VIM Team's Work Helps Revitalize Red Bird Church

Danville Centenary United Methodist Church (Frankfort District) has been actively engaged with the Red Bird Mission and in particular the Stoney Fork United Methodist Church over the last several years. It all began from a Faith Promise meeting that Pastor Jack Short, pastor of New Springs UMC in the Red Bird Missionary Conference, attended. After that meeting, work was begun and completed on their church in Beattyville. That same VIM (Volunteers in Mission) team also painted some of the interior of another church on the same trip.

Later, our VIM team was contacted by Pastor Short’s sister, Charlene Gross, telling the team that they had started Stoney Fork Church up again. Charlene is the wife of Pastor Robert Gross of the Stoney Fork UMC.  She contacted the head of our VIM team and asked if we could do some work on the sanctuary and basement. The team made the trip to Stoney Fork to assess what work needed to be done. The following work was accomplished:

• New vinyl floor in the basement,
• Suspended ceiling in basement,
• New wiring for electricity,
• Installation of cabinets,
• Painted walls and all church windows,
• Changed some lighting,
• Installed ceiling fans in the sanctuary,
• Built a bathroom.

The basement has become a place where they can have gatherings, dinners, etc. Wedding receptions, special functions and other events could not have been held in the basement prior to the work being done on it. What is most gratifying is that when this church started, they had less than a dozen people and now they are averaging 30-40 people per Sunday.

Centenary and her VIM team continue to have a wonderful relationship with Stoney Fork, and as Stoney Fork has been blessed, so have Centenary and especially her VIM team.