The CONNECT ministry of the First Baptist Church is keeping military families in touch with their deployed soldier during this holiday season.
Because of CONNECT video messaging, deployed soldiers do not have to miss out on childhood milestones, such as baby’s first steps or first loss tooth.
Dora Sprinkel, First Baptist Church administrative assistant, said over three years the program has made thousands of video messages.
“It’s very simple,” Dora Sprinkel said. “They don’t need to bring anything, just an email address.”
The idea for CONNECT came from Bob Sprinkel.
“We try to make it as easy and as simple for people as we can,” Sprinkel said.
The program is not limited to those who attend the First Baptist but is open to everyone.
“A way families can stay together is communicating. This is another way of communicating,” Sprinkel said.
He said there is a “need to keep people talking.”
“If they don’t talk, they’ll draw apart,” Sprinkel said.
He noted he understands being away from family and what it means to here news from back home. He spent three months overseas with no mail or a phone call.
“So I know what it’s like,” Sprinkel said.
Sheri Carter regularly sends videos to her husband who is deployed overseas for his third tour.
“He enjoys watching them,” Carter said. “He looks forward to them.”
Carter and her children try to make the messages as uplifting as possible.
“Over there he doesn’t need us all ‘Oh honey, we miss you’” Carter explained. “It (the video message) doesn’t need to make him down.”
CONNECT ministry will be sending videos Christmas Eve so deployed soldiers can have them Christmas Day. CONNECT is available throughout the year from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays.
Because of CONNECT video messaging, deployed soldiers do not have to miss out on childhood milestones, such as baby’s first steps or first loss tooth.
Dora Sprinkel, First Baptist Church administrative assistant, said over three years the program has made thousands of video messages.
“It’s very simple,” Dora Sprinkel said. “They don’t need to bring anything, just an email address.”
The idea for CONNECT came from Bob Sprinkel.
“We try to make it as easy and as simple for people as we can,” Sprinkel said.
The program is not limited to those who attend the First Baptist but is open to everyone.
“A way families can stay together is communicating. This is another way of communicating,” Sprinkel said.
He said there is a “need to keep people talking.”
“If they don’t talk, they’ll draw apart,” Sprinkel said.
He noted he understands being away from family and what it means to here news from back home. He spent three months overseas with no mail or a phone call.
“So I know what it’s like,” Sprinkel said.
Sheri Carter regularly sends videos to her husband who is deployed overseas for his third tour.
“He enjoys watching them,” Carter said. “He looks forward to them.”
Carter and her children try to make the messages as uplifting as possible.
“Over there he doesn’t need us all ‘Oh honey, we miss you’” Carter explained. “It (the video message) doesn’t need to make him down.”
CONNECT ministry will be sending videos Christmas Eve so deployed soldiers can have them Christmas Day. CONNECT is available throughout the year from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays.