C4C
Congregations For Children (C4C) is a state-wide initiative of the United Methodist Church focused on addressing child poverty in North Carolina through the development of partnerships between United Methodist churches and public schools in their local communities. WEUMC is currently partnering with West End Elementary School.
In North Carolina, poverty is strongly skewed by geography. Rural and eastern parts of the state are plagued by persistent generational poverty. While urban and suburban areas experience lower overall poverty rates, they house deep pockets of poverty that erode economic opportunity.
81% of NC households receiving food assistance don't know where their next meal is coming for.
75% of households served by food banks have had to choose between buying food and heating their homes.
61% of families served by food banks have been forced to choose between paying for food or paying for housing.
2013-14 study showed that poverty rates affect how well children do in school. The church has an opportunity to improve the K-3 literacy, provide basic resources for students and help increase parent involvement. In doing so, C4C can help break the poverty cycle in which many students are stuck. This provides an opportunity for the church to engage the school - which can be considered a microcosm of the community - and love our neighbor well.
Nursery and Sunday school
For the younger children, we provide a staffed nursery during both church services as well as during Sunday school and special occasions. Each week during our 11:00 service, we have a short children's sermon that is always a delight and learning experience for us all. Our annual Vacation Bible School is organized for children was well.