What is it like to go through the Connect Church Program? For members of the Elk Park United Methodist Church under the leadership of Pastor Brent Nidiffer, “It was like going through labor and giving birth.”
Launched in 2023, the church’s Avery Connect pairs junior and senior high school students looking to stay in the area with local employers searching to hire in a very tight labor market. The faith-based initiative offers a seven-week paid summer apprenticeship that includes a one-week life skills course.
The end-result is a win-win for both parties, but the birth of the program required a commitment far greater than the members of the small Appalachian church ever thought possible.
Blue Ridge Mountain Church
Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Elk Park UMC used to be a thriving community church.
“It was kind of the beacon of the community with a huge youth program,” said Connect Church team member Sara Masters. “Over the years, membership has dwindled.”
After moving to the area from Charlotte, Masters joined the church five years ago when there were approximately 14 members. She was truly impressed by the church’s unwavering dedication to following Christ’s teachings.
“We wanted to bring more people into our church community, but they weren’t coming,” the former nurse explained. “We welcome everyone into our church. Jesus taught us to go out into the community, serve, and be the hands and feet of God. So, this small church has taken on many different initiatives to serve whenever a need arises.”
It started Connect Church at the beginning of 2022 after then Pastor Rhonda Campbell approached members about entering the program.
“We are a small church. We wanted to do more outreach, so this came along at the right time. Certainly, the $15,000 Connect Church grant was a tremendous benefit because we don’t have a lot of resources. We had no idea what we were in for. We just had faith and jumped in,” Masters said.
Serving a Diverse Community
Avery County is an extremely economically diverse community, from people who financially struggle to those having plentiful resources.
“Amazingly, it works incredibly well,” Masters said. “People here are proud. They don’t ask for help easily. We’ve seen that with Hurricane Helene. We had to load up four-wheelers and take stuff to their homes in order for them to get the resources they need.”
During the program’s birthing process, guided by Heather Kilbourne, senior director of the Faith in Rural Communities initiative at the NC Rural Center, team members identified a critical shortage of skilled labor across industries in the county. Additionally, young adults were leaving the community at an alarming rate.
“We worked closely with Heather on a monthly basis until we developed our plan. We were continuously told to trust the process because there was a purpose to it,” Masters said.
With the help of the Rural Center, the team developed a program to attract young people to explore possible career options and fill needed skills within the local community. With funds from the Connect program, it pays students to attend a one-week life skills course, provides tools and uniforms needed for their jobs, and then supports the employers by paying for half of the student’s summer wages.
Additionally, students are paired with community mentors who provide ongoing support throughout the program.
Avery Connect
Preparation for the one-week student course was coordinated by Masters and Myra Brinkley, another church member and retired teacher. Keith Campbell, along with other community volunteers, teaches one of the classes in the course. The program provided instruction to students in skills such as interviewing, resume writing, job searching, time management, and financial literacy.
“My primary role has been to develop and teach the program content to students,” said Campbell, who is vice president of Global Scholars and whose wife, Rhonda, served as minister of the church. “We walk the students through making a resume and practice interviewing for a job.”
The native North Carolinian explained that the Connect Church process helped church members define the life skills that 16- and 17-year-old kids need as adults.
“We talk about the importance of time management, financial development and even about planning early for retirement,” he said. “These are common life skills instrumental in helping them remain in our community and influencing our community as healthy adults.”
A Growing Program
After starting with two students the first year and growing to eight the second, Avery Connect will have 12 participants this coming summer.
“I not only think the growth is sustainable, I think it’s scalable,” Campbell said. “We’re teaching these students to become healthy adults who can achieve a successful life. This program can easily be replicated well beyond this region and was part of the original mindset when the team created the program.”
Charley Dearmin, the Avery Connect team chair, has had a 35-year career with Mountain Heritage Systems. His strong connection with local businesses has been crucial in helping the program establish the critical link between students and job opportunities.
“Nothing can prepare a young person for the real world except the real world. To watch the fearful and bewildered face at the initial meeting with their employer turn to a confident, bright smile by the end of the summer is awesome.”
Charley Dearmin, Avery Connect team chair
“Nothing can prepare a young person for the real world except the real world,” Dearmin said. “Easing students into a job with attainable expectations, makes the transition practicable, confident and probable. To watch the fearful and bewildered face at the initial meeting with their employer turn to a confident, bright smile by the end of the summer is awesome.”
Dearmin shed light on the significant community challenges facing his hometown, including drug and homelessness issues.
“This program is aimed at providing direction and opportunities for local youth when they often feel none exists.”
“Up here in our mountain community, we have a lot of really good businesses. They see the declining number of students in their high schools, the declining number of kids staying after graduation, and they see the rising problem with drugs. We haven’t talked to a single person on the business side that has not been anything but complimentary and supportive of the pathway we’re trying to take.”
Labor Crisis
“Skilled labor is getting harder and harder to find,” said John Hicks, owner of New Look Construction. “Somebody’s got to be doing these trades 20 years from now. You got to find people willing to do this work.”
New Look Construction, which focuses on residential construction and renovations in Avery County, was one of the first area businesses to sign onto the Elk Park UMC’s program.
During his junior year at Avery County High School, Kade Barnett knew he wanted to stay in the area. One of his high school teachers persuaded him to explore the new apprenticeship program.
“I had a woodworking teacher that recommended me to Avery Connect,” said Barnett, while working on a hilltop house restoration on a freezing morning. “I was 17 when he gave me a flyer and told me to email them if I wanted a summer job. John gave me this awesome experience. I wanted to do it again after high school because I didn’t want to go to college. I didn’t want to spend money and time doing something I didn’t like.”
“We are a pretty small church – you can’t get much smaller than we are. But you know, if we can do it, others should be able to as well. And we’re here to help.”
Sara Masters, Elk Park UMC
“When Kade interned during that first summer, he was very, very green,” said Hicks about his first program apprentice. “But he’s very intelligent. He caught on real quick. We’ve paired him with other, better-quality carpenters, and he’s learned and done real well.”
The construction company owner realizes the program might not be for everyone. “When I hired Kade, I had two other boys right out of high school that also worked for us, but the job wasn’t right for them. This program gives kids the opportunity to come in and work to see whether or not they want to proceed with this career.”
Elk Park UMC’s Connect Church program Avery Connect has allowed Kade Barnett to live and work in the part of North Carolina he loves the most, and John Hicks to find a valuable asset for his construction business. The church is exploring ways to expand the program to other communities to create similar success stories.
“We’ve applied for a grant to get strategic planning, somebody that can help us look at how to expand the program forward,” said Masters, sitting on a bench in the church’s basement. “We’re grateful for the funding we’ve received from the NC Rural Center and Duke Endowment, but we need to develop a sustainable stream of income if we are to expand the program.”
Masters admits that the interest is out there. Nearby Mitchell County has already expressed interest in creating a similar program and will pilot a program in collaboration with Avery Connect this summer.
“We are a pretty small church – you can’t get much smaller than we are. But you know, if we can do it, others should be able to as well. And we’re here to help,” she said. “I’d love to see the Rural Center bring Connect Church back to help us move forward in our journey – a rebirth into a larger, broader community.”