Michigan Mission Trip 2010

by Miranda Manus

On June 19th-26th, myself as well as eight others (Brian Manus, Bill Kaufman, Randy and Debbie Kidd, Debbie Bradford, Maeve Brackin and Dee and Fuzzy Johnson) embarked on our journey to Pellston, Michigan, leaving the church at 6 am. We drove about seven hours and stopped at a quaint little eatery in Indiana. There we celebrated Fuzzy Johnson's birthday. We drove until about 8 pm that evening and stopped in Charlotte, Michigan about six hours from Pellston. The next morning we left around 7 am and headed to Pellston, Michigan, the "Icebox Capital of the Nation". (It's gets very cold there.) We arrived at Grace Community Church at approximately 2 pm and got busy decorating for Vacation Bible School (VBS) the next day. More . . .

Habitat for Humanity Home

by John Vaughn

This Spring, members of Southside Baptist church participated with four other churches in building a house for LaVera King and her three year old daughter, Gabrielle. During this spring build we had a number of Southside members helping out at the home site building the house as well as others who provided food and refreshments for the volunteers from time to time. The building of the house started in mid March in the Habitat Warehouse located at the corner of Pratt and Washington. We cut lumber for the house and then assembled the cut lumber into prefabbed walls for the house. We then moved the wall sections by truck to the site. Once the foundation was ready, we had a wall raising ceremony and began house construction. Unlike previous Habitat houses, this house has a one car garage and a brick fascia to match the decor of the existing neighborhood.

On July 24th, 2010 we dedicated this house to the King family with prayers for the family, a Bible presentation, a Habitat plaque for the house and then the keys were presented to the new home owner.

Habitat for Humanity provides low cost housing to deserving families. The owner has to provide 350 hours of sweat equity along with a small down payment before they can move into the house. During the year before they receive their house, they attend a number of classes to help them to be responsible home owners. These classes are focused on helping them learn to budget their resources, deal with the community and maintain their home. They purchase the house through a 20 year no interest mortgage for the bare cost of the house. No labor is included as it is built by volunteers. The entire process of becoming responsible home owners is structured to help each new home owner by giving them a hand up, not a hand out. It is a wonderful program and we would love for more of our Southside family to get involved in this very worthwhile local mission. More . . .