You can be a part of what the Lord is doing here at God’s Appalachian Partnership by helping complete the new Distribution/Office Building. $300,000 is needed to finish the building and purchase the needed furnishings. This amount does not include the parking lot and landscape which will be additional costs. The giving pyramid shows how donations of any size are needed as we partner together to continue fulfilling our purpose: meeting people at their point of need, so they may know Jesus. We ask that you prayerful consider how you may join with us and others to complete this building, ensuring GAP has a permanent home for years to come so the Gospel can continue to be sown here in eastern Kentucky. All donations are tax deductible. Please prayerfully consider your partnership in this ministry milestone!
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and faithfulness.”
The first verse of Psalm 115 was on our minds and hearts as God’s Appalachian Partnership celebrated 25 years of dedicated ministry here in the mountains of eastern Kentucky during a weekend-long celebration June 21-23. Partners from across the nation joined together to celebrate GAP’s past, present, and future ministry.
Friday evening began looking back at the last 25 years of ministry and seeing the hand of God at work in numerous ways while enjoying delicious desserts. Angie and Lynn Wagoner, the co-founders of GAP shared stories of God’s miraculous provision and mighty hand of direction through the years. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness were reoccurring themes as they shared. Kasie Osborne who grew up in the area and was a member of the GAP Youth Services as a teen, shared how God used GAP and the Wagoners to eternally change her life. She is now serving the Lord faithfully in TN. We also heard from two different partnering churches: Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, GA and Lawndale Baptist Church in Greenville, NC. Both shared how their partnership with GAP has impacted their church and what it means to their body of believers. We are grateful for both partners but for the many other individual and church partners that enable us, the staff at GAP, to minister as God has called us to.
Saturday afternoon may have been my favorite session of all. It was a luncheon not only for our partners in ministry but also for about 40 GAP families who we invited. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by one of our partnering churches, Dallasburg Baptist Church in Owenton, KY. Dallasburg outdid themselves with delicious food and sacrificial service. We were also blessed to enjoy wonderful music by the talented group Ol’Elkhorn Pickers Club from Frankfort, KY. And that was just the beginning. The best part of the session was a panel discission with 5 of our GAP families. Each of them shared how God is presently using GAP to make a difference in their lives. They had told me how nervous they were to speak in front of such a large crowd but once they began, warmth and loved filled the room and all nerves seemed to disappear. I am so proud of every one of them! Their stories were full of laughter and tears while acknowledging ultimately it is only God who is our strength for each day.
After lunch and saying goodbye to our GAP families, partners were invited to visit each of our different building locations and to participate in a small hands-on mission project at each one. For many people, it was the first time they could see our new Dental Clinic. It was set to open this spring but with a major construction project going on next door we have delayed until our new Distribution/Office Building is complete. Partners also visited Servant’s Heart Lodge, the Warehouse, and Distribution Building.
The evening ended with a catered meal at Fitzpatrick Baptist Church and staff sharing about the direction God is leading GAP into the future. With a clear purpose, mission, and vision, I outlined GAP’s three-year ministry goals we have set that guides us into the next few years. We are excited about starting new ministries and casting new vision for older ones as we follow the Lord’s leading. We also shared about GAP’s new distribution/office building that is currently being built. A permanent home for GAP, a vision of GAP’s cofounders, that is now becoming a reality. All praise be to our God!
The weekend celebration concluded with a Sunday morning worship service lead by Ben Branon and Seth Carter. Ben is the Worship Leader at partnering church Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, and Seth is the pastor of a local partnering church in Paintsville, KY, First Baptist Church. The worship and message were a wonderful ending to a great weekend celebration of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
If you have ever served at GAP, prayed and/or financially partnered with us, or received services at GAP, God has allowed you to become a part of a special family, “the GAP family”. I described the weekend as a big family reunion and it was like that in many ways. It was great to see ones we had not seen in a long time, meet new family we have not met, and we missed many that were not able to join us but have played a vital part in GAP throughout the last 25 years! We laughed, cried, talked about old times, and looked forward to what the Lord has to come. Even if you could not attend, on behalf of the board of directors and the staff, thank you for your faithful partnership in ministry! We celebrate what the Lord has done in and through you.
Amid God’s Appalachian Partnership’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and our largest building project, this summer has been packed full of ministry! In addition to Constructors for Christ who came over 5 weeks bringing 318 volunteers representing 71 churches from 10 different states, we hosted 8 different church teams totaling 96 volunteers from 4 different states.
In May, we had Smoke Rise Baptist Church (Stone Mountain, GA) help us clean out our Maintenance Building which led to something we had never done before. We held a one-day construction material sale, for our GAP families, here at the office with the excess supplies stored in our Maintenance Building. We had everything from lumber, boxes of screws, plumbing supplies, toilets, tubs, and hot water heaters. Various building supplies that our families were able to purchase at a low price and use on their own homes to repair and replace. A college and single adult team from Lawndale Baptist Church (Greenville, NC) was here serving and there was much excitement in the air over the supplies people found and how it was just what each family needed/wanted. It was a blessed opportunity to share how God loves us and provides for our needs.
Pikeville First Baptist Church is a faithful partner of ours and this summer they brought their very first college/young adult group for a week-long trip. This is my family’s and Tanya’s home church, so it was exciting to see Jhaughanessy and Allison participate. The group built a much-needed ramp for a family, served at Distribution, senior citizens, and helped serve supper at the Group Home.
We also had a new church serve alongside us this summer, Crossroads Evangelical Church, from Wauseon, OH. What a blessing this team was with their servant hearts and willing spirits. The team did a home repair that included new windows, bathroom, kitchen sink, and stairs to a side porch. They also served two days of distribution, group home, and senior citizens. They accomplished so much and were such a blessing. We pray we see them again here at GAP!
We continue to minister at the senior citizens building here in McDowell/Minnie, but this summer we were asked to come to another center. The Martin senior citizens center asked if we would come and minister there each week. We only started at the end of July but have had a wonderful time getting to know new people and share with them. We praise God for this new ministry opportunity.
Two teams helped us provide two weeks of Day Camp at Left Beaver Townhouses, Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church (Raliegh, NC) and Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church (Frankfort, KY). The children and families had been looking forward to this all summer and we had a wonderful mixture of both fun and gospel conservations. We had as many as 33 children in attendance.
Our last team for the summer, Across the Map, is more like an associational team. The team is made of members from different churches. This is the third team they have brought in this year. The first was in March, another in June, and then this final team which ministered by doing home repairs for a widowed lady in addition to haircuts during distribution and at the senior citizens center.
Thank you to each of our teams and summer intern, Zach, who ministered with such joy and love. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus in our communities and sharing the Hope of Jesus with our families. Your partnership in ministry is making an impact. Thank you for standing in the GAP.
In 2010, GAP’s cofounders, Angie and Lynn Wagoner had a vision of securing property where God’s Appalachian Partnership could build a permanent ministry home and discontinue having to rent ministry space. The following year, 2011, this vision became a reality when God miraculously provided the land with the generous help of a partner church. Years later in 2018, architectural drawings were created for a distribution/office complex that would allow for ministry growth and expansion. However, it was not God’s time to build. At the beginning of this year, we decided to make some changes to the original architectural drawings and to go ahead and submit them to the state for approval. On March 19, 2024, I received a call from a group from Georgia called Constructors for Christ. Their summer construction project had just fallen through and they were quickly trying to find another building project for this summer. In just a matter of 3 weeks, God had sent back our building permit from the state, and we had committed to start the new building project and host Constructors for Christ for five weeks in June and July. It was God’s time for us to build!
God’s timing is always perfect! At first, I must admit that I was overwhelmed with the thought of a building project plus GAP’s 25th Anniversary Celebration happening all at the same time. No, it is not something I would have ever planned but as I am reminded time and time again, God’s Appalachian Partnership is the Lord’s and I and the other staff are just earthen vessels that are privileged to be used of Him for His glory here.
Prior to the first week of Constructors for Christ, there was a lot of work that needed to be done in preparation. Mainly, we needed to have the footers and foundation completed prior to their arrival. GAP is blessed by a godly man who is a retired local contractor who volunteered to oversee this entire project. His knowledge and expertise are invaluable to us, and we are so grateful for the time and energy that he has given and continues to give to this project. By May 13th the foundation was completed, and we were ready for Constructors for Christ.
The first group of Constructors for Christ arrived on June 16th with servants’ hearts ready to work. Monday through Thursday the groups started at 6:00 am, took a breakfast and lunch break, and did not stop for supper until 6:00 pm and would work half a day on Friday. At the end of week 1, most of all the framing was completed. The group during week 2 arrived and quickly finished the framing and in a day and half set all the trusses. They also began enclosing the building in.
Week 3 group continued to enclose the building, put roofing paper on the roof, and wrap the building. The group on week 4 started pulling electrical wires, putting metal on the sides, and installing vents and soffit. Week 5 was doing insulation, hanging drywall, and continuing to hang metal on the outside of the building.
It is amazing what God accomplished through these men and women in just five weeks! Not only did they labor with such craftmanship at the building site, but many came and served alongside us at the distribution center. Words cannot express the amount of gratitude we have for Constructors for Christ and their hearts for the Lord! Thank you for standing in the GAP.
