God is continuing to move in our efforts to create a free community medical clinic. We recently had more items donated to help us provide dental care, including two dental carts and dental assistant carts, dental lights, x-ray viewers, compressor and sterilizer.
We are still seeking a permanent place to hold the future clinic, but in the meantime we have preliminary plans drawn up for a 50 by 100 foot building that will be added on to the back of our new “Current” outreach facility that is being constructed. Half of this secondary building will be used for children’s church, and the other half will serve as our temporary medical clinic once it is finished.
Please pray with us during these hard economic times that we will be able to help one another and follow God’s plan for our community. There will be a future meeting for anyone looking to be involved in any way with this project, whether you would like to donate, volunteer to do medical work or offer your assistance in other areas. Please check back in the near future for more details. If you are interested helping out, please sign up HERE and provide us with your contact information.
Van Buren Community Medical Clinic
In the past few years the number of Americans who can afford health care has drastically decreased as prices rise. According to The Boston Globe, 47 million Americans are without health insurance. In order to combat this problem in our community, several individuals from Butterfield Church and the city of Van Buren have pulled together to begin developing a free community medical clinic.
Nearly one year ago, Pastor Kevin Hardcastle of “The Current” outreach ministry and Pastor Ronnie Gilmore of Butterfield Church shared their common vision with one another of reaching out to those in the public who cannot afford preventative health care.
“God confirmed this vision for me one day. I was visiting someone in an emergency situation and noticed a young mother who had a sick baby and could not receive treatment for her child,” explained Pastor Gilmore. “It broke my heart when the mother went back to her car and cried while she held her baby because she couldn’t get the help she needed.”
According to Pastor Gilmore, he and the church deacon board waited patiently for God to give them direction on the next step to take with the medical clinic.
“When we first discussed this possibility, we didn’t have a building or the needed equipment. Then, at the end of May, Dr. Peyton Miller, who closed his business in May (Crawford Kid’s Care), donated all of his medical equipment toward this project.”
Among the many items Dr. Joan and Peyton Miller donated are an x-ray machine and processor, three exam tables and one hydraulic table, full emergency equipment, including a defibrillator, EKG machine, phone system as well as office chairs and desks.
“My preference was to stay in business, but I decided it was part of God’s plan for us to close. I had no desire to sell the equipment, and so we donated all of it because this is something the community needs,” said Miller. “This clinic will not just be for the poor. There is a huge group of middle class people that don’t have insurance, and there are even some that do who are scared to go to the doctor because their co pay is so high.”
Pastor Gilmore said he expects to see the Van Buren Community Medical Clinic offer preventative care such as medical, dental, speech therapy, chiropractic, and most importantly, spiritual help. He hopes to start out by opening the doors to the clinic at least once and month and growing as resources and volunteers become available.
“God has a plan for all of us and will direct us. When He says move, we will move. We’re planning but God has to do the rest,” said Pastor Gilmore.
Although most of the necessary equipment to begin a medical clinic has been donated, there is still a great need for a location and a building to put the clinic as well as volunteers to help run it. If you are interested in volunteering or getting involved in this project (even if you do not attend Butterfield Church), we will be holding a meeting in the near future. Be watching the bulletin or the Web site for information on the time, date and location of the meeting. You can also call our church office for more information at (479) 474-4410.
Copyright 2010 Butterfield Church Productions, Butterfield Assembly of God Church 1302 N. 30th Street, Van Buren AR 72956, 479-474-4410
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In the past few years the number of Americans who can afford health care has drastically decreased as prices rise. According to The Boston Globe, 47 million Americans are without health insurance. In order to combat this problem in our community, several individuals from Butterfield Church and the city of Van Buren have pulled together to begin developing a free community medical clinic.
“God confirmed this vision for me one day. I was visiting someone in an emergency situation and noticed a young mother who had a sick baby and could not receive treatment for her child,” explained Pastor Gilmore. “It broke my heart when the mother went back to her car and cried while she held her baby because she couldn’t get the help she needed.”
Among the many items Dr. Joan and Peyton Miller donated are an x-ray machine and processor, three exam tables and one hydraulic table, full emergency equipment, including a defibrillator, EKG machine, phone system as well as office chairs and desks.