Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday evening on the Florida coast and left a path of catastrophe throughout the southeast because it moved by means of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Many residents stay with out water, energy, and entry to cellphone networks. The loss of life toll has already reached 84 and can possible climb as emergency crews clear roadways and restore communication service.
A number of PCA congregations have been impacted, most having to cancel or alter their regular Sunday morning actions, and a few already becoming a member of the reduction work.
The western area of North Carolina seems to be significantly devastated. Scott Stewart pastors Crosspoint Church (PCA) in Boone, North Carolina. His house suffered water harm and downed bushes, and as of Sunday evening, his household nonetheless didn’t have energy or water. He is aware of of 1 household from the church that was stranded at their house after their highway washed out. Stewart stated the household managed to hike just a few miles to neighboring properties to entry energy and water.
The church opened its doorways on Sunday for a casual service of prayer and worship.
“It was actually simply an opportunity for our folks to see one another and pray for each other,” Stewart says. “Folks lingered for fairly some time after the service.”
Whereas the city of Boone had in depth flooding, mudslides destroyed a number of properties exterior of city. Crews haven’t been in a position to decide the total extent of the devastation. Boone sits just some miles from the headquarters of the catastrophe response ministry Samaritan’s Purse, and Stewart is grateful for the church’s shut proximity to assist.
“This occasion has additionally introduced church buildings locally collectively, discovering methods to collaborate as we assist the city get well,” he says.
Many cities within the mountains of North Carolina seem to have suffered flood harm. An aerial picture of Waynesville, North Carolina, reveals Hazelwood Presbyterian Church surrounded by flood waters. Patrick Womack grew up at Hazelwood Presbyterian and served as its pastor for 10 years.
He informed byFaith, “My household has been in Haywood County for eight generations, and I listened to many, many tales once I was rising up. I by no means heard a couple of flood this extreme.”
Many PCA church buildings within the pathway of the storm canceled companies as a consequence of storm harm or no electrical energy. Congregations like Redeemer Presbyterian in Valdosta, Georgia, New Covenant Presbyterian in Aiken, South Carolina, and Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, all canceled companies. Friendship Presbyterian Church in Laurens, South Carolina was pressured to cancel companies as a consequence of downed energy strains and bushes throughout the church property.
Not less than 10 church buildings in South Carolina held worship companies with out energy. Church buildings like New Hope Presbyterian in Abbeville met indoors, and Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville met outdoor whereas coping with a scarcity of electrical energy. Members of North Augusta Fellowship in North Augusta gathered on the house of their pastor, Jason Cornwell, for a yard service. Numerous congregations shortened their worship companies to accommodate having fewer volunteers out there to assist with Sunday faculty and nursery ministries.
In Florida, Seven Rivers Church invited church members to make use of their Sunday for service initiatives. Folks have been invited to come back to Sunday morning worship service with a packed lunch and work gloves. Afterwards, the church despatched out groups to help group members with clean-up.
Redeemer in Valdosta can be serving as the bottom camp for the Rebuilding Hope Ministries’ reduction work in Valdosta.
Mission to North America’s Catastrophe Response has deployed first responder groups to multiple locations throughout the area, bringing with them essential provides from the Catastrophe Response warehouse in Rome, Georgia. Groups of educated “chainsaw armies” have additionally been mobilized to help in a number of the more durable hit areas, together with out of Antioch PCA in Greer, South Carolina and First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia. Catastrophe Response is sending flood reduction kits to church buildings like St. Pete PCA in St. Petersburg, Florida, hit by flooding. The group additionally delivered a cell generator and cell showers to church buildings that may host reduction crews.
Church buildings in want of help can contact Sherri Lanier.
In keeping with its most recent email, one of the best ways to assist Catastrophe Response proper now could be “a monetary reward to facilitate the motion of mission essential property. … The funds might be used to move mission essential provides and tools to help PCA congregations, to supply workers help to congregations affected, to satisfy insurance coverage deductibles, to buy reduction provides, and many others.” Donations may be made here.
Andy Jones is editor of byFaith
