Congregations from Florida to Virginia proceed to take care of the fallout of Hurricane Helene and the flooding that adopted. Listed here are updates from a number of congregations on how God has been offering amid the devastation.
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, North Carolina
Steve Mirich is a pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina. His house basement took on 4 ft of flood water combined with heating gasoline from a punctured heating gasoline tank. They’ve pumped out the contaminated water, however the house is uninhabitable due to the fumes. They’re ready to study if the home might be salvageable. Within the meantime, the Mirich youngsters are staying with pals whereas Steve and his spouse keep in a shed on their property.
Covenant didn’t maintain injury, and volunteers from the church made contact with everybody within the church to ensure they had been accounted for and protected. The church physique met Wednesday evening to wish, cook dinner and eat all of the meals from the church’s freezer, accumulate provides, and talk about how the congregation can meet wants locally.
“Now we’re starting to look outdoors the church and ensure everyone seems to be OK,” Mirich stated.
He stated that even within the devastation, there have been glimpses of group. He and his neighbors have gathered collectively each night on the house of a neighbor with a generator to cook dinner their meals collectively. He requested that the PCA would pray that Covenant could be a lightweight to the group.
“Reward God for our security and ask God to assist us be a lightweight in these good works he has ready for us to do,” he stated. “God is nice, even within the devastation, God is nice.”
First Presbyterian Church, Augusta, Georgia
Georgia Energy described Hurricane Helene as “essentially the most harmful hurricane within the firm’s historical past.” Augusta, Georgia skilled widespread injury. Mike Hearon, lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, shared that roughly 100 households from their church have important property injury to their house, and about 25 households within the church suffered the lack of their houses from the storm. The church has offered area for MNA to make use of as a staging space for his or her aid efforts within the area.
Different PCA church buildings have additionally reached out to assist First Pres. Volunteers from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Athens introduced a truckload of provides, together with energy tools for cleanup. Perimeter Church reached out and provided to rearrange momentary housing for members who want shelter.
Hazelwood Presbyterian Church, Waynesville, North Carolina
Hazelwood Presbyterian Church in Waynesville, North Carolina sustained some injury, together with flooded basements, mud strewn throughout the parking zone, and a few blocked walkways. Senior Pastor Steve Muzio stated the church held worship on September 29, although many members had bother making it to church attributable to blocked roads.
Many of the church’s members had been mildly inconvenienced by misplaced energy and water and annoyed by utter lack of communication skills/connectivity. One household had extra important injury. As a consequence of poor communication companies and the dearth of obtainable gasoline, church leaders weren’t capable of join with everybody straight away. At this level, they imagine everybody within the church is accounted for and all are in first rate form as energy and water companies resume.
The congregation is now turning in direction of serving to the neighborhood. In keeping with Pastor Muzio, “We’re in a low-lying space with a excessive water desk and lots of houses across the church had been flooded considerably. On Thursday the church started distributing necessities and can begin determining find out how to come alongside households outdoors the church.” Muzio thanked the PCA for praying for the Waynesville group.
Seven Rivers Church, Lecanto, Florida
Hurricane Helene resulted within the worst flooding on report within the communities round Seven Rivers Church. Greater than 60 church members had been impacted. A single mother with two youngsters dwelling in an house advanced needed to be rescued. A newly married younger couple who had simply completed renovating their first house bought 5 ft of water. A workers member has determined they will degree their home because of the injury. An elder misplaced his enterprise and rental property. These few examples are consultant of the misery skilled by many households and companies throughout the group.
In keeping with Senior Pastor Brandon Lauranzon, “Within the midst of the devastation, now we have seen many examples of God at work. Groups of males, girls, and kids went out from the church on Saturday and Sunday to start cleansing up and praying with those that are hurting. The mayor of Crystal River is a member, and he has demonstrated extraordinary management and compassion. Seven Rivers exists to deliver the therapeutic love of Jesus to damaged folks and damaged locations. We imagine that it’s in moments like these, the hope of the gospel shines brightest. Please pray that many come to religion and the dominion of God expands in Citrus County by means of the continued outreach of our folks for weeks and months to come back.”
Fairview Fellowship Christian Church, Fairview, North Carolina
Fairview Christian Fellowship Church is in one of many hardest-hit areas of Highlands County, North Carolina. With no electrical energy and spotty mobile reception, Pastor Trevor Allen had no manner of letting folks know whether or not there could be a worship service on September 29, however 18 folks confirmed up anyway. They sang and prayed collectively, celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and listened to a sermon from Matthew 14.
Many church members stay trapped by downed timber and washed out roads, and Fairview Christian Fellowship is getting meals and water to them. The house that sustained the worst injury was Allen’s, which had two oak timber fall throughout their lounge. The household huddled below the eating room desk for cover. Their neighborhood creek swelled from three ft to 22 ft, and the Fairview Hearth Division needed to rescue the household. A burst dam close by created a mudslide that missed the Allen home, however has claimed at the very least 44 lives.
Fairview Christian Fellowship has become a distribution heart, offering water, meals and toiletries to residents. Church members are capable of discuss and pray with traumatized neighbors, a lot of whom arrive on the church after being rescued by the Fairview Hearth Division.
Allen requested folks to wish that the church would deliver each bodily and religious nourishment to the Fairview group. “We wish to level folks to waters that circulate from the throne of grace that don’t destroy, however raise them up. I would like folks to know the Lord by means of this,” he stated.
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