MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT: BRAD LARTIGUE

Brad Lartigue

Resort Ministry, Big Sky, Montana and Yellowstone National Park

Big Sky, Montana, with its unparalleled and rugged beauty, is a much different depiction of where Brad Lartigue thought missionaries traditionally served.

“My initial impression of a missionary was older adults who gave up their lives to serve in some remote jungle village in a foreign land to bring the gospel of Christ where it has never been heard,” Brad says. He now knows that God calls Christians to beautiful places – like Montana – to reach people for Christ. Brad serves as a North American Mission Board resort missionary to Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park in Montana.

A native Louisianan and son of a Southern Baptist pastor, Brad held various leadership positions in the Baptist Student Union at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was a BSU summer missionary to Hawaii, and was a US/C2 resort missionary to Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, prior to serving to Montana.

In New Mexico, Brad learned to ski, hike and love the outdoors. It was there he says God led him to Southwestern Seminary to complete a master’s degree in church recreation. Upon graduation, he left for Montana where he has served since 1990.

While many consider resort missions as mostly leisure and fun, Brad believes it’s a great place to share the gospel. He models his ministry from Christ’s example to reach people outside the walls of the church. “Meeting people where they are, in their times of work and in times of play, and having the opportunity to use God’s creation as a ministry tool to point people past creation and toward the creator is a wonderful thing!” says Brad.

Sundays are busy days for Brad – especially during wintertime in Big Sky, He leads three worship services: Big Sky Christian Fellowship, where he plays keyboard and helps with special music; Mountain Village of Big Sky, where he conducts the skier/snowboarders worship services at the outdoor logwood chapel area; and an evening worship service at an area hotel. Between morning and evening services, Brad finds time to ski or snowboard with guests and friends – and always invites them to participate in worship.

During the summer when the ski resort is closed to tourists, Brad supervises summer missionaries, called Innovators, which are appointed by the North American Mission Board. Through their secular summer job, Innovators have the opportunity to minister to more than 3,500 Yellowstone Park employees. .Students lead worship services, dorm Bible studies, camping and hiking trips, and use one-on-one opportunities to witness to Yellowstone employees who reside in staff dorms.

Brad’s desire is to see his ministry multiplied by leading park employees and their children to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Michael “Hank” Fritsch is one such person. Hank came to Yellowstone to work as a bus driver. While completing a three-year course of hiking and camping, Hank experienced love and acceptance. At first he was thought of as a “Grizzly Adams” type of character who abused drugs and alcohol and taunted Christians.

After years of interaction with summer missionaries and attending Bible studies, Hank made a profession of faith and was baptized.

“It’s been a wonderful road trip ever since,” says Hank. Returning to his home to Pennsylvania, Hank witnessed to his brother who also accepted Christ. He now has plans to enter the ministry himself. His brother, Brian, and his wife are attending Southern Seminary. “It’s a widespread ministry,” says Hank, “because most of the people don’t live in Yellowstone. When they are saved, they are going to take that back home to their family and friends.”

Ministering in resort areas may be all fun and leisure to some, but to Brad Lartigue it means following Christ’s example of meeting people where they are:

“Jesus Christ gave us the foundation and basis for resort and leisure missions: going out and taking the gospel to the people, outside the walls of our churches, whether at the seaside, market places, theme parks, mountain resorts, or national parks.”

MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVE