Not Just Flood Relief

The past four weeks have been an absolute roller coaster. We have seen homes completely demolished, and we have seen neighbors and Christ-followers serve one another on a whole new level. From the very moment that we first became a Red Cross Distribution site, a center that FEMA was referring people to…from the time my cell phone number was put on the resource list for around a dozen relief organizations…my mind has been consumed with one thought; This is not just flood relief.

As believers from around the country have come here to serve alongside of us and Samaritan’s Purse, families who have never been too church have experienced the love and kindness of God. Some of these families have been out of church since they were kids because something turned them off.

Now that we know about these families we can’t just throw their belongings in a dumpster and move on. We have to look for other opportunities to serve. How do we go about doing this?

Some of our community non-profit partners have really stepped up. Warehouse of Hope has done an incredible job ministering to families impacted by the flood. They could really use volunteers to help them with all the needs they are meeting. You can contact them at 770-489-0509 to volunteer.

CAYA Ministries does a food drive every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year they would like to provide Turkeys, not just to the 400-500 families they usually serve, but also to over 300 families. How can you help? Thanks for asking. CAYA would like to invite you to partner with them by buying a $20 Publix gift card to help pay for Thanksgiving. Publix gives us a smokin’ deal on Turkeys. We have a CAYA table set up in the atrium at West Ridge, and I would invite other churches to do that too. Contact CAYA at 770-505-8451.

Our friends at A Fresh Hope are stepping up in a big way. Last year they put on a Christmas Outreach Party and worked with  Toys for Tots, Paulding Christmas, and Paulding and Cobb County Children and Family Services to provide Christmas assistance to those in need. Christmas assistance means toys and lots of ‘em. We are going to add flood victims families to our Christmas Party this year that we are calling, ‘Hope for Christmas’ on Saturday, December 19th. CAYA will be providing food boxes as well.

Start picking up some extra toys and canned goods now. Don’t let Christmas sneak up on you. It comes every year. If everyone does just a little bit extra we will be able to demonstrate to hundreds of families that the kindness of God is not a once in a hundred year flood occurrence. Loving your neighbor and inviting them into the family of God should be the rhythm of every day life.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul