Essex Churches Together
"Essex Churches Together is a Christian group united in partnership to provide and coordinate resources and services to assist all Essex County residents in need."
In 2003 Tappahannock Presbyterian Church hosted a seminar of leaders in the community from the schools, Council on Aging, law enforcement and the court system, and social services to determine where best to use the resources of this small congregation. The needs of the citizens of Essex county were over-whelming and obviously not to be met by any one small group. In May of 2004 Presbyterian Church representatives Kathy Hughes and Alice Roye invited all churches in Essex County to send representatives to a meeting to discuss how the many small churches in this area could coordinate to meet some of the needs.
From that meeting this consortium of representatives from different races and denominations has met monthly to share information, host speakers, and support each other in individual church missions. Every church in Essex County is invited to send a representative to the meetings which occur on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM and are held in the Essex Public Library. Quarterly newsletters are sent to pastors and administrators of every church telling of the activities and projects of ECT and encouraging participation from all.
ECT has supported the development of the Free Health Clinic by soliciting volunteers and letting needs for financial and office supplies and space be known to the churches. Information about the establishment of a Red Cross Chapter and the churches' roles in community disaster planning has been disseminated. Churches are informed are particular needs for the food pantries at both the 7th-Day Adventist Community Services food bank and Antioch Baptist food bank in upper Essex County. Community agencies and organizations that provide services are highlighted at each ECT meeting so that citizens can be informed, through their churches of what resources are available.
Beginning in 2008 ECT has sponsored an annual one-day mission blitz in Essex County called Operation Inasmuch, patterned after the national Operation Inasmuch movement (www.operationinasmuch.com ). Over 500 volunteers from ECT churches participate in providing services, gifts, and home repair to those in need in Essex County. The recipients of these services are nominated through the churches and through health and human services agencies within Essex..
ECT is working with Mrs. Tove Oster and her volunteer staff to determine how the Community Services organization sponsored by the 7th-day Adventist Church can be augmented and supported so that more citizens can take advantage of the resources there.
Expenses for ECT, mainly postage, are met by periodic contributions from the different churches. Duplicating services are offered by the Presbyterian Church and Lebanon Methodist Church at the present time.
Prayer for Essex County
Dear God, we give you thanks for the beauty of our surroundings and for all of your people who live and work in our community. We ask your blessing for our highways and byways, that you would keep us safe and strong and prayerful as we go about our daily tasks.
We pray that you will keep us ever mindful of your grace, and that we will always look to you first in all that we undertake. We ask all this for Essex County, in the name of your son, Jesus, our Lord. Amen
Contacts:
780 Hunter Lane
Center Cross, VA 22437
petbarn@crosslink.net
Alice Roye
128 Prince Street, #28
Tappahannock, VA 22560
804-443-9977
alicer2@verizon.net
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Newsletter - December 2007
Newsletter - September 2007
Newsletter - April 2006
Press Release - March 2006
Newsletter - August 2005
Newsletter - April 2005
Newsletter - January 2005
Newsletter - October 2003
Web page last updated: May 12, 2008
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