Layne and Jennie Rogers came to Tennessee to support and love the church. They have been involved in over a dozen church plants, multiple church transitions, and several long-term community projects that support the people of Middle Tennessee in many different ways. Unfortunately, 2018-2019 has been an exceptionally challenging year and we would like to show some love their way. Here are the reasons we are raising money:

Layne and Jennie’s second-oldest daughter, Emma, has been suffering for over a year from a condition called Neurally Mediated Syncope (NMS)  that causes frequent syncopal episodes (sudden, uncontrollable fainting spells) that have resulted in extreme fatigue, migraines, memory loss, and numerous fall-related injuries. Multiple episodes a day are not uncommon. EMT's are frequently called to campus on her behalf, and she has even woken up in random places in the dark on campus with no idea how long she has been there or how she got there. The Rogers are in the process of trying to acquire a motorized wheelchair for Emma (and the means to transport it) so that she can continue attending classes at her university without risking additional falls and injuries. (≈$4000)

In the last few months, their third oldest, Micah, has begun to experience violent nerve pain that causes seizure-like episodes and convulsions. For a two-week period, he lost almost all feeling from the waist down and was unable to walk. Doctors have been unable to diagnose his condition, but are treating it as an autoimmune problem with his nervous system. He has regained feeling in his legs, but they've been unsuccessful in preventing the debilitating and painful convulsions that he suffers multiple times a day. - They could use money to support the multiple doctor visits, food for the family, starting a special diet to address some of this from a gut level, etc. (≈$1000)

While they have been dealing with these chronic health concerns, Williamson County decided not to renew the lease on the property on which Layne and Jennie built the Bit of Earth Community Garden —which was built to minister to the low-income residents of the Franklin Housing Authority—primarily because the Parks and Recreation Department decided they wanted to run the garden themselves. Layne and Jennie stand to lose four years worth of investments: tens of thousands of dollars worth of assets and donations their non-profit has invested in the property, thousands more out of their own pockets—including a tool shed financed by the Rogers family and dozens of custom garden beds that Layne designed and built by hand—and thousands of hours of service spent building and maintaining the garden. The personal monetary investment made by the Rogers family alone is over $7,000, not to mention the over $20,000 in assets they've acquired through donations from their supporters.

They have been heartbroken over the county’s unwillingness to work with them, as are the hundreds of garden members and volunteers who have dedicated time and resources to supporting their ministry. Ideally, they would like to recoup as much as they can so they could feasibly relaunch the garden somewhere else or invest those funds in their other ministry endeavors, without having to fight a legal battle against the county and the local gentrification efforts to take what they've worked so hard to build for the surrounding community. (≈$7,000–10,000)

On top of all this, on February 21st Jennie suffered a severe thrombotic stroke caused by a previously undetected heart defect called a patent foramen oval (PFO) and a genetic Protein S deficiency which caused a clot to lodge in the M1 section of her Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA), resulting in significant physical, cognitive, and emotional impairment. She is currently in the hospital recovering while doctors prepare to repair the PFO, which runs the risk of causing a second stroke. Jennie is experiencing significant confusion and is distressed by the prolonged separation from her ten children, especially three-month-old Noah. She has lost all feeling in her left side and is struggling to communicate her thoughts. Doctors say that she could recover many of her neurological functions with time, but it will be a long healing process and nothing is certain.

In the midst of all these trials, their regular financial support, which enables them to serve in full-time ministry, has been slowly dwindling. The family’s immediate needs include things like gas money for transport to and from the hospital, food for the kids at home, and help with everyday expenses so that they can focus on healing and restoring things to normal.

Understandably, Layne and Jennie are feeling deeply discouraged by the events of the last few months. They have devoted their lives to serving their community and building up the Church and caring for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Their ministry impacts and encourages so many individuals on a daily basis. In this season, they are in desperate need of a reminder that the work they do is important and appreciated and that the community they have cared for stands ready to care for them as well.

Friends, would you be willing to stand in the gap at this time for Layne and Jennie as they recover and rebuild? We are seeking a total of $15,000 to meet immediate needs and those that are presenting themselves in the near future. Layne and Jennie have not asked for this, but a number of friends felt it necessary at this time. Can you help?