The registered title WorkCamper with a “C” adds another dimension and identifies RVers who volunteer for charitable organizations. Under this WorkCamper umbrella, some organizations, such as Habitat, are humanitarian, while others support a Christian mission.

Nailbenders for Jesus, an Arkansas construction crew that helps small to medium-sized churches on projects such as new sanctuaries, educational facilities, or fellowship halls, is one of several Christian-based RV mission groups. Although Nailbenders is part of Southern Baptist ministries, volunteers from other denominations are welcome to join in projects in Arkansas and neighboring states. Nailbenders emphasizes that a desire to serve others is more important than experience in construction.

On a recent bright November afternoon, a caravan of volunteers left Heber Springs and headed toward Northwest Arkansas. For the first time, my photographer husband, Lee Smith, joined a group of men from our home church, affectionately known as the Hammerheads, to work on a new church building. This particular team, a part of Nailbenders for Jesus, specializes in finish work—hanging doors, nailing down facings, and window trim.

By late afternoon, we pulled into the construction site for Lakeview Baptist Church in Cave Springs, Arkansas, a small town in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Arkansas-Missouri Metropolitan Area. We were the eighth RV to park on the rocky, red clay soil littered with pipe, planks, and piles of dirt.

Although Nailbenders is an organization of Arkansas Baptists, churches nationwide in the Southern Baptist Convention or in the Northwest Baptist Convention have similar groups and ministries that furnish volunteer labor to churches. In some areas, the volunteers take on projects under the Campers on Mission name, a national fellowship of Christian campers who travel around the country assisting churches. Their ministries include block parties, Vacation Bible Schools, sports evangelism, campground ministries, and church planting, as well as construction projects.

Lee and seven other men from Heber Springs started before 8:00 a.m. on a Monday morning, unloading power equipment such as routers, a table saw, a cut-off saw, and a Saws-All, an air compressor to power nail guns, and saw horses to hold up the heavy equipment. The large box truck lettered with Nailbenders for Jesus: Trim Crew also carries yards and yards of electrical extension cords and power hoses. This truck was purchased with special offerings for Arkansas state missions. All volunteers on these projects travel at their own expense and carry their own hand tools. However, each church receiving the ministry is required to furnish the campers with electric and water hook ups. On the large truck, the men carry lengths of drainpipes to create a temporary sewer system for the makeshift RV village on a construction site. At Cave Springs, church members served the crew and their wives a daily lunch. On other occasions, the wives of the Hammerheads have cooked lunch in a church kitchen.

While the men sawed, hammered, and fitted doors and windows into the new church building, some ladies in the group hauled plastic bins of fabric, a couple of sewing machines, and an ironing board into a temporary office. Those who chose to participate sewed girls’ dresses for children in a cancer hospital in Honduras.

For up to 20 years, most of the couples in the Hammerhead group have committed one or two weeks in various months to this ministry. They have traveled to many points in Arkansas, sometimes in cold or rainy weather. They have also made trips to trim out churches as far away as South Dakota and Iowa. Their dedication is admirable in fulfilling the Bible’s Great Commission, “…Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19a)

Are these mission trips all about work? No. The group has formed tight and loving friendships. Often, in the evenings, they play dominoes or jam with musical instruments. They see and experience parts of our state and country that they would not necessarily visit. The women typically plan a shopping trip, and at least one evening, the group dines at a local restaurant. More importantly, they are giving their time and talents to help others grow spiritually.

Baptists do not have a corner on this type of mission work. Other groups form in particular Christian denominations or in non-denominational organizations. Sowers on Wheels Ever Ready (SOWERS) consider themselves as servants—people with a true missionary heart. Like the Hammerheads in the Nailbenders group of Baptists, they are self-supported and most are retired or semi-retired. They embrace the RVing lifestyle, some as full-timers, and others who maintain a home base. The SOWERS organization accepts only married couples. The wives are not required to work on the construction sites, but they must fill out a separate application to join the group. The women are encouraged to use skills such as sewing, painting, gardening, office work, and cleaning on the site.

Laborers for Christ, an organization affiliated with Lutheran Churches, is another example of volunteers sharing time and skills to serve others. The charge of the organization is to support the Church in fulfilling its mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being a Christ-centered servant partner.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, located south of Des Moines, Iowa, is one example of a church participating in the Laborers For Christ program to build a two-story, 4,400-square-foot addition. The new space includes a larger vestibule, new classrooms, more accessible restrooms, and an elevator. Rev. Kevin Johnson says that Laborers kept costs low, but the presence of the campers on their church property also strengthened the fellowship of their congregation.

Working with Christian missions is a great way to combine RVing with productivity. WorkCampers gain a sense of “giving back” as they enjoy travel to various locations. New friendships and bonds between fellow workers come as a bonus. For information on getting involved with Christian ministries for RVers, contact: campersonmission.net; Northwest Baptist Convention Ministry Areas: www.nwbaptist.org/ministries; Laborers for Christ: www.lcef.org; SOWERS: www.sowerministry.org.