Are We Sending A Team?
With the heart-rending news reports coming in all the time from New Orleans and Mississippi, there's a question that I'm getting asked all the time? Are We Sending A Team?
Now this is not just coming from people who are a part of Grace Church, it's being asked by those who don't come to our services but clearly know what we're about. And the answer is "Yes!". Of course we are. This is what we do.
Don't get me wrong, we're not looking for people to fly into who knows where, drive along non-existent highways and go dredging through flood waters for victims and survivors. The professionals are doing that. But when the dust has settled and the immediate response teams and charities have gone home, thousands of people are going to need help putting their lives back together.
So here's the plan -
+ On Sunday September 11th, we will be receiving a special offering that will open a fund for Hurricane Relief in the Gulf Region. So if members of your family or the people where you work are wondering what to do, here's the answer. In fact, why no be pro-active and initiate a collection for our relief fund?
+ We have registered with several agencies and are actively doing all we can to stay abreast of things so that when we find openings for hands-on involvement, we can send people to help and give them the funds we have accumulated so that they can disperse them.
That strategy worked well in our Tsunami Relief efforts and today there are families in Banda Aceh who will have their homes rebuilt because we got involved. Sadly, for all the billions pledged by governments and donated to aid agencies, nothing has reached the hundreds of thousands who are still homeless, living in the rubble of Banda.
In this domestic disaster, we are looking for hands-on involvement and a real investement in the lives of others who are hurting terribly right now. So that's the strategy. Collect resources and then send people.
That's what we do at Grace - but the concept is not original. It all started with a guy called Jesus!
Now this is not just coming from people who are a part of Grace Church, it's being asked by those who don't come to our services but clearly know what we're about. And the answer is "Yes!". Of course we are. This is what we do.
Don't get me wrong, we're not looking for people to fly into who knows where, drive along non-existent highways and go dredging through flood waters for victims and survivors. The professionals are doing that. But when the dust has settled and the immediate response teams and charities have gone home, thousands of people are going to need help putting their lives back together.
So here's the plan -
+ On Sunday September 11th, we will be receiving a special offering that will open a fund for Hurricane Relief in the Gulf Region. So if members of your family or the people where you work are wondering what to do, here's the answer. In fact, why no be pro-active and initiate a collection for our relief fund?
+ We have registered with several agencies and are actively doing all we can to stay abreast of things so that when we find openings for hands-on involvement, we can send people to help and give them the funds we have accumulated so that they can disperse them.
That strategy worked well in our Tsunami Relief efforts and today there are families in Banda Aceh who will have their homes rebuilt because we got involved. Sadly, for all the billions pledged by governments and donated to aid agencies, nothing has reached the hundreds of thousands who are still homeless, living in the rubble of Banda.
In this domestic disaster, we are looking for hands-on involvement and a real investement in the lives of others who are hurting terribly right now. So that's the strategy. Collect resources and then send people.
That's what we do at Grace - but the concept is not original. It all started with a guy called Jesus!
posted by Roger Blackmore | 12:19 PM
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