Maddie's Mission - Cupcakes for Christ

 Madelyn Horst has known for many years that she was born to bake.  She also knows that she was born to share the message of Christ, and her confidence in these two things is made even more remarkable by the fact that she is just 14 years old.

 The Wolf City, Texas, teen is growing up in a household where the family gathers together at meal time. They have conversations around the dinner table, and she often helps her father cook. She has also been baking cupcakes and trying new recipes for the last two years. And it was watching her father interact with others through food that gave her an idea on how she could begin her own ministry.

 One day her father had decided to deliver donuts to a local construction site, and while there, he felt led to share the message of Christ. Horst said her father was both shocked and delighted about how excited the people were to be getting free donuts.

 “He came home and was telling us the story, and I was like ‘Oh my goodness, that’s so cool!’ I had been trying to come up with an idea for my mission, and when he said this, I was like, ‘Yes, I’m going to do this, but I’m going to do this with cupcakes.’”

 Horst was also inspired by Psalms 34:8, which reads “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” So with those words in mind, and being inspired by her father’s actions, “Maddie’s Mission – Cupcakes forChrist” was born. And her objective is very simple. She hands strangers a tasty treat, and let’s them know about Jesus.

 Witnessing to strangers can be a daunting task, especially in today’s cultural climate, but Horst said giving someone a gift while sharing her message does help lesson the anxiety of the conversation.

 “I’m just going out in my community and I try to just tell people in my community that Jesus loves them,” she said. “A lot of times people’s faces are really shocked. People don’t always seem very excited, and they are just really taking it in. Sometimes people say ‘no’ because of health reasons, etc. We always pass out a card that they can keep with them, to act as a reminder of the conversation we had with them, but a lot of the times people are really receptive, and their face shows it all.

  

 “Delivering cupcakes definitely helps. It is an ice breaker and a conversation starter, and since I’m 14 I do get a little nervous.  I guess the way I overcome it [anxiety] is because God is calling me to do this, and even if people are thinking I’m too young, or maybe they are not even going to receive the message, they are eventually going to soak it in, and me doing it is what I’m called to do.”

Horst said that combining baking with ministry was natural for her, and that everyone has an opportunity to do something similar. She knows that she is planting seeds, and that is the most important thing for her.

 “I think that ministry and ministering to people is one of my gifts. It is the best way for me to combine them [gifts]. I feel like if people get a gift from God, or a talent, they should use it to give him glory and just tell people about Him.”

 Horst gives the cupcakes out any where, and any time she feels led. She said office buildings are a good place, and she has also visited orthodontists offices, jewelry stores and various other businesses.

 She even had cupcakes packed in a cooler during a trip to Galveston, and handed them out along the way whenever her family stopped at gas stations.

 Horst said her family is her greatest help in this ministry, and her mother, father, and sister often come to her with people in mind that they would like minister too.

 “It is a bit of a group effort, because God doesn’t just speak to one person. And they may be hearing from him better that day, so sometimes they help point out different people,” she said.

 Horst takes her baking, and the ministry very seriously, and presents herself and her products with the flair of a professional.  Her cupcakes are made from scratch, and she packages them in clear containers, or individual bags, with a Maddie’s Mission label, and a card with a printed message. She also takes orders in exchange for any size donation the person feels led to give.

 Her most popular flavors are the Snickers cupcakes. She said came up with a really good chocolate recipe and she has stuck with it. She also likes the coconut cream pie cupcake and the Oreo. She said she also likes to change recipes up and experiment to develop different flavors.

 What Horst is doing in her community is something that could be easily duplicated by others who have a gift for baking, and Horst said that if a 14 year old can do it, anyone can. She also said that getting started is important, even if you think your skills in baking, or your product, isn’t good enough.

 “Keep trying. Your first cupcakes may be the worst tasting cupcakes ever, but you have to keep trying,” she said. “Not everyone is born with the talent of doing it, but as long as you’re putting love and hard work into it, it is going to eventually pay off.”

(Photos courtesy of Madelyn Horst)