a presentation of gratitude to our faithful supporters. Then we will all share in a wonderful time of fellowship over dinner as we celebrate God’s blessings together.

This Event is R.S.V.P. Only (so that we may be good stewards of God's resources.)
There are three ways to R.S.V.P. and the deadline is Saturday, April 2, 2011.

1. Register Online:    A very fast and easy process.

2. Register by Email: Click here to tell us you are attending.

3. Register by Phone: Call Barry Dollar at 678-773-6102.

Bring a Friend - You may R.S.V.P. for yourself and those who will be attending with you.


PRAYER REQUESTS: Thank you for remembering us in your prayers!


• Thursday, March 17 - I am speaking to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Young Harris College.

• Saturday, March 19 - We have a “Mystery Mission” planned for FBA students.

• Tuesday, March 29 - I am preaching the youth night of revival at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

• Summer DIRT Camp planning is in full swing and we need some very specific prayers answered.

I can’t wait to see you!

I can Hardly Believe it!
On Saturday, October 2nd, I walked my precious daughter down the aisle and gave her away to marry. She was a beautiful bride and it was a wonderful wedding. She married a young man named Isaiah Hunter in whom I have the greatest confidence. Just like Susan and I, they met at church and I believe with all my heart that they will have a very blessed life together.

Where Did All the Time Go?
Looking through our pictures I was watching my little girl grow up all over again as the memories flooded my heart. It is hard to even sit and write this now. I have often said the hardest part about having a child is that I miss every single Melissa that I have ever known. I miss Melissa the toddler who was stubborn and independent. I miss the first grader who let me tie a string around her loose tooth and a door knob and then slam the door!

Our Special Relationship
I have always been the special man in her life. We have had our dates and dinners. Our first real date together I gave her a special necklace to express my love to her. The last date we went on, just a few weeks ago, I gave her another necklace and earrings, this time to acknowledge another man’s love for her.

Her Teen Years Were Meaningful
I chose the pictures above to reflect her DIRT Crew years. Melissa was in the very first DIRT Crew in 2001. In DIRT Crew she learned to spend time with God every day. She gained an appreciation for loving and serving people. She learned how to lead (I often called her the “Little General”). I am proud of my daughter who has blossomed into a Godly young lady. I like to think our DIRT Crew philosophy had some impact in that. Of course it did not hurt that she has two amazing parents! (smile)

Please pray that God would allow us to continue loving and leading students. My prayer is for every student to find the best of life through Jesus Christ!

As I write this DIRT Update, there are students in Atlanta at the “Four Corners” (one of our witnessing spots) handing out Big Money tracts. This morning they were serving a widow by working in her home and yard. Last week a different group went out in their area. Next week, somewhere, it is very likely another group of students will engage the world with the love of Christ. This is “US” living out our DIRT Crew creed to “Love God, Love People and Share Christ”.

Over the past ten years I have watched God grow the DIRT Crew from one youth group of twelve students to many students in multiple youth groups and locations. This ten year longevity has proven that the style of ministry God gave us is not only life changing but long lasting. We have college students who grew up in the DIRT Crew now serving in the DIRT Crew.

So have we arrived? Not hardly. But I do feel we have laid a great foundation to build on. When I see the impact of our ministry on the lives of students, I am inspired to want more. My heart’s prayer for the DIRT Crew is the prayer of Jabez... [1 Chronicles 4:10]


It is my desire to encourage more youth leaders to embrace the DIRT Crew style of ministry. I want to share all that we have learned, created and developed. I want to warn of the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid. I want to help those who have a passion for students and a burden for the world.

To see God “enlarge our coast”, we need your prayers. Pray that God would guide our journey into new places. Pray the He would open new avenues of ministry. Pray that our ministry reach would stretch beyond anything we could imagine. Pray for our leaders to have personal purity, spiritual strength and the continued commitment to the labor and sacrifice of ministry. I simply ask that every time God brings us to mind that you would send up a prayer. We are so blessed that you care.