This DIY Drawstring Backpack is a Cinch! | Spoonflower

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

Follow up Watauga Missional Network

I want to offer a word of thanks to Deerfield UMC for hosting the poverty trainer, Susan Pennock, from Communities In Schools and the Duke Endowment who came to present 6 seminars here in Boone last week. These events were sponsored by the Watauga Missional Network and I want to thank you for helping make the meetings possible.

A few of big ideas came from our work last week:

1.      Try to learn the names of one in four children in our community who live in poverty.

2.      The answer to working towards a solution to poverty is through education and building relationships. How can we promote education especially to work to help people who are in generational poverty? How can we build relationships with people who are in poverty?

3.      Our business leaders who met last week showed a strong interest in trying to make a difference to bring real change for those in our community who are living in poverty. People who are called to make a difference by working for a change of life for people in poverty will be given a chance to plug in their efforts locally.

4.      One way to begin to connect to the educational needs of our community is to volunteer at Parkway School. Please see the pastor for a volunteer application.

Please Keep these questions: Post them on your desk or somewhere important and prayerfully think about these items:

Our District Superintendent met with the Watauga Missional Network, including Deerfield UMC this past Sunday and asked some important questions. Please consider these as we head into planning for 2014. These are great questions for our church to prayerfully consider:

1.       If your church ceased to exist, who would miss you? Who would notice? Who would care?

2.      What is our greatest kingdom offering for Christ?  What work do you currently do that makes a difference in the lives of others?

3.      What is your vision for the future of your church? What is the snapshot of what God is calling your church to do and be in the next 3 years? If you can’t quote the mission statement of your church, we need a new one. What might be preventing that from happening?

4.      What must you change in order to be more able to serve kingdom? What is holding you back? What is our reason for existing? What does it mean to be the church?

5.      What one step will you as the leaders of the church agree to do or work on before the end of this year?

Free Continuing Ed on Poverty for Watauga County Teacher and church leaders

11-12-13 Notes for upcoming Poverty Training Events from Evelyn Lemons

Click Here to Register for Poverty Training

Developing successful church school partnerships

Who: Pastors of the Watauga Missional Network

Date: Wed. Nov. 20, 2013

Time: 11:30am to 1:30pm,

Location: Deerfield UMC

Please bring a bag lunch, Evelyn will provide drinks.

Audience: Small group meeting with Pastors of Watauga Missional Network. The Watauga Missional Network pastors will have the chance to meet with Susan to have follow up training from our meeting in May in a small group setting.

Subject:   1. Leading our churches to launch new efforts to build bridges to the schools in our communities. Trouble shooting time for pastors in how to get the effort off the ground. How to get lay people on board? Hear from pastors where we are stuck and get suggestions from Susan.

2. How can we do follow up work in the schools after the poverty training offered this week?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Event One Seminar:  Understanding and responding to children and families living in poverty

Date: Wed. Nov. 20^th ,  Snacks ready: 3:15pm,  Time: 3:30pm to 5:30pm

Audience: Teachers and church leaders

Focus: Emphasis on Title one schools as they deal with supporting children in poverty.

Location: Henson Chapel UMC

Contact person at Henson UMC: Pastor Catherine Cornell 828-263-2035

 Catherine is coordinating the snacks with her church for that day.

Maximum seating for 300 to 350.  We anticipate having enough room for all who will want to participate. Teachers and church leaders invited.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seminar:  Developing successful church-school partnerships

Date Wed. Nov. 20, Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm, Location: Deerfield UMC

Contact person: Pastor Evelyn Lemons, 828-264-7130, church. Register at this number.

Audience: Appalachian District, missional network leaders, key lay people working in schools

Subject: Follow up strategy training in how to launch new partnerships with schools in the community. Hear where people are stuck and do trouble shooting.  Address how the church can deal with poverty issues in the schools they are supporting. What does the church need to understand about poverty as they begin these new partnerships? Watauga Missional Network is focusing on building relationships in the community that will last. Susan said she would begin with the poverty piece then move towards the church school partnerships.

Needs from Deerfield UMC: Refreshments, greeters.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seminar:  Understanding and responding to children and families living in poverty

Day Two: Thursday November 21, 2013, Time: 8:00am to 10:00am

Location Central office: Space is booked and Christy Welch’s husband John Welch is providing breakfast. Participants should contact Christy Welch to register. 

Audience: Counselors, social workers, nurses. We are looking at about 20 people for this. Similar material from the afternoon seminars for teachers, targeting these specific support staff in their role.

Subject: Trainer would focus on the subject of poverty, the mindset of the students vs the mindset of what teachers think vs mindset of those who are in a support role. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Business Leader Luncheon: Jim Hastings. Watauga County Lay Leader, member from Deerfield UMC is heading up this luncheon. We hope to have a small meeting of business leaders to begin the conversation about poverty in our community. We hope that our gathering this week will spark an interest for people to want to work towards solutions here locally.

Date: Thurs, Nov. 21, 2012

Time 11:00 to 11:30 registration and lunch.

11:30 am to 1pm Lunch Meeting

Location: To be decided

__________________________________________________________________________

Seminar Two: Understanding and responding to children and families living in poverty

Date: Thurs, Nov. 21, 2012

Time: 3:30 to 5:30pm

Location: Boone UMC.   Luke is providing snacks.

Audience: Teachers and church leaders

Subject:   Trainer explains how poverty impacts education.   Focus on comments from trainer targeting a population mixed with those in poverty and students from middle class. She will address many ways poverty has an impact in the classroom and look at Watauga County data.

What kind of differences could a teacher make to adapt to this diversity in resources at home for students? 

Remember, this is for free continuing education for the teachers on Wed afternoon and Thursday afternoon. See Evelyn to sign up for the credits at the seminar.

 Evelyn

Free Poverty Training coming up November 20 and 21 in Watauga County

Free Poverty Training sponsored by Watauga Missional Network.

You are invited to a free continuing education poverty training seminar.

Trainer Susan Pennock has worked with communities in Schools for over 20 years. She will offer practical, real-world support and guidance to understand the world of students in poverty and help them succeed. Two seminars will be offered, and they will both rely on local Watauga county poverty data. Seminar One will focus on Title One schools, while Seminar Two will focus on supporting students in poverty in a more economically diverse community. Teachers can choose to attend one or both seminars. Register by Thursday November 14^th at noon.

Seminar One: Henson Chapel United Methodist Church (120 Henson Hollar Rd., Vilas, NC 28692-9119)

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, Snacks start at 3:15pm

Seminar: 3:30pm to5:30pm

Subject: Focus of the first seminar will be targeting poverty with Title One schools and understanding and responding to the needs of families living in poverty.

Seminar Two:

Boone United Methodist Church (471 New Market Blvd  Boone, NC 28607)

Thursday, November 21, 2013, Snacks start at 3:15pm

Seminar: 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Subject: Focus of the second seminar will be dealing with poverty training for understanding and responding to the needs of families and children living in poverty with middle class issues addressed as well.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 ** These events are sponsored by the Watauga Missional Network, made up of all the United Methodist Churches and ministries in Watauga County. The United Methodist people of Watauga county want to bring our teachers professional development regarding poverty because they know that our teachers are on the front line dealing with children in poverty every day.