Over the course of more than two decades in Ireland, OM has had many different ministries. One of those is the Big Red Bus ministry, which first began in the late 1990’s.
About a decade ago, the first Big Red Bus was replaced with Big Red Bus 2. And now we are again in this exciting phase of looking for a new vehicle.
The current bus, our beloved 1999 Volvo Alexander, has reached the end of its time with us, and we are all eagerly looking forward to what God has next for us in this ministry. Paul Collinson, the field leader for OM in Ireland, says, “It’s been a difficult decision. We’re so grateful for all the ministries our latest bus has supported, and we will really miss it. However, we’re excited about acquiring a new vehicle that will be more flexible and enable us to keep bringing the gospel to the people of Ireland.”
Throughout its 20+ years, the original Big Red Bus (and its subsequent replacement) were used as evangelism tools to share the good news of Jesus Christ in communities across Ireland. Colm Ó Brolcháin, our bus driver, offers these words, “We feel here in OM in Ireland that [the Bus] has been a great witness and we are excited by the people who have heard about it, the people who know us because of it, but we just pray that more than that, that they know the God who gave it to us and the God that we are a witness to.” Whatever the new vehicle looks like, the commitment to using it to share the love of Jesus with people in Ireland will continue.
We are thrilled about this opportunity to have a new vehicle and we are exploring many ideas for what this vehicle will be. This includes exploring possibilities for vehicles other than double-decker buses. One of the downsides of the previous buses was that we were restricted in who could drive them. We are currently exploring options where we aren’t limited by this, options that are more flexible and better fit with the current ministry landscape. We pray that the new vehicle will be a place where people can gather for tea and coffee, regardless of the weather, and have conversations about Jesus. Although we don’t know exactly what this next vehicle will look like yet, we pray that it will be used mightily by God here in Ireland.
Saying goodbye to the current Big Red Bus and looking forward to the new vehicle can feel like a change for many. But the heart of our ministry is still the same. Paul shares, “The main thing to know is that we’re continuing with the same mission. It’s not about what type of vehicle we have, it’s the message that matters - and we have the best news for the people of Ireland!”