2020
The Lemonade Mission
In the times of COVID-19, life looks a little different, especially when you are a four-year-old boy.
The Oakleaf campus of Trinity Baptist Church meets in a local elementary school, Enterprise Learning Center. The church and school have developed a valued partnership, and members of the church are eager to serve and to help out the school that generously provides their weekly worship auditorium.
Word came from the school that they were in dire need of school supplies. Funds were required to purchase items that were critically needed for school re-opening. This is where four-year-old Aaron came up with the idea of creating a lemonade stand even though he wasn’t sure how to go about it. With planning and implementing, it quickly became a family project, with mom Tiffany and older brother Luke making signs and gathering lemonade supplies to launch their enterprising fundraiser.
The big day arrived and the lemonade stand was set up in front of their home, complete with masks and hand sanitizer, ever present signs of the time. The team’s marketing plan had included advance notice to neighbors who gladly contributed to the endeavor. These good neighbors and their children joined in enthusiastically and helped with selling to the customers who drove up, making the day a true neighborhood event. The team had gotten bigger.
During the sales process, people asked about the proceeds of the fundraiser and mom Tiffany was able to share the story about the relationship between Trinity Oakleaf and Enterprise, and the current urgent need for school supplies. She shared that she had felt prompted to act since we are a generous people because we serve a generous God. The lemonade stand was a perfect tangible picture of the mission and heart of the church – to go and to serve. Many meaningful conversations began that day, questions asked and answered. Interest was sparked as neighbors and customers became a group of people, working together for a result bigger than themselves. Even big brother Luke was impressed by the concept of giving to others what God had provided, and not keeping for ourselves.
“God provided it for us, so I want to give it” – Luke
At the end of the day, it’s more than a fun time outside, selling lemonade – it’s an example of how our obedience to God can open doors to minister to those around us and bring others together on our mission, as a family and as a neighborhood.
And Aaron, your idea about a Lemonade Stand – good call!
2020
Mayan Food Relief
“Can you put me on the same program that you put Esteban on?” I was taken back by the question and really did not know what they meant so I followed up with the question, “What do you mean?”
The Jeff Carney Family has been associated with Trinity Baptist Church for two decades. When we initially arrived in the Yucatan, we partnered with my parents, Don and Carolyn Carney, to plant Peninsula Baptist Church. In recent days, we are continuing to work with my parents in a new ministry opportunity through REACH ministries called Project 5/10. The goal of this project is to plant 5 Mayan churches in 10 years. God is opening doors for the gospel in the villages via medical clinics, baseball camps, bikes for grades in public schools, and more recently, through the Mayan Food Relief outreach.
The impact of Covid-19 can be readily seen throughout the Yucatan. Most of the men travel to the capital cities of Cancun or Merida to work during the week, but since March, their travel has been drastically reduced. We saw this as a God-given opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a visible way. We began purchasing large quantities of rice, beans, tuna, tomato sauce, pasta, soup, toilet paper and soap. These items are placed in a bag, along with a gospel tract, to be distributed. Each bag costs $8 USD and will feed a family of 4 for just about a week.
Trinity heard about the project and in quick succession pledged $4000 to purchase some 500+ food bags! What a blessing and honor for the Carney Clan to partner with churches and individuals like Trinity through REACH ministries to build Relationships that Empower leaders with Accountability as we proclaim Christ and bring Health to the Mayan villages!
To date, over 2000 bags have been delivered and our plan is to continue to distribute them until Christmas. Any small group, family or individual who desires to participate by donating $8 or more can simply scan the QR code or mail a check to: Don Carney Harrison Bay Rd, Harrison, TN 37341. Please be sure to mark the memo section with Mayan Food Relief.
“Can you put me on the same program that you put Esteban on?” It finally clicked in my mind. Esteban came and received an adjustment at a chiropractic clinic that we sponsored and soon thereafter he became a follower of Christ. Immediately he ceased from being one of the town drunks as he became a new creation in Christ. I responded and told the person that Esteban had taken a pill. The individual asked: “What pill?” I said, “The Jesus pill!”
We ask you to pray that the “Jesus pill” will continue to transform homes and villages as food goes into their hands and the gospel takes root in their hearts.
Reaching with you for them,
The Jeff Carney Family
2020
Four Simple Ways to Help Your Students Succeed with Virtual Learning
As families head into a historically unprecedented back-to-school season, I can tell you as a fifteen-year educator that the landscape for education both public and private is complicated. Local schools and school districts are working heroically to mitigate the impacts of a global pandemic and at the same time create successful environments in person and online for learning.
