Todd and Deb McQueen moved to Ocala, Fla., two and one-half years ago to help re-establish Grace Church. With Todd serving as senior pastor, they looked for ways to engage with people in the community and quickly found an opportunity on the local mountain bike trails. (Yes, there is such a thing in relatively flat Florida.)
Since then, Deb has stepped up to serve as the Ocala Mountain Bike Patrol Coordinator. This means she schedules classes in CPR and first aid as well as helps patrollers learn to assist injured bicyclists, master the trails, and work together as a group. She also enlists volunteers to assist at special events, such as races, festivals, or group rides.
She’s also serving as a LIV Ambassador for her community. As a result, she has the opportunity to encourage other women in the sport of bicycling.
Deb says that the efforts have paid off. “Seven new people attended our Christmas Eve service all because of my outreach on the bike trails,” she reported this week. “What a Christmas gift that was to hear Pastor Ryan come up to me and say your mountain bike friends are here. Twice he said that as two friends brought their families to worship with us.”
She adds, “I am so humbled by how God uses me.”
When she first started trail riding, she purchased a basic trail bike. But since she regularly hits the trails several times a week, she’s been hard on it. Recently, she broke the weld on the frame, forcing a repair. Because she rides so much and is using it as an outreach, she’s wanting to purchase a better ride. As a LIV ambassador, she can purchase a high-quality bike at a much-reduced reduced cost. She’s trying to raise the funds so that she can be more effective as she serves her community in this unique way and reaches out to those that are put in her path.
She has set up a GoFundMe page, “Ride happily ever after,” and asked others to help with this project. Her need is $2,500 for a LIV bike, along with a bike carrier extension, which will allow her to transport more riders (and their bikes) in her vehicle.
Click here to learn more about Deb and her unique ministry.