Wasn’t that a glorious cold front that blew through town Tuesday? And perfect timing: the day before, your church staff went to their second annual staff development day at the Great State Fait of Texas! Cold fronts make me think of comfort foods: chicken pot pie (had some last night), Frito pie, and stew. Thinking of stew, imagine sitting next to the fire, the Cowboys on TV, and enjoying a nice, warm bowl of:
Liquid laundry detergent
Liquid concentrate household cleaner
Dish soap
Air freshener
Insect repellent
Scrub brush
Re-useable cleaning wipes
Five scouring pads
Clothespins
Clothesline (cotton or plastic line)
Heavy-duty trash bags
Five N95 particulate respirator dust masks
Kitchen gloves
Work gloves
But instead of a soup bowl, it is served in a five-gallon plastic bucket. Doesn’t that sound yummy?
UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, recently announced a significant need for cleaning kits that contain all of the above. I have ordered everything on that list in multiples of 50, and as an act of congregational service, we will assemble following worship a week starting this Sunday, October 27. We will compile them in assembly line style, which should take only half an hour. Then they will be transported to the UMCOR Sager/Brown Depo in Baldwin, LA. If you are unable to participate, individuals, classes, and other groups are welcome to make a financial gift. Each kit costs about $75, meaning fifty of them cost $3300. Christy and I are giving $250. To give online, go here- and make sure you give Spring Valley UMC credit- https://advance.umcmission.org/p-616-material-resources.aspx
From the United Methodist News Service:
“United Methodists across the southeