Missions

Hope UMC at East Flat Rock Update

We are especially pleased & excited about what the Lord has done & is doing at the newly renamed “Hope UMC at East Flat Rock.” Beginning with the name change, things are changing & hopefully for the future growth & sustainability of the church. The church decided to embrace the new name, “Hope,” out of a sense that a name change will signal a new approach to ministry & a new identity. Just as a business posts “under new management,” we are posting the new name to signal a change of direction for the church.

Many positive things have taken place. A heating system badly in need of repair was fixed & replaced with no cost because of a generous donation. A District Mission Society grant was received to cover the air conditioning system & the parsonage roof being replaced. A grant for financial resources to help with the cost of creating & implementing programs of evangelism & outreach has been applied for. Carol & Ken Weast have spearheaded “Welcome Table”, a program in which the community is invited to come & be fed by the church. Rick & Sandra McMinn have agreed to serve as the Music/Worship Leaders for an indefinite period of time. Lorraine Jernigan will preach the re-opening worship service on April 24, Easter Sunday. Ken Weast will preach the next Sunday. A rotation of those two preachers augmented by the Senior Pastor & Associate Pastor of Mills River UMC has been developed. The parsonage is going to be rented. The Day Care is expanding from 56 children to nearly 85 children because of the restoration of the building & heating system. Prayer walks & vigils have been held. The Lord is making preparation for Hope UMC to be re-born!

I am asking you to please pray for this work to continue & flourish. There are many obstacles to this work that God is doing. There are hurt feelings & resentments that are lingering. It is difficult for those who have been providing leadership there to let go & receive guidance from Mills River UMC. The number of people who still would call Hope UMC at EFR home is few in number. It is going to take a true act of God for this to come out of the sad state it has been in.

As stated, we are committed at Mills River UMC to do what we can to help, but without committing the financial resources of Mills River to do so (with the exception of having MR staff perform ministerial functions there). We will keep you updated as plans are made & activity is resumed. May the peace of the Lord be with us all.