In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is all about the beads. Folks cannot get enough of them! What better time to distribute Gospel that represent the message of salvation to children and parents! If you are not familiar with the Gospel bracelet, you can see a brief presentation by Debbie at this link: The Story of the Beads
We need your help for Mardi Gras Day (Fat Tuesday)
There are several ways for you to join in on the fun:
- Prayer Warriors (Click here for Prayer Request: MG Prayer Request 2020.docx )
- Financial Donors
- Prepare Packets
- Assist with Continental Breakfast and Sandwich Lunch
- Balloon Ministry
- Gospel Packet Distribution
- Adult Ministry
Click here for an information pdf flier: Mardi Gras Outreach Info
Please Email me for a Site and Parking Map!
Here is a little history about our Mardi Gras Ministry and highlights of Mardi Gras Outreach 2012:
2007: Phil and I step out in faith to witness to families on Mardi Gras days. We always feel a little anxious of the unknown but God encourages us to trust Him. Each year He shows us His love for the crowds!
2007: We found at spot on St Charles and General Pershings. We still remember the families and their creative costumes; for example, the caveman family, the pirate family, and the little princesses. The highlight was the little girl who prayed to receive Christ. Later on, she brought a friend to hear the story and her friend prayed to receive Christ too!
2008: We would meet the little girl again and she told us how she wore the Gospel Bracelet all through the Lent season. We gave her another bracelet and a Wonder Devotional Book.
2009: We planned to move to a different location; yet, met several roadblocks and set up once again at St Charles and General Pershings. That evening we learned that the location we planned to minister at had a mass shooting (7 individuals wounded), we thanked the Lord for His divine protection.
2010: Challenged Debbie with Phil serving in Iraq. I thanked the Lord for faithful friends who came to serve: Laura Riley, Lisa Memolo, Bill Halladay, Sang Nguyen, Rhett Riley, and Marilyn Stewart.
2011: Debbie prayed about God’s will for continuing the Mardi Gras ministry. The Lord confirmed His heart for the ministry when she ran my first half-marathon. As she ran the course up St Charles toward the French Quarter, she felt the need to rest, she paused, looked up and realized she was at our location for Mardi Gras Outreach! The Lord confirmed, yes, Debbie, the families that gather here are important to me! With little time to prepare, we plunged into Mardi Gras Outreach 2011!
2012 was an amazing year with the best weather yet! Families gathered early and to our surprise, we handed out 200 Gospel packets by 8 a.m.! We actually ran out of packets and Phil rushed home to grab more!
2013 gave us many opportunities to engage with families along the parade route. We are thankful for friends, Kim Black, Chris Jolissaint, Laura & Jennings Riley, the Townsend family, New Orleans Baptist Seminary Students, and Damon Dupart.
2014 went to history as the rainiest Mardi Gras in 20 years! Only the brave hit the streets this year and most left before the first parade ever hit the streets. Our faithful team showed up and we distributed 300 packets before packing up and going home. We thank the Lord for: Gerald & Kim Black, Kris & Nika Beville (with Joseph), Don & Chris Jolissaint, Sarah Nogueras, and Chad Smith. We also attended the New Orleans Baptist Seminary Preschool Mardi Gras Parade and distributed packets to parents and family members. Special thanks to Laura & Jennings Riley, Jessie Richard, and Kris Beville.
2015: We worked at the Restoration Fest in Metairie, hosted a balloon ministry workshop with the help of Laura and Jennings Riley and shared on MG day in our traditional location. Special thanks to Marlena Arguello, Chris Jolissaint, and Elaine Shaneyfelt for helping us share the Gospel with the little ones and families!
2016: We do not have a record of participating in the Fat Tuesday parades. However, we did visit several day cares with our shoebox floats including New Orleans Baptist Seminary preschool, Gethsemane Lutheran Preschool, and Restoration Church for their Restoration Fest distributing 265 packets. We also held two balloon ministry workshops with Laura Riley assisting us!
2017: This year we took our little shoebox parade to 10 different sites including preschools and 2 neighborhoods! This year Debbie could hardly talk with allergies on MG day and she was so thankful Chris Jolissaint assisted her sharing the Gospel while Phil and Don Jolissaint held the fort down at our set up site.
2018: This year Eva Watts called us and said she wanted to participate in our Mardi Gras day outreach. This provided the need to create an additional set of shoebox floats and purchase another wagon. While we set out to the West; Eva and her friend Tiffany (with daughter Mychelle) set out toward the East. Our ministry doubled as a result of Eva’s help and we have a new set of shoebox floats too!
2019: This MG Day ministry started out freezing cold. Debbie was running late to meet Phil at our set-up location and forgot to put on her good shoes! She had no time to turn around and worked in some worn out sandals!!!! Surprisingly, her feet held up and did not freeze! What a miracle and answer to prayer! (She did have on some warm socks, thank the Lord.) Our 2019 team were Chris and Don Jolissaint, Candy and Sal Campagna with Sal Jr., and Tracy Brandt
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