RACELINE MINISTRY

After serving in four different churches full-time for over 27 years, on January 31, 2012 we resigned from a wonderful ministry, Calvary Bible Church in Bakersfield, CA.  On Feb 1, 2012 Mark became a full-time Chaplain who is totally dependent on the giving of others.  Mark and his wife Dawn are currently serving WERA (Club Level Motorcycle Road Racing) and MotoAmerica (America's Pro Motorcycle Road Racing Series)  They do ministry at the track in 15 different states:  Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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Their goal is to establish relationships and trust with the riders, pit crew, vendors, track officials, and their families in order to be able to care for their needs and to share with them the life changing truth of God’s Word in a casual, non-threatening way.  Mark leads chapel services on race days and then on FaceBook Live every Sunday and offers counseling and a listening ear.  They believe this relational style of ministry will help show the love of Christ to these people who live their lives on the edge.

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They truly believe God has called them to a specific people for a specific purpose.  Those of you who know Mark well, will immediately see that his love for the Lord and people coupled with his love for motorcycles makes this an exciting ministry where God can use him in an unconventional way.  It may seem like an unusual concept for you to consider the world of motor-sports as a mission field.  However, if you think about the vast percentage of people who are involved in the many different sporting events that occur every weekend, you will start to see how important it is that we take Christ to these people who may never step foot inside a church.

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Mark & Dawn Merical