The Lord continues to work on that which He began. All the data wires have been pulled and insulation hung. Sheetrock has not only been hung but is being finished as I am typing these words. The concrete pads in the back and front are completed and stonework on the front of the building is beautiful. Exterior lights and guttering are complete. The last things we are waiting for on the exterior of the building are the installation of the wood columns on the front, some painting to be done on the front, and the garage door on the back to be installed. I am asked a lot when the building will be completed. I honestly have no idea because if you asked me 5 months ago when we would be starting on the building, I would have said, “Hopefully next year.” I am trusting God for His provision and watching Him work in a way that exceeds me. It’s exciting, stretching, even at times uncomfortable. But this I do know; God’s timing is always perfect and His provision is always sufficient. “Praise be to the Lord God, who alone does marvelous deeds” Psalm 70:4.
There is so much excitement here at God’s Appalachian Partnership as we step out in faith and begin this long-awaited building project. With the help of a partnering church, GAP purchased land to build on in 2011. Ever since then, it has been a dream of one day building a new distribution/office building upon this property called Elk Ridge. Since acquiring the land, the Lord has allowed us to construct a maintenance building upon the property, Mission House that was completed in 2019, and the Dental Clinic that was completed last year.
This new building will allow for the growth of ministry that has occurred over the years, free us from paying monthly rent on a building we have out-grown and will serve the ministry for years to come. The new facility is 3,858 square feet. These images show a rendering of what the outside and inside of the building could look like. Also, you will notice that we have broken ground on this exciting God adventure. This first milestone of foundation work which includes footers, laying blocks, gravel, initial plumbing, concrete slab, and permits will cost $120,000.
We need your help in reaching this first goal of our building project. We have an anonymous donor who will match the first $50,000 of gifts given to the building project. That means your gift is doubled! We invite you to pray and ask the Lord how you can be a part of this exciting moment in GAP history. You can make a one-time gift or you can make monthly gifts designated to the building project. If you would like to make a gift online or set up monthly gifts please hit the Donate Now button at the bottom of the email. For larger gifts please send them directly to GAP, P.O. Box 704, McDowell, KY 41647. Thank you for your partnership in ministry!
Saturday, March 23rd was a cold, wet, windy morning. One of those mornings that is hard to get out of bed, let of lone the house. But on this day, it was God’s Appalachian Partnership’s annual community Easter egg hunt which meant it was an early morning for not only us but many volunteers. We had 38 volunteers drive three hours that morning to help with the ministry event plus 27 volunteers from GA, MO, and local churches. Between the cold and the wind, it was difficult to get excited about the event and I began to wonder if anyone would even show up on such a day.
It stopped raining that morning just in time to start pulling things off the trailer and setting up for the day. The busyness of setup kept me energized but I knew that I needed to pull away and spend a few moments in prayer asking God to focus my heart and attitude. However, being pulled here and there and hearing my name yelled from different directions kept me from taking the necessary time to redirect my heart. Before I knew it, we were an hour into the event, and I found myself standing alone shivering trying to stay warm.
I looked around the park and the attendance was much less than in previous years which I later found out we had 187 in attendance plus volunteers. Honestly, it was much more than I anticipated with the weather that day. I stood at the Truth Pavilion and watched as two boys used their special decoder glasses to discover the truth of Easter, Jesus is Alive! I heard the volunteer ask the boys, “Do you know who Jesus is?” Their blank stares revealed their answer before they said, “no.” Then they were asked, “Do you know who God is?” Their expression changed and they immediately responded, “yes”. The volunteer went on to explain who Jesus is, why we celebrate Easter, and the Gospel.
As I stood there, speechless, observing these 11 year-old and 9 year-old brothers, my heart broke for them. I know their grandma has been to GAP several times and we have shared the Gospel with her. I just could not help but think was this the first time these boys was ever hearing of Jesus? Maybe or maybe not, but even if they had heard of Jesus before they had forgotten who He was. God has used this event, on one of the most uncomfortable days, to remind me not only why God’s Appalachian Partnership is here but why I am here. We are here because people need to know Jesus! And yes, there are people right here in eastern Kentucky that have never heard of Him. Will you partner with us in meeting people at their point of need so they may know Jesus? “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
We all love the smile a gift on Christmas morning brings upon the face of a child. However, it is even more rewarding to see that child carefully and thoughtfully select a gift for their parent, grandparent, or guardian. It is a selfless act that teaches that child how it is better to give than to receive. Parents’ Store is a ministry event of God’s Appalachian Partnership where children ages Head Start to 5th grade shop for 2 adult family members, wrap the gifts themselves, and then take them home to give on Christmas morning. It is a joyfully heartwarming event where we are given the opportunity to present the true meaning of Christmas to the entire family.
