The Taunton Family Children’s Home

The rebuilding project is coming along quite nicely.  The facility is close to being “Dried In” with a volunteer group from FYFFE BAPTIST CHURCH from Fyffe, Alabama along with David O’Barr’s roofing team and a volunteer group from Tyndall AFB working last week to install Metal Roofing. They were able to apply about 2/3 of the roofing and hope to get a lot of it done this next Saturday.

We’ve had numerous groups coming to pitch in and help.  The Tyndall Air Force Base Employees group has been several times and have been a tremendous help.  The groups along with our “Taunton Boys” and Gary Adkinson have made great progress.  We’re so very thankful to all who have helped make the rebuilding a reality.

Many of you have donated to the rebuilding project, without you this would not be possible.  All of you have been so generous and we really appreciate each of you.

If you get a chance to come and help we’d love to have you participate or just to come by and see the progress.

We now have a Facebook page that I am working on.  It is easier to place photos and I will attempt to keep it up to date with photos of the rebuilding and workdays, please check it out.

Immanuel Baptist of Hokes Bluff, AL and Christian Evangalism in Frontier Areas, Bethalto, IL worked together to provide the first week of Summer Camp.  It was an “All Star Camp” with soccer and music highlighting the week.  We had about 50 children to attend and everyone had a great time.

Nightly youth services were a hugh success, we were rained out several nights and had to move indoors but we were blessed each night.  Several came to accept Jesus and some to recommit their lives.  

Friday night was a fun-filled adventure.  There were snow cones, hotdogs, a dunking booth and inflatables for the kids to enjoy. A Taunton World Soccer Cup match was held for each age group and a musical show preformed for our pleasure.  Dustin, a youth pastor from Gadsden, AL did a wonderful job of bringing the Gospel to our young people in ways that spoke to their hearts.

Others worked on the new home and other work projects.  Altogether it was a great week!

A special thanks to Greg Walker and David Runyan who headed up these two great groups.

Cove Creek Baptist did a marvelous job helping to prepare for Summer Camp.  They spent the week of June 22nd with us and worked on many different projects.  Their main project was the temporary stage which will accomodate the music and speakers for our youth revival.  The revival will run each night of the two camp weeks.  It was hot, hard work but the end result was well worth it.  

Lots of yard work and some work on the new home were also accomplished by this wonderful group. They also put in new flower beds at the golf building and cleared out the old fencing there in order to make parking space.

Late afternoons and evenings found them enjoying Lake Mary and the Putt-Putt course.  

Thanks Cove Creek!

Farmstead Baptist, Jasper, Alabama has once again made a tremendous impact at the Children’s Home during their recent work week.  On June 13th they began to arrive, ready to work and minister to the children.  What a tremendous impact they made in one week.  

The group worked on the framing of the back section of the new gym, laid blocks, worked on fencing, helped to form the slab for the house, provided a mini VBS for our children, held Bible Studies and fed everyone regularly.  From the youngest to the oldest they worked hard during the hottest week we’ve had in a long time.  The heat index was above 100 degrees everyday.

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On Saturday, June 27th we will have a “Barnraising”.  The walls of the new home will be erected as well as parts of the gym.  There will be lots of work to do and plenty for all who would like to be involved in this project.

At 4:00 we will have music and food in the form of a fundraiser.  The facilities will be open for tours.  We invite you to come and see what’s going on at the Children’s Home.  The facilities have undergone some remarkable changes thanks to all the volunteer groups that have been here to work.

Come help, visit, eat supper and enjoy the music!

For more info please contact us at 850-639-5031 or 639-2337.

The year of 2008 ended on a sad note for us at Taunton Family Children’s Home.  The main home along with the gym burned to the ground around 4:00 am.  No one was injured!  Praise God! We (David & Abby) were on the way home from our cabin in Tennessee, where we’d spent a few days, with a few of the children from our home, our adult children and grandchildren when we received the call.  After making sure that everyone was safe there was plenty of time to reflect on the 10 hour drive home.  

We were so thankful that no one was hurt that it was hard to mourn.  There were three volunteers in the home, they escaped with no injuries.  We did pretty well on the way home talking with our adult children who came home early and were there to keep us posted on the fire and to assist in anyway.  Our arrival was tough but there were so many friends and family there to support and comfort us, we were blessed.

We are trying to adjust and busy working on plans to rebuild.  This will take everyone helping just as it did when the home was first built, lots of fundraising and lots of hammers.  

We are okay!  God has a plan!  We feel like something good will come of this tragedy.

Please keep us in your prayers.

For More Info see the Links under Local News Coverage. (Search Taunton)

Northside Baptist Church of Panama City has recently completed their 5th workday on the amphitheater project.  They have completed decking the wooden portion of the amphitheater seating.  What a talented group and such hard workers.  We’ve been very blessed by this group of men.  

On a recent trip two of their members gave us aerials of the amphitheater project, as you can see they really show the progress and the promise of the project.  Thanks so much guys!

We’ve been so blessed this year with Santa’s helpers.  Everyone has pitched in to make sure the children have a wonderful Christmas.  We really appreciate each individual and group who has offered to help.  Christmas will be another joyous event for our children thanks to you all.

The children along with our church kids are working hard on a Christmas Musical/Drama entitled “Operation Holly”.  The theme of the play is that a group of children are working hard gathering things for underpriviledged children so that they can have Christmas too.  Our children and church are involved in making sure that happens in our local community too.  The play should be great, if you are in the area we invite you to join us on Sunday night December 21st at 6:00.

Merry Christmas!

Luverne and Elba Methodist Churches were with us for a short time, July 17 - 19, ut all those that were at TFCH will forever remember these three days.  Youth Pastors, Joe Driver (Luverne), Scott Batson and Rene Zeringue (Elba) brought a group of 25, mostly teenagers, along with several college students to the Children’s Home.

Everyone worked hard during the mornings, getting the yard and grounds at the Home in immaculate condition.  Afternoons were spent playing with the children.  Lake Mary, with its beautiful beach was a favorite recreational spot.  Many enjoyed Beach Volleyball.

However, it was what happened in the evenings that were most impressive.  Beginning at 8:00, everyone gathered together to listen to a talented trio made up of college students from Troy University.  Following the inspirational music, each night a different youth speaker addressed the young people with powerful, moving messages.

Saturday nights’ youth service was truly an experience that will never be forgotten by those in attendance. God’s presence so saturated the building that hearts were filled with joy unspeakable. Our own Jackson Vine Rona & Stuart’s son) accepted Christ.  Many lives were rededicated.

These groups already are planning to be back next year!  Thanks to one and all, and thanks be to God!

Northside Baptist Church of Panama City has once again blessed us with a hard day’s work on the Summer Camp Project.  Their men’s mission work team under the leadership of Earl Fillingjim hit the ground running on July 19th.  This was their third trip to work on this project, they can get an amazing amount of work done in one day.  Northside has taken a special interest in getting the wooden portion of the Amphitheater seating completed.  Their talented carpenters have almost finished this project, one more days work will probably see this job done.  Thanks Northside for a job well done.