See the Orange Chapel UMC NEWSLETTER on this website for recent activities and upcoming events planned for our UMY
YOUTH MINISTRIES SCHEDULE
4:30 PM, every Sunday afternoon
(during June, July, and August, the youth meet on the first and third Sundays)
UMYF (Middle School, Grades 6-8) - 4:30 PM every Sunday
UMYF (High School, Grades 9-12) - 4:30 PM every Sunday
Youth Leaders: Stacy Kerins and the OC UMC Student Intern
APPALACHIAN SERVICE PROJECTS
APPALACHIAN SERVICE PROJECT - 2009
July 12–18, 2009, Shelton Tripp, Taylor Ray, Chad Lloyd, Brittany Sturdivant, Eric Tapp, Mason Cooper, Terrell Tripp, Patt Sturdivant, Bess Wright, and Richard Drake participated in the Appalachian Service Project in Hinton, West Virginia.Four other churches were there the same week, totaling approximately eight teams working on different projects. Each project was to improve the living conditions of the residences (“warm, dry, and safe”). A normal day consisted of morning gathering, breakfast, work at the job site (9-4), supper and evening gathering.
Our group worked as a single team on our project, code-named (for privacy) ‘Harley’ (the husband had a Harley he was very proud of).‘Project Harley’ was to help a young family, a step-son and a daughter. The main tasks of our youth and leaders were to underpin the trailer, provide adequate surface drainage to keep water from running under the trailer, and to build a porch on the front of the trailer that could later be turned into an additional bed room for the daughter. When we arrived the underpinning framing was mostly complete and by the end of the week our team had not only completed the underpinning, but also re-dug by hand an existing 100-ft. ditch at the toe of the bank behind the trailer, laid out the surface guttering at the back and end of the trailer, laid out the porch, built batter boards, and dug eight pier footings. Needless to say, we are now all experts with the shovel, mattock, post-hole digger, and screw guns!!
After a days’ work, sleep wasn’t too hard to find -- even in a non-air-conditioned gym. Lest you think it was all hard work, mud, and sweat (and there was plenty of that!), we managed to find some of the better spots that Hinton had to offer:Kirk’s Grocery and Café had wonderful milk shakes and the best meat loaf sandwich Terrell said he had ever had.‘FREE” didn’t hurt anything either -- Mr. Kirk is very supportive of the ASP efforts and he offers perks to show his appreciation when he can. Some thought that the milk shakes at the drug store were actually better, but perhaps that depended on the flavor. Patt discovered West Virginia’s local version of Wall-Mart while the young men enjoyed the local water slide. Terrell and Dick now know that they will certainly take their fishing rods the next time and hope they can accept the hunting invitations. We all appreciated the Dairy Queen by the river and especially the local pizza place.
Some of the real highlights were the picnic with the families on Thursday night, the wonderful, thoughtful, meaningful devotional done by Chad and Shelton, our new pastor visiting and working with us and especially the sharing during the evening gathering on Friday before watching a slide show of shots from all the worksites. What a way to culminate the week! We were so grateful to Carl for taking the time to come work and fellowship with us. It gave us the opportunity to get to know him better and to let him get to know this core group of young adults.
Our young men and women certainly learned that they can do hard work, like it or not, and that it would not kill them – and perhaps gave them a better understanding of needing a good education.It certainly touched everyone’s heart to meet the families we were working for at the picnic, and to personalize our reason for being there. Many special times occurred, like when two of the staff shared their lives and witness with us all. For them to have had the difficulties in their young lives that they had experienced and yet be strong enough to be so giving of themselves had to have made an impression on everyone. Friday night’s gathering was very special as we went around the circle of eighty plus people and each shared their “God Moment” of the week. We were all impressed with the mature and insightful comments made by the young people. All of us grew in many ways that week. Everyone, and especially the young people, left with a better understanding of their many blessings, an enhanced knowledge of how much we take for granted, and a realization that through God’s grace we received far more than we gave.
Everyone should understand that this was an effort of the whole church community with the ‘Meals for Missions’:Thank you to the ladies who cooked Wednesday night meals and to the people who came out in support this fund-raising effort which raised the bulk of the funds for the trip. We were able to provide T-shirts for all who went, a pizza night out, a milk shake night, and best of all an extra donation to ASP. That donation was a critical part of a family getting a well and septic system that they had never had.
THANK YOU ORANGE CHAPEL!! Needless to say we are ready to go back next summer. I hope we can plan on some more of the good food and fellowship on Wednesday nights.
APPALACHIAN SERVICE PROJECT- 2010
Many Orange Chapel youth and adults participated in the Appalachia Service Project during the summer of 2009.Since this serviceproject was so successful, plans are being made for 2010.To help cover expenses for travel, supplies, food, room, etc. (estimated cost over $5,000), Meals for Missions fundraisers are being scheduled.We need groups and volunteers to prepare meals, and donate food items for these meals so that 100% of the funds raised can benefit this mission effort.
ORANGE CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1634 ORANGE CHAPEL CLOVER GARDEN ROAD
919-968-4102