This July we are hoping at least 4 churches/small groups will partner with us in this ministry event by participating in what we are calling Christmas in July 2023. Christmas in July 2023 is an opportunity for your church/small group to provide resources needed for this year’s Parents’ Store. We have created gift registries in which individuals or groups can purchase adult men and women gifts for the children to choose from. I wish I could express the care and thought each child puts into selecting their gifts. I can’t help but become just as excited as they are when their face lights up as they bring it to their family. Each year my heart is overwhelmed by the joy this brings to children who are faced with so many difficulties and challenges.
Will you stand in the GAP and partner with us this July? If you would like more information, about Christmas in July 2023, please click here.
We are excited to introduce our two summer interns. Zach Lawson is a member of Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC and has served at God’s Appalachian Partnership the last two summers on short term mission trips with his church. He is an upcoming junior at North Carolina State University majoring in Business. He arrived at GAP May 17th and will be serving as part of our team through August 4th. Zach is doing a wonderful job connecting to our families, ministering to children at the townhouses, and sharing the love of Christ!
Jhaughanessy Morris is a member of First Baptist Church of Pikeville, KY and has served at GAP with her family for the last 9 years. She is an upcoming junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Design. Jhaughanessy joined our team on May 15th and her ministry responsibilities include photography, design, Day Camp, and sharing the love of Christ!
Both of these young adults are doing an amazing job! Last week they led us as staff to have a Day Camp Preview event at the Left Beaver Townhouses. It was a great afternoon of ministry with 22 children in attendance. These interns are a huge blessing, not only to the ministry, but also to our community! Please pray for them as they serve this summer and grow in their relationship in Christ.
We are grateful for every person the Lord brings to us at God’s Appalachian Partnership. Several years ago, I had the honor of befriending a man named Walter. He came to GAP one day, bringing another man who usually rides his bicycle about 12 miles one way to get to our office. I soon discovered that Walter was a writer and used the name “The Hillbilly Poet”. Many of his poems and writings have been published in local publications over the years.
Our friendship has grown over the years, and he calls a couple times a week to share prayer requests, ask a question about the Bible, or just to hear a friendly voice. He and his wife live together in a small one room storage building which they have made into their home. They no longer drive and rarely leave except for an occasional doctor’s appointment. A few weeks ago, Walter called and said he had a problem and needed help. He and his wife are not people who ask for help lightly. Rats had invaded his little house, destroying his stove, electrical wiring, and several other things.
A mission group from Lawndale Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC, answered the call and met Walter’s need. They installed metal underpinning around his house, burying it between 5” to 7”. The couple were so pleased with all the team accomplished in just one day. Walter wrote a poem to express his gratitude. It was published in a surrounding county’s weekly newspaper. Thank you, Lawndale Baptist Church, for sharing the love of Christ! Below is the poem entitled, “Filling the Gap in the Foundation”, written by The Hillbilly Poet.
“The Poet had problems in his foundation leaking rats. God’s Appalachian Partnership sent a crew and repaired it in one day. The GAP director realized there’s no money in poetry, which sets the Poet free. The director didn’t make the Poet beg, but works for a generous God who shares the faith with people like the poor Poet. The Poet says God works through people and thanks God for Lawndale Baptist Mission Team who rescued him. We see God’s work in the people around us.”
The Lord continues to allow us to help families who were affected by the July 2022 flood. Since October 1st, we have hosted nine teams who have worked on rebuild. We have also given away new appliances, mattresses, bedding, cookware, etc. to numerous families. On November 2nd, we hosted a Walmart shopping day at the Pikeville Supercenter for 25 families. Each family was given $400 to send in the store to purchase things they needed for their homes. We had volunteers who served as personal shoppers that walked around with each family helping keep track of the amount of purchases and to share with them the love of Christ! This was GAP’s way of giving them a house warming shower as they moved back into their homes after the flood.
The families were so grateful for this shopping experience and many were moved to tears. One lady asked if she could purchase a Christmas tree for her family since they lost everything during the flood. She was so excited to be able to get curtains, towels, and the Christmas tree pictured above. She sent us this picture of it decorated in our newly rebuilt home. Who would have ever thought that a tree would have brought such joy to a family!
It has been humbling to hear how many of these families have never had a new appliance before the ones we have given them. It is also exciting to sit with a family and allow them to choose their own paint color for their walls, even cabinet color. Something many have never done before. Several are brought to tears and say that they have never had anything this nice. It gives us opportunity to share with them that it is the Lord who is providing all this because of how much He loves and cares for them. Thank you for partnering with us and allowing us to minister to these families. Please continue to pray for the many families in our region who are still displaced due to the July flood. This past week we had heavy rain and high water. Several parents have told us how their children continue to be terrified of the rain as the July flood has scared them. Pray these children will be healed and for their parents as they try to comfort them.
