East Huntersville Ministry

In August 2012, Meadowlake began a ministry in East Huntersville, a community just east of mid-town Huntersville. Our purpose is to work in partnership with the residents and others to improve the lives and futures of the people of that community. This is a faith-based ministry that nurtures minds, bodies, and spirits.

This ministry began with a part-time Community Coordinator, Shawn Caldwell, who lives in the community and focused on Community and Economic Development, and a part- time Director for Youth Ministry, Reggie Singleton. In the fall of 2015, Mike Slaughter was hired as the Director for Youth Ministry, and has grown into the role of Director for Community Engagement. Under Mike’s leadership, along with the leadership of Meadowlake’s Outreach Ministry Team, this ministry is thriving through the positive relationships that have been built and which continue to grow.

This Ministry offers many opportunities to serve, to make a difference in the lives of others, and, even more, in our own lives!

The E.H. youth initiated a Youth Association, with the mission – “To better ourselves by serving the Lord to better the neighborhood; and by expanding our horizons by building relationships with others!” These are some of the opportunities for our ministry with the youth:

• Every youth has Meadowlake Big Brothers or Sisters (several being entire families), who develop relationships, encourage, and offer positive role models.
• The youth meet weekly at the Waymer Center in the community. The meetings begin with a Bible discussion and prayer. They focus on planning or doing one of these activities – Community service project; skills development; personal enrichment; social activity/fun project/field trip.
• On the first and third Friday of each month, the youth meet for “Real Life with Mike” to discuss pertinent, real-life issues.
• The youth perform service projects throughout the year. During the summer, they join with Meadowlake Youth for SOS, a “Summer of Service,” serving somewhere every week.
• Also during the summer, some of the E.H. youth go with our Youth Mission trips.
• Our Community Coordinator, Youth Director, and the “Bigs” work with schools when their counsel is requested.
• Our Community Coordinator, Youth Director, together with Meadowlake members and others, help our youth find jobs, when appropriate.
• Every other Tuesday at 5:00 the Outreach Ministry hosts “Kid’s Klubb”, a “story time” (with food) for children and their parents, including games and Bible stories, as a way to meet more families, develop trust, and encourage faith development.

A number of adults in E.H. struggle with poverty, unemployment, underemployment, lack of education, substance abuse, criminal records, which limit their futures. Our Community Coordinator and members of Meadowlake and others serve in various ways to break this cycle:

• Provide information and facilitate access to agencies and services who can help with the “barrier needs.
• Identify job opportunities and help with finding a job.
• We continue to explore opportunities to help start “resident owned” businesses, to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and job opportunities within the community.

One of our primary goals is to bring the community together to care about and support each other, to determine the strengths and needs of the community, and to be a partner in meeting those needs. This is where many more Meadowlake members plug in:

• We issue “Front Porch Grants” for residents to encourage connections in special ways (eg., a reading program during the summer, involving 15 children and many residents as tutors).
• We join with Bread of Life to serve meals on Tuesday evenings.
• We are developing list of families (with their approval), describing their strengths, needs, and desires for the future (eg., careers), in order to pray for them and work together to achieve their life goals.
• We co-sponsor special events (festivals; back-to-school gatherings; enrichment/educational workshops).

Jesus has blessed this Ministry in so many ways – and the best is yet to come!