July Updates to the Lockhart Community

First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Alabama

We have worked four days a week for the last seven weeks with several houses on replacing roofs, building porches, and general repair. This group also replaced the roof on the administration building of the Harvest Youth Club. Gordon Perry told me last week that their assignments have been completed and their crew will be returning to their regular work schedule at Lincoln Village in Huntsville.

We provided a week of leadership during the Harvest Youth club summer camp program June 20 – 24. We led one of the rotation groups with a music-games focus and provided lunch for all of the campers and staff during the week.

I know that several churches have provided funding and will be working with the replacement of the Youth Club community playground August 1-3 including Locust Grove and First Baptist.

Mike Pearce, Minister of Missions and Outreach

Weatherly Heights Baptist Church’s youth ministry provided a week of leadership to the Harvest Youth Club’s Summer Mission Camp for the week of July 11-15.  The Madison Baptist Association provided the meals for the children (ages 4-15 years) and Weatherly had a team of adult volunteers who helped make lunches and snacks each day of the camp. 

Pastor Melvin Allen, his wife Sylvia, and their daughter Whitney are the key leadership for the Harvest Youth Club and have an outstanding ministry for their community!  In our week there, we got to know some of the children who lost parents in the April storms, who’s loved ones were injured and to hear stories of continuing recovery.  It was a fabulous week!

 Dean Johnson, Minister of Youth

Specific Donations for Lockhart

To provide specific donations and explanation of how used:

For funds to the Huntsville area, mark the check for "Huntsville relief." These funds are administered by ALCBF through a group of our churches in Huntsville. Funds provide for rebuilding, renovating and relief in the Lockhart community.

If your church has a need and plan for relief, we feel your money is best used for an emergency at home. If you decide, or people within your congregation desire, to donate beyond your local projects, it would help us if they would make a check to your church marked for ALCBF disaster relief. Then the church can periodically send ALCBF a check of the accumulation of donations (ALCBF, 2539 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 101, PMB 113, Birmingham, AL, 35244). We are a small staff, and this would help greatly with administration of the funds and offering tax credit. We certainly are glad for individuals to donate to us, and we will facilitate this directly as well. In our conversation with National CBF, we feel the money gets where it needs to go quicker by donating it straight to ALCBF.

We are working with a community organization in Lockhart. You can follow a website with their needs at www.harvestyouthclub.com.

Demo Needs in Lockhart

Locust Grove is partnering with the Harvest Youth Club, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and area churches to help the residents of the Lockhart community in Harvest, Alabama to rebuild their homes, their lives, and their community. This area was devastated by the tornadoes of April 27. Out of 105 homes in the community, 80 were damaged with 41 completely destroyed. Many of the residents have no insurance and are drastically under-insured. The recovery and rebuilding effort will require a long-term commitment from our church members spanning the next year and beyond.


This effort will occur in phases including; demolition and clean-up, rebuilding of the community playground, support of the Youth Club/community center, and the rebuilding of homes. Our church will be partnering to adopt families through this effort and will need donations of time and money to make this mission a success.


NOW is the time for Phase I: Demolition and clean-up. Volunteers are needed in Lockhart immediately starting Wednesday May 18 from 9-5 each day. Volunteers are needed to cut and move trees, demolish and move rubble and help with the general clean-up of the community. If you can volunteer any time over the coming weeks please contact Kim Broyles at 256-651-2930 or email kimbroyles@bellsouth.net so that we may have ahead count of how many people can volunteer each day. To volunteer go to the Harvest Youth Club at 230 Lockhart Road, Harvest Alabama each morning by 9 am to register. Volunteers should attempt to car-pool when possible, bring gloves, wear work pants/shoes and bring your own water and lunch. Jacob Tyriver is organizing our College and Career Class to volunteer. If you would like to car-pool or join the college class, please contact Jacob at 256-684-1672. The need in Lockhart is great and there are areas for everyone to help whether your talent is demolition, construction, or ministering to those in need and despair.

Lockhart

I recently attended a meeting at the Harvest Youth Club on Lockhart Rd.  Gathered there was a handful of churches and two businesses from the North Alabama area.  The Lockhart Rd community is one of many communities that have been decimated from the tornadoes.  The neighborhood was made up of over a 100 homes, almost all of them were destroyed; with at least 80% being either uninsured or greatly underinsured.  Due to the fact that this community’s summer camp will start soon, this particular meeting was focused on replacing the playground that was up rooted during the storm.  There were multiple denominations present and I was encouraged to see how well everyone cooperated.  We met, discussed, heard some ideas and proposals, listened to the community leader’s vision, and then chose a ballpark figure to start with. 

A representative from one business chimed in, “We’re going to guarantee $10,000 to this project.”

A minister from a church followed, “We’ll match that, and we’ll buy the fence materials too.”

Another church, “We’ve got $3,000 so far in donations for this project.”

And another church pledged $8,000.

In 60 seconds we had more than enough to move forward.  Praise be to God! 

I’m proud that Alabama CBF churches were present and generous; and I’m proud that Christians of all flavors can, at times, work together to serve our neighbor. 

This Monday and Tuesday we meet to discuss adopting families, removing debris, and rebuilding homes.  That financial goal will not be met in 60 seconds; nonetheless I have faith that In Christ we can Be Christ to this community. 

Please continue to pray for the displaced residents of North Alabama, for our leaders, our pastors, our volunteers, and our mission. 

Rob Collins

Pastor of Students
Locust Grove Baptist Church
New Market, AL