Would your church be interested sending a team to N.O?

Here is a contact for fundamental independent Baptists who want to help born again believers and local churches. I know this is a lengthy post, but it gives important informaton. IFBs who want to make a contribution.


Operation Renewed Hope

Many of you have seen the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and might be wondering how you can help. Because the WFBC churches are independent, it can be difficult to find an organized way to help through the auspices of a Baptist organization. I would encourage you to challenge your congregations to step up and help other like minded churches not only meet the physical needs of this devastated area, but to reach out and provide a reason for the hope that we have in Christ.


"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." -2 Cor. 5:1

"Operation Renewed Hope", a ministry affiliated with the FBF international, and operated under Tri-City Baptist Church in Kansas City Missouri, is mounting a campaign to provide help and supplies directly to Baptist Churches in the path of Katrina, and to help them reach out with the physical and spiritual help their communities need.

ORH needs your help! In consolidating the efforts of many different churches, they can provide much needed supplies, funds, and assistance to those in the devastated areas of the gulf coast. They are looking for many different types of help, including:

- Working capital so that we can begin to place workers into the area to assess and help the people.
- Churches interested in involvement to prepare teams of clean-up people ready to move into the areas to help with clean-up efforts.
- Churches interested in producing "Hope Boxes" for those in need to eMail us immediately with the following information:

* Church name & address
* Contact name, telephone and/or cell number
* Contact eMail address

For Detailed information on exactly what you can do to help, click here.
Or email the organizers at [email protected]

As Paul encouraged the Corinthians, "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:" - 2 Cor. 8:13-14. Please pray for these efforts, and encourage your churches to put their skills and resources to use in the relief of fellow believers.

Here is a report from Todd Sasek of Southland Camp in LA, which is cooperating with ORH in the relief efforts.

The destruction from Gulfport to the Mississippi border is impossible to put into words. Pictures and aerial views do not even come close to capturing the amount of COMPLETE devastation and loss of life and buildings. Temple Baptist Church, pastor Steven Crane has lost the whole front of their building. They recently lost their building from a tornado. Bible Baptist Church, Pastor Harold Payne Lost the Front of their 4 year old building.


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I visited Central Baptist Church in Hattiesburg on Monday, 9/5. Although their power is out, they are set up as a distribution site. I provided them with 2 generators. Hattiesburg suffered severe wind damage. Central has no external damage but they did have moderate flooding. I instructed them to remove the carpet from their offices immediately as it sat in water for over 3 days with no attention. They are waiting for insurance adjuster. They are able to store and distribute very large quantities of food and water. Central had their power restored Tuesday afternoon. I instructed them to let church and school staff members use the generators until Thursday or Friday when I will pick them up and deliver them farther south.

Bob Simpson with First Baptist of Arcola is still without power (as of Tuesday night 9/6). Bob is still willing to store and distribute goods (he is an hour NW of Slidell) but he is not set up to handle people yet.

We will be staging work groups from Lighthouse Baptist Church, Pastor Denny Winborne in Slidell. His power was restored Tuesday afternoon. He has moderate roof damage and flooded offices. We are taking a work group from Tri-City to Lighthouse on Thursday morning. They will be staying at the church and taking care of their own meals. They will be assessing the roof damage and necessary materials to repair, tearing out all carpet in the flooded areas, clearing downed trees and trash on the church property, and clearing trees from the pastors home property and helping to repair or secure his damaged shed. They will also be going to Community Baptist Church, Slidell, pastor Mike Harrigan and helping to assess his needs. His church was flooded and they have no flood insurance. They were removing the carpet on Wednesday 9/7 and trying to remove the mold and mildew throughout their building. Part of the sanctuary floor needs to be rebuilt and raised. The pastor’s home has minimal roof damage and several trees that will be removed.

The destruction from Gulfport to the Mississippi border is impossible to put into words. Pictures and aerial views do not even come close to capturing the amount of COMPLETE devastation and loss of life and buildings. Temple Baptist Church, pastor Steven Crane has lost the whole front of their building. They recently lost their building from a tornado. Bible Baptist Church, Pastor Harold Payne Lost the Front of their 4 year old building.

Pastor Dan Carr, Faith Baptist Church is doing a great work. They are still without power but they have been providing goods to people for several days already. He will take and distribute anything we can get to him. He will house any groups coming to work. I am planning to set the shower trailer up at his place and we will hook his well up to a generator to make showers available. The cots will be set up in Sunday School rooms, and we will set up the kitchen If we can find a tent sufficient enough to house it and if we can find a cook. Brother Carr has a man in his church who is a cook and out of work. He is talking to him about the possibility of hiring him to cook two meals a day for all workers. I am also going to try and check with the national guard to see if I can get any of the storage containers that are littering the cost to haul them to Faith for storage.

The Bay of St. Louis area is the most devastated area. The only like minded church in the area does not have a pastor and their building was flooded by 6-8’ of water. We desperately need to get set up in this area before the cults flock in. Bros. Carr is willing to allow us to set up under the auspices of his church to reach out to folks in the area. If we could find someone with a pastor’s heart and a go get ‘em attitude, I would like have them set up to reach into this community. I think we could have a tremendous door to door outreach. I will be checking into a possible building to use.

I have many areas yet to visit. We desperately need to get people on the ground out visiting with people in their homes. They are very open to talking to people right now.

