November ‘21 Update
In November we invested in parents through support group meetings,
celebrated the completion of our 12th semester of Pinwheel,
confirmed a director for our upcoming extension of Pinwheel,
completed training with our first official Foster Care Community,
and saw God pull together the details to open a clothing closet for women coming out of jail!
For more good news, prayer requests & ways to help, please read on!
Pinwheel Tutoring
Did you know Pinwheel has Parent Support Group meetings? One of the best ways to support our students is to invest in the people who spend the most time with them, so we meet with any interested parents 3 or 4 nights each semester. It’s priceless to get to spend time together & have intentional conversations about parenting skills & struggles. We offer dinner & childcare, so bringing food or supervising kids while we meet are simple ways for volunteers to support our families! Take a look at a few of the resources we shared with parents this semester here: Power Struggles, the Power of Praise, & Cultivating Gratitude & Generosity
We wrapped up the month -and year 6 of Pinwheel!- with a fantastic Christmas party. So many families came, more kids brought their tutors a gift than ever before & many people pitched in to help with food, gifts, prep, & cleanup! This excites us because one of our goals is to cultivate generosity as a reflection of God’s love.
Students, tutors & families gather at the end of the party for songs & a presentation from Pastor Joseph Tucker on the colors of Christmas.
Another of our goals is to help prevent trauma, but when we can’t, we can at least be there for our families going through difficult times. So we have been grateful to help another mom & her kids to exit a toxic situation this month.
If you would like to help this brave family get a good strong new start, you can donate to @pinwheelkids on Venmo or send a check & designate it to the Family Fund. We want them to have a great Christmas experiencing God’s provision & peace.
Last but not least, we are excited to announce that Lauren Goins has committed to be our Murphy Pinwheel branch director! Lauren has years of experience with Pinwheel & has her degree in Community Development from Covenant College. We couldn’t find anyone we trust more to help us start this extension & we are so excited to have her as part of our team! Please pray for God’s guidance in every step of preparation as we select a location, recruit tutors, and gather supplies!
More Than Enough
This November our first Care Community, a group from Red Oak Church, completed their training & met the family they are committing to support! The training from Promise 686 was straightforward, rich in Scripture & beautifully presented.
The way Care Communities are set up is refreshingly sustainable- each member of the team only commits to what they can reasonably offer. For example, one support member or couple could commit to providing one meal a month, for one year. The structure promotes dependable, long-term relational support which is a huge step up from crisis or gift-based support. Our new group has already established a meal schedule as part of the care they are providing for their first family!
It is so exciting to see the beginning of what we hope to see become an extensive network of support for foster kids & families in our community! We envision many people finding a fulfilling role in these care teams, not only making a difference in the lives of others, but growing in their own love & understanding of the needs surrounding foster care. We hope to see several more churches start a Care Community in 2022!
Revolving Door
During the first few days of November we had a really special time with the ladies in the jail and became aware of a need… that led to frustration… that became an opportunity!
That day during prayer time the ladies told us that several of them were getting out that week & had no appropriate clothes to wear upon leaving. One lady had gained weight since she entered jail-which is common when you transition into the jail’s mostly sedentary life, and another only had the shorts she was admitted in-and it had since turned cold!
In the past we’ve been able to drop things off at the jail, but this time when we brought the clothes, we weren’t permitted to leave them for the ladies! We were frustrated because we knew they needed those clothes, & we had told them we’d bring them! But instead of just saying “well, we tried,” we started looking for other options.
After talking to a few people, we were offered a room at Christ Community Church to use as a clothes closet for the ladies who get out of jail! One of our Pinwheel moms volunteered to head this project up, and has been gathering items, decorating the space, and spreading awareness of this practical need.
Getting our clothes closet started…women’s shoes & other donations are welcome!
We are so excited to offer this as a first stop for ladies coming out of jail & hopefully a connection point to helpful resources, classes & relationships.
We look forward to introducing the Faith & Finances class inside the jail & offering it to ladies when they get out. God was preparing the Mercy Team from Providence Presbyterian Church in Murphy to support this class in the role of Allies before they even knew about the class!
Jesus said “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” How people handle money both affects & reveals the condition of their heart & as a result influences their relationships with God, others, self & creation. We know God will continue to change our lives through this class & hope it ministers restoration to many!
Check out a sample of the material here.
In Closing
We praise God & give Him the glory for every person & church living out Christ’s love in our community.
From Him, through Him & to Him is everything!
If you would like more info on any volunteer roles or how to support any branch of Garden 58 please contact us!
Thanks to all of you who are praying with us through word & deed…
“Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.”
This Christmas season, let’s echo the angels’ refrain to the shepherds… “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace & goodwill toward men.”