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Gulf Coast Work Project


Bethany UMC's 50th Anniversary Service


Verna Mae (center), Gwen (Verna Mae's daughter, far right) and Team V on her porch

GULF COAST WORK PROJECT UPDATE
Team V of the Gulf Coast Work Project was in New Orleans from October 27th until November 3rd. We had the opportunity to be in worship at Bethany United Methodist Church and see their restored Bible returned to the sanctuary. Bethany’s 50th anniversary was a great celebration to behold and be a part of.

However, the highlight for me personally (and I imagine for many others on this team) was not the celebrations at Bethany but the work we did in the 7th ward. Through the Uptown Storm Recovery Center we were paired with Verna Mae and her family. Verna Mae is a great-grandmother and has lived in New Orleans her entire life. The small duplex on Pauger Street has been her home for many, many years. Her parents and grandparents used to live within a stone’s throw of this site.  We spent five days putting up drywall in Verna Mae’s eighty year old home. We also listened to the stories of that 7th Ward community. Verna Mae had a story for almost every building and lot within sight – she truly is an example of the living history of that neighborhood. The destruction wrought by Katrina and the floods is losing the fight against the determination and resilience of the people of New Orleans.  As we measured, cut, and hung drywall (and often measured and cut again) we helped draft another chapter in the story of restoration that is being written and told in New Orleans.

This story is not yet over. In 2008 we plan to return to New Orleans. We are planning to assist both Bethany UMC and Rayne Memorial with their medical outreaches to the people of the Gulf Coast. We plan to send teams of both youth and adults to do more work and be further woven into the story of restoration. We plan to continue to be the hope to the people of the Gulf Coast.

If you would like to be part of an upcoming work team or support this effort in other ways, please contact Paul Deveaux.

Read letters from Rev. Edwards.

GCWT I Photos      Youth GCWT (team II) Photos      GCWT III Photos

Click here to view photos of the damage to Bethany UMC after Hurricane Katrina.

Support Our Gulf Coast Partnership

A Report From a Member of GCWT IV
by Julia Wallace

New Orleans, Louisiana: A city so rich in culture and diversity. A place where jazz music beats down the streets and the jumping sound of street performers echoes across the town. New Orleans has been a symbol of the uniqueness of the United States for years. Read the full article...


TEAM III AND STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER SHARES
FUMC'S THIRD EXPERIENCE IN NEW ORLEANS

by Jim Krause

The twenty-one member combined Gulf Coast Work Project team from Culver Palms, Church at Ocean Park, and First United Methodist Church returned to California victorious in their projects and committed to the ongoing work of GCWP. It was truly a transformative week for the team members. Read the full article...


NEW ORLEANS CHURCH REOPENS 'BLESSED, BEAUTIFUL' AFTER STORM
by Betty Backstrom

Almost a year and two months after Hurricane Katrina struck, Bethany United Methodist Church rededicated its newly renovated worship center. During the 2005 storm, the church's sanctuary and buildings sustained almost 11 feet of standing flood water. "Bethany is back. We're blessed, bigger and beautiful," said the Rev. Hadley Edwards, who led the Oct. 22 service, which also marked the church's 49th anniversary.
Read the full article...


How You Can Support Our Gulf Coast Partnership

You may contribute at church on Sunday mornings, by stopping at the church office anytime or by mailing your gift. If writing a check, be sure to write "Gulf Coast Teams" on the memo line. To contribute by credit card, click on Support Our Gulf Coast Partnership. To learn about our programs of getting support through emails, click on Instructions for Sending Appeals for Support.

For more information about Bethany UMC and the efforts along the Gulf Coast, visit these links and stay tuned for further updates about our teams on this page.

Friends of Bethany UMC Website

The New Orleans District

The Louisiana Storm Recovery Website

The Louisiana Conference

Santa Monica Daily Press article May 13, 2006
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this article. If this link does not work for you, please visit www.smdp.com and view their "E"dition Archives to find the May 13th issue.

Coastal ministries need support through appeal, bishop says
UMNS Article that features Bethany UMC and Rev. Hadley Edwards

The Katrina Church Recovery Appeal

GULF COAST PARTNERSHIP REPORT
Contributions: From within FUMC $31,272
From other churches 22,342
From outside individuals and groups 7,748
Total income 61,362
Expense: Landscaping at Bethany UMC (inclusive) 42,526
Gifts to Bethany (chairs, Bibles, baptismal font, etc) 4.056
Misc. work supplies (paint, glass, gutting supplies) 1,322
Work Team expense (food, vans, insurance, etc) 4,703
Donation to host church 1,000
Fundraising costs 1,115
Total expense 54,722
(Note: Income and outgo for the Youth team’s own non-work expense is not included in the above figures.)

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