Who joins the church on a Tuesday? Who will be next?

  God is moving in new and fresh waves in the life of our church.  Chestnut Grove UMC is a little over 150 years old.  We are a pretty traditional church in a rural community in Stokes County NC, Yadkin Valley District.  Our church is growing! The great news we have to share is that God is working on a daily basis in the life of our church and we want to be quick to give the Lord the praise.  On October 22, 2017 we had 11 young people make professions of faith, on that same day, also three parents.  On a later day three more youth joined.  A few days later on a Tuesday, a couple, one a patient at Baptist, joined the church from their hospital room.  One young couple who witnessed the professions of faith on October 22 on a visit to our church kept coming back.  Soon they indicated to me by email that they were ready to join and will be joining the church on Christmas Eve.  A very close friend, and long time supporter of our church will be joining on Christmas Eve as well.  This week, on a Tuesday, a member called and told me that a dear friend who is very ill called him and asked if he knew anyone that could baptize him.  My member called me, we worked out the time the next day and went to the man's home and did the baptism.  At the same time, on behalf of our church we offered membership into our church based on their profession of faith in Christ and on their baptism.  Both of them wanted to join and we received them into the full membership of the church.
     Our youth just ran a mission project to help a family with 4 children in our community who suffered the loss of their home recently.  We delivered the gifts to this family this week.  They were moved deeply to see that people cared so much for their family. Generosity is flowing.
     On a weekly basis, our church gets a good volume of brand new prayer requests from friends, family and the community.  The church prays, the prayer team meets and we distribute prayer shawls on a weekly basis when there is a request. Generosity flows in our prayer life.
    The common theme running through the heart beat of our church is that God is at work here.  One person cannot take the credit for this huge pouring out of God's Spirit on our church.  We watch in astounding ways in anticipation to see how God is going to move next.  This is an exciting time for our church and we are so glad this Christmas to be able to share some good news with you.  So yes you can join the church on a Tuesday, or any day.  Every day is God's day and the church is open for God's business.  Saving souls for Jesus Christ.  God is with us.  God is for his church. God is for you.  Merry Christmas from our heart to yours. God's most generous gift, his baby boy.
Rev. Dr. Evelyn Lemons, Pastor

Young people are making professions of faith

     Who is the hero of your story?  As the pastor of Chestnut Grove United Methodist Church in King NC, we as a congregation can say together that God is our hero.  On May 24, 2017 a tornado ripped through our community.  We are so blessed no one was killed.  I was in the church building with children from our after school, our staff and some women from our community that came seeking shelter and our son who was on duty with Stokes County Sheriff’s office.  All of our phones were going off with the emergency tones.  We took shelter in the basement of the church.  The storm hit and in moments it was over.  The smell of fresh pine filled the air.  We were all safe.  The church was not harmed.  We were not harmed.  In doing a short walk around the church right after the storm, we could see trees down on every side of the church property.  It was like God lifted the tornado right over us to protect us.  We were saved!  Over the coming days the Chestnut Grove community would prove that we are blessed to be a blessing.  Hundreds of hours were given to help neighbors, some who had lost their homes and their possessions.  The community pulled together.  Agencies and churches cooperated to look for unmet needs to try to make sure people had food and water until they could get back on their feet. Volunteers came from all over our state to help cut trees that were down on homes and blocking roads and driveways.  We want to thank the community for walking with us through the days after tornado to help us help our neighbors.
      The spiritual fruit of pulling together and putting the Lord first in all we do is taking center stage.  On October 22, 2017,  we had 14 people make professions of faith on confirmation Sunday.  In our 150 year history, our church has not experienced a day like this before.  God spared us from the tornado, strengthened us to lead and serve during the disaster in our community, and then God has blessed us with giving our young people a spiritual hunger that has made the hands of God so plain, we wanted to share just a little of our story.  If the church does one great thing, we might be tempted to take credit.  The magnitude of the work that God is doing in the life of our church is so great, we can only point up!  We are putting God first. Giving credit where credit is due.  We want to let our whole community know, we are sure God is our hero.  We are grateful and amazed.  We continue to help rebuild with our neighbors.  Our youth are being transformed to want the Lord like never before.  We are looking up!  To see the hand of God at work in such powerful ways is undeniable.  These are great days.   Who is the hero of your story? The Lord gets our praise.
     We are praying for those in Texas who have been impacted by the church shooting this past Sunday during their 11am worship service.  Our hearts grieve with those who grieve.  We pray for the survivors, for the community, for this pastor, for this church, to know the comfort and power of God in their time of need.

Rev. Dr. Evelyn Lemons

Stokes County Tornado lifts over Chestnut Grove UMC King NC May 24, 2017

A tornado passed through Stokes County on Wednesday May 24, 2017 and lifted right over the top of Chestnut Grove UMC, King NC.  I was in the church with the children from our afterschool ministry, several women who are neighbors to the church, and my son, Lt. Joey Lemons, with Stokes County Sheriff's office.  The tornado came quickly through our community and left a wide path of destruction.  Fortunately, God lifted the tornado over the church, and we were spared.  From all directions as you stand and look at our church grounds, you can see the destruction of the tornado, but the church was not harmed.  Those of us who were in the church were not harmed as we waited out the storm in the basement. Little did we know at that moment how bad the damage was from the storm, or just how close we had been in harms way until it was over.  Starting that Wednesday night, our church sprang into action going to work to help our neighbors.  For the next 9 days, our church would serve as a hub of activity for those working to help the victims would stop in to communicate and have a meal.  We had over 11 agencies working together helping our community.  Still the phone is ringing on a daily basis regarding a family in need from the tornado.
      From our own church family we had several families that took a great loss with trees down on their farm, one across a house, another split a mobile home in half.  With all this damage, we praise God that no one was hurt.  One family in our church has been displaced by the tornado, and is currently living in the church parsonage as my guest while our church is looking for this family a new place to rent to help them get back on their feet.  Life for us is not back to normal yet.  Our days are still busy.  We are still busy trying to help our neighbors and our community.  We want to say, thanks for all the help that has been extended to help the people of Stokes County.  We do appreciate all that has been done.  There is still much work to do in the recovery phase we are now experiencing.  Rebuilding is slow work.  If you want to help or ask your church to help in some way, you can contact our church at 336-983-9657 and leave a message at the church office.  I will be glad to return your call.  The church address is: Chestnut Grove UMC, 1024 Volunteer Rd, King NC 27021.  We are sure we are blessed to be a blessing.  We are sure God spared us.  We are sure God is with us.  Come join us when you can.  Rev. Dr. Evelyn Lemons

Happy New Year to you!

On this day we celebrated during worship that God led three kings to follow a star and give their gifts to the King of Kings, ruler or all nations, baby Jesus.  As God led them to follow the path of light and to give Jesus their best, we are invited by scripture to do the same.  Follow God's light.  In practical terms that means look for God's path in our daily living.  We do that from falling in love with the word of God.  The word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  When we open up the Bible to read, we are asking God to speak and to direct our path.  So after church, a little one today brought me a picture she drew of her New Year's resolutions.  She is in the second grade.  From the sermon today, by Sunday school she was ready to resolve to read the Bible every day.  I hope her parents will help her.  God is bringing the light, more day by day as the days grow longer, even creation says God is bringing light to the darkness.  Let us follow the light and pursue the word.  God has a plan.