Joshua Varner began his time as the Diocesan Youth Missioner on April 15. Since that time, Joshua has spent much of his time on the road getting to know youth leaders, both volunteers and staff, in their hometowns. Thus far Joshua has met with representatives from three congregations in Valdosta, two in Thomasville, six in Augusta and one in Savannah. This week he is journeying to Albany, Tifton, Americus, and Cordele to visit with youth leaders there. In the photo above, Varner speaks in a church in the Dominican Republic while leading a mission team there last summer.

 

As he travels, Joshua hopes to develop relationships with youth leaders, to learn about youth ministry in each different place, both what is working well, and what is challenging, and to lend Diocesan support in the best way possible. If you would like Joshua to come visit your congregation, please contact him at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.

 

Virtually all of the students at Burroughs-Molette qualify for free or reduced lunches, and poverty is one of the greatest challenges the school faces in offering the kids the education they need.  GEM recently provided a Teacher Appreciation Lunch for faculty and staff at the school, after realizing that the lack of an active PTA means such things as simple as Teacher Appreciation are not a regular reality for the school's staff.  Each staff member, more than 70 in total, received a boxed lunch, a handwritten thank you note, and a gift card.  

 

GEM is also helping celebrate "graduating" 5th graders with a party during the last week of school, offering food, entertainment, and actives for the afternoon.  The group has also begun putting together a roster of volunteers to help the school start an after school tutoring program in the fall.  Twenty volunteers are already signed up to help once school starts, and GEM anticipates even more response by the time school starts.

 

GEM is also working in cooperation with the St. Athanasius Feed My Sheep Food Pantry to offer a summer program the group offered to great success last summer.  The food pantry will do distributions on Fridays, including special food bags for kids.  The Backpack Buddies program sends food home on Fridays through the schools during the school year, and GEM is working with Backpack Buddies to continue that through the summer as well. A simple meal will be served to all who show up on the day of the distribution.  In addition there will be story time and free children's books for all the kids.  

 

GEM is also planning to offer Laundry Love beginning next month, a ministry in a local laundromat.  GEM will pay to wash people's clothing, and even help them fold it if they need it.  Laundry Love has been offered all over the United States and can offer another way to interact with people and share the love of Christ.  

 

GEM is also looking into the feasibility of a small computer lab at St. Athanasius, and is raising money to support the Boys and Girls Club summer programs in the neighborhood.  Other projects have included supporting the graduation of homeless teens from high school this month and supporting youth softball through the Brunswick Housing Authority.