Back in March, we were thrown into virtual learning, and while it wasn’t all bad, for many the experience was not positive. I had the perspective of being on both sides of the screens – on one side as a mom of two, navigating google classrooms with my kids – and on the other side as a teacher transitioning my classroom and curriculum to a virtual format.
We all learned a lot.
While the percentages vary from school to school and region to region, as we begin the 2020-21 school year, it appears that as many as a quarter to a third of all students in our NE Florida region will begin virtually. As a mom and teacher, I wanted to share four ways to help your kids succeed in virtual learning.
1. Create A Daily Schedule (and stick with it!)
While much of the schedule during the day may be dictated by your child’s school, you’ll quickly realize that there is a lot of flexible time before, during and after the virtual plan. In brick and mortar learning, these times are occupied with bathroom breaks, recess, lunch time and resource classes or in-class free time. At home, it can be very easy for these times to devolve into LOTS of screen time, TV or gaming. With a little planning up front, your kids will quickly adapt to a planned schedule that includes class work, but also might include a daily bike ride, 30 minutes of reading, lunch, and a creative project. In our house, we printed the daily schedule and hung them in a few places so the kids knew what was next. We regularly used timers with Alexa around the house to keep us on track and moving. Your kids will appreciate the change of pace, the feeling of accomplishment and the movement onto the next thing.
2. Establish “School Only” Workspaces and Behaviors
During quarantine, my oldest struggled to make the mental separation between being at home and engaging in school. That needed change in environment matters more than we realize for many kids, so creating “school specific” spaces and behaviors can be very important. If you have an empty room or flex room, turn it into a classroom and let your kids create their own spaces. Even a dedicated space at the table during the day can work. I would avoid regularly allowing school work from the bed, the couch or the floor. Also, “normal” school behaviors should be encouraged. Kids should get up, get fully dressed maybe even pack a lunch. All of these environmental changes will allow them to lock in mentally for the school day ahead.
3. Participate in All Virtual Interactive Experiences
If I look back on our virtual experience last spring with one major regret, it’s that we didn’t participate regularly in available, but optional, online group experiences. This led to a greater disconnect than I originally realized for my kids from their classmates and teachers. (kbeautypharm.com) As a teacher who was conducting these online experiences, I also began to realize how much connection they provided me with my students. As schools are heading into this year more prepared for virtual learning, I would imagine these opportunities for “hangouts” or “meets” online with teachers and classmates will increase. I would make sure students take advantage of these opportunities, especially if there is a plan to reintroduce them back into brick and mortar classrooms later in the year.
4. Engage Deeply as a Parent
After 15 years as a teacher, I can tell you that few things make more of a difference in the success of a student than a deeply engaged parent or guardian. While many of your responsibilities as the parent of a student will be similar or identical to a brick and mortar experience, there will be some unique responsibilities as a virtual parent. Ensuring your students are navigating their online classes well, staying on top of communication, and managing the ups and downs of the home / school environment will be unique for virtual families. Your commitment to be active as a parent in all these experiences will be the difference between an average and excellent virtual experience. I believe you can do it!
Everything above is simply an idea or a suggestion that might help you in these unique days. It’s important to remember we’re all doing this for the first time and we’ll need each other’s support. My husband has repeatedly said that during this time of pandemic, we are more insulated, but we don’t have to remain isolated. Maintain strong connections with your school, friends, family and local church. We’re better together!
A wife, mom of two, and a teacher for over 15 years, Jennifer Riddick has some insight on how to make the most of each day. As an experienced teacher, she understands first-hand the pressures and fears COVID-19 has presented to those in education. Jennifer took a moment to fill us in on the different ways she’s found that might help your students succeed in this new age of virtual learning.
2020
Building Churches in Togo with Donated Concrete Mixer
In 2000, a group from Trinity Baptist Church’s youth group embarked on a short missions trip to Togo, West Africa. These teens were able to see firsthand how God was working in Togo, while helping with a few projects for our missionaries, Randy and Jeanette Alderman. The primary job they volunteered for was helping in the construction of a church – mixing and forming concrete blocks by hand. The work was difficult and tedious, and the students immediately recognized a great need. They realized so much more could be done in Togo with the help of an automatic concrete mixer. After completing their trip, the group came back to Trinity with changed hearts and started raising awareness of the need for a concrete mixer in Togo, quickly receiving $4,000 in donations from generous individuals within Trinity Baptist Church – enough to purchase the mixer. The concrete mixer was sent and unloaded in Togo twenty years ago and has been used in the building of an airplane hangar, nearly a dozen churches, and other small projects since then. The mixer is still being used today. Thanks to the actions of those students twenty years ago, we were able to make a long-lasting impact on the work being done in Togo.
Your donations continue to bring about great change around the world as well! If you would like to give to our Missions budget to help fund the incredible work of people like Randy and Jeanette Alderman, give here: tbc.org/give.
2020
Church Donations Help Feed Hungry Families in West Africa
We constantly see stories in the news of countries like the United States, China, France, and Italy being deeply affected by COVID-19, but we don’t hear much about other smaller countries. Some of the smaller countries somehow go unnoticed. While the actual virus might not take as many lives in these areas, the breakdown of the global supply chain will.
We’ve been in contact with our missionary partners around the world, and they’ve been telling us of the immense suffering taking place in the areas where they are currently serving. JJ Alderman is one the missionaries who our church has the privilege to partner with; he has been a missionary to Togo, West Africa for many years.
JJ told us that since the beginning of March, the entire region has been shut down for travel between cities for all their people. This causes tremendous problems because people must travel to the more populated areas to earn money and purchase food for their families. (no prescription pharmacy paypal) Additionally, due to the enforcement of strict social distancing laws, people aren’t allowed to ride together on motorcycles – the most popular means of transportation in their area. This dramatically increases the difficulty for the people of West Africa to both earn money and purchase basic things they need to live.
With less people purchasing food, the prices for things like corn and grain have skyrocketed nearly 100%. Additionally, JJ told us that 50%-75% of the people in that region are struggling to find food or are out of food completely.
As a church, we will do all we can to minister to those in need. After hearing about this tragedy, we partnered with JJ to send food to the people we are ultimately trying to reach with the love of Jesus. Because of generous givers like you giving to Trinity’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, we were able to purchase 38 bags of corn weighing 100lbs each and ship it directly to these people.
The images you’re seeing are some of the many individuals who have received the valuable food supplies that we have sent. We thank you for your continued support of our ministry both here in Jacksonville, and around the world. With you, we are truly making a difference in the lives of many!
Click here to donate today: https://tbc.org/give/
2020
Providing Food to Guyana During COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create social and economic instability across the globe, smaller countries have found it difficult to stay afloat. Greg and Wendy Mann, missionaries to Guyana, have been faced with unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis. The effects of the virus have been felt in significant ways throughout Guyana. Agriculture dominates most of the economy within the country, and in the interior of Guyana, individuals and families rely on trade to access the necessary resources for their day-to-day lives. When the Guyanese government put trade restrictions in place, many of these families found themselves unable to gather some of the most basic supplies for survival.
Grace Ministries Guyana, under the direction of Greg Mann, has begun fundraising to provide some of these struggling families with food baskets containing two weeks’ worth of supplies. Starting with a $500 goal, Grace Ministries desired to provide only a few families with baskets. But thanks to generous donations, including a $1,000 donation by Trinity Baptist Church, their ministry has been able to provide baskets for 47 families, and they hope to deliver many more. With each basket delivered, the ministry has been able to witness to these families in a way that was previously impossible. With some of the funds donated, Grace Ministries also has begun reparations on a pipeline which will provide locals with fresh drinking water. They believe that this will not only save lives but serve as an outreach opportunity for many years to come. While the COVID-19 pandemic halted many normal operations, it also has added an abundance of opportunities for Christians to witness and act as beacons of Christ.
Thank you to everyone who continues to give, you’re truly making a difference around the world! If you would like to give to our ministry so we can help more people like this, simply follow this link: https://tbc.org/give/.
2020
A Message From Our Pastor – The Death of George Floyd
The death of George Floyd at the hands of police is deeply disturbing and also reinforces the fear that justice is not always applied equally among people of color. We pray that justice will be pursued quickly and fairly.
It is important to acknowledge our appreciation for law enforcement that put their lives on the line, sacrificially and in service of others, but at the same time we need to be grieved when the use of force goes too far. It is particularly egregious when the use of force is somehow applied based on color of skin. These are conversations that we must have and we must be willing to listen to the experiences, fears, and concerns of those that believe that there is not equal treatment or protection under the law.
The scriptures could not be more clear about the fact that human beings are distinct in the fact that they are made in the image of God. All humans, male and female, regardless of ethnicity, color, and age are image bearers of God and are valued and loved by Him – equally. We must, along with scripture, both Old and New Testament, condemn murder, injustice, and mistreatment of others, particularly the most vulnerable among us. Today, we grieve with those that grieve, we weep with those that weep, and we long for and work toward a world that values all human beings and is fair and just for everyone.
I believe that words are not enough in this moment and that our church must find ways to work toward racial reconciliation that reflects our deeply held gospel beliefs.
– Pastor Tom Messer