- Todd Sasek

 

As a local Habitat volunteer, I can't stress to folks enough how Godly and selfless this organization is. I highly recommend folks consider making part of their tithe/offering the donating of a few hours of your time every year to picking up a hammer and volunteering at your local Habitat project. I guarantee you, it will be the most rewarding time you will ever have speant.

I'm not sure if you're aware of it or not, but Habitat for Humanity is a Christ-centered ministry.

BTW, regarding the OP, my church has people in NO right now.

 

If our church sends a team for Friday morning - Sunday night, to Mississippi, I'm one of the team. If it's a Friday of one week til Sunday of the next week, I cannot because of my childcare jobs. The final decision hasn't been made and depends on how many can get away for the 10 days.

Our church will be going under the leadership of the SBC.

Diane

 

Our church has been cooking hot meals for area refugees from the greater New Orleans area ever since we got "juice" back to cook----Last night was our last nite to cook---and I estimate we served over 750 dinners since September 2 when we got "juice" back.

We also cooked for several hundred people in the area who did not have electric.

I have a preacher friend who took a team down to the Gulf Coast---in the Kiln, MS area---because we were cooking here for sheltered people and powerless people--I missed out on going with him and his group---they had to travel "self-contained"---iow--expect to sleep in either a church providing shelter--or on the ground around the serving area(tent--and camping stuff)

A note of reminder to all readers---if you or someone you know are without electricity right now---make sure---make sure---make sure---that before the electric company returns power to your area that----

all cooking utensils---as well as every thing that MIGHT have collected on tops of electric stoves during your outage--is removed---and make sure that all stove and oven appliance switches are in the "OFF" position--before electric co. retores power to your area---

The utility co. is not responsible for any sort of combustable material left on stove tops or in ovens during outages--when power is restored---and ranges are left "ON" -- these items may ignite causing possibliity of house fires

 

Our church sent a team to work at a church in Gulfport, MS that has been serving as a shelter. They left Monday morning to drive straight thru, and should be coming home Sunday. They took down various kinds of basic supplies that had been donated, and are cooking and helping people start getting it together. But this was with the direction of connections we have with American Missionary Fellowship.

 

Our church is sending a large group of men to Gulfport and/or Biloxi next week. We are working with Operation Renewed Hope (see Circuitrider's post above for more info on this organization)

 

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is our church's closest connection. They are trucking items from our local churches to Columbus, OH every few weeks, there combining supplies and trucking on to the affected areas. What a great work they are doing! Cheers to Red Cross, Salvation Army, FindShelter.org and the others that have been mentioned as well!!

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief current activity report:

Volunteers Serving 5,000+
Meals Prepared 2,100,000
Jobs Completed 2,363
Showers Provided 12,547
Laundry Loads 2,364
Messages Sent 1,310

 

Yes, I meant the NAMB group.

That said - I appreciate that you don't want a bunch of disorganized strangers in the area - to stop that - stop going on national news talking about how much help is needed.

Every day I turn on the TV I see stories of how no one is feeding the Police, no one is helping the firemen, no one is helping the group that lives on the backroads. I see how the only way some people are eating is because some disorganized stranger saw the need, rushed down there and took care of the need.

Now - if that is correct, stop discouraging people because there IS a need and it SHOULD be met.
If that is NOT correct, find out who is spreading those lies and demand they stop it.

As to SBC - The SBC volunteers are Disaster Relief Trained. I am disaster relief trained. My daughter is disaster relief trained. Just because someone isn't part of your sanctioned group does not mean they are not qualified.

Here in town I was so frustrated with the disorganization I saw that I contacted the regional Red Cross Directors and said, "What is going on?" He explained that the people who were "in charge" just beneath him didn't know a darn thing about organizing people.

Well, that's part of what I do for a living. So I gave him a few suggestions, and the next week complaints stopped.

I don't know any group of people better at organizing other people than Baptists.

So - please, don't lecture good people who want to answer the call for help.

It comes across like, "This is my territory, you aren't wanted."

As to "give money" - well, I'm sorry, but I bet I am not the only American who thinks, "Money is not always the answer to every problem."

BILLIONS of dollars are flowing in and they are specifically targeted for certain needs. Food, immediate shelter, clothing. That's wonderful. However - it isn't buying a LOT of things.

It isn't buying school supplies. It isn't buying bibles. It isn't buying tools of a person's trade. It isn't supplying cars. And - apparently it isn't even reaching half the people!

$2000 is not a lot of money to rebuild your entire life on. If you have nothing but a Red Cross sandwich, Salvation Army clothes and $2000 in your pocket - would you want some stranger saying, "No, don't offer that apartment! Don't bring them backpacks! They don't need what you're offering!"

These are adults - let the survivors decide what they "need".

 

BTW - According to the news reports New Orleans is not closed.

 

But you'd best at least "look" official at one of the "official" checkpoints going into the city----it may not be closed---but if I were there----I wouldn't expose myself in the open for very long unless I was close by somebody from the 82nd Airborne with a M-60 perched nearby!!!

Blackbird

PS---I've never been afraid to be in New Orleans---but anytime the NOPD "calls up" the Airborne and says---"We need some help here, Boys!!"---well---that's a different story!!!

But hey!! New Orleans will rebound---and I am proposing that the BB host a reunion at New Orleans' French Quarter's Cafe' DuMonde----Blackbird will buy the beignets!!!!!!!