Helping Others: Summer Missions from Hickory Flat

Each summer, church leaders and members gear up to assist others, taking mission trips to visit and help other communities in need.

This summer, several local churches encouraged members to travel to nearby states, and others encouraged members to work here at home. 

While the East Cherokee Baptist Church had members serving communities in West Virginia, members of the First Baptist Church of Holly Springs spent a week doing construction renovations on the HH Ranch in the North Georgia mountains, according to their website.

Senior Youth Groups at Hickory Flat United Methodist Church traveled to South Dakota for nine days and spent their time working in places like the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation outside Rapid City, said Sam Halverson, youth and discipleship pastor.

Teamed up with members from Northbrook United Methodist Church out of Roswell, Halverson traveled with 38 kids and 18 additional adults to work on repairing churches, houses, and decks.  They also built wheelchair ramps in some locations.

The Middle Grade Youth Group from Hickory Flat UMC found their way to Kentucky to experience vacation bible study camp and had the opportunity to work on houses there while also servicing the camp site itself. 

One start up church has a goal to travel even farther away to help others abroad.

Senior Pastor, Dr. Joseph Brothers of the Mountain View Baptist Church described his church as a “church plant” currently operating out of the new building.

The church website includes information about the missions of church members establishing church plants all over the world, from New York to Ethiopia.

Dr. Brothers, who himself has traveled as far as Costa Rica, said his church members are making plans to travel to Ecuador next summer to help establish and open church buildings, involve youth in Bible study, offer medical, and dental services, and more. 

And one church dedicated their efforts to our own community.

Three years ago, Jubilee Church opened a high-quality consignment store called Revive.

“We felt it important to spend our money and time here and have encouraged our members to work here to do this community some good,” one of the three church elders at Jubilee Church, Jonathan Eftychiou said.

Offering new and gently used items, the business is run by both employees and church volunteers wanting to feel like they are giving back to the community, said Eftychiou. 

“We did it with a view to serving the community,” Eftychiou, said. 

According to Eftychiou, the work Jubilee does helps to support homeless and near-homeless people, those facing the loss of their homes, by offering the consignment opportunity.

Additionally, Jubilee has opened a $1 Value store right next to Revive.

This shop, Restore, offers quality household items, affordable clothing, home décor, and more.

Eftychiou said that the business should net over one million dollars this year and over half of that will be given back to the community.

Another goal of the church is to provide jobs, said Eftychiou.  The business employs over 25 workers in addition to the volunteers that operate the store.  

Summer may soon fade to fall, but the good work community members and church leaders have done by giving of themselves, their time and energy, will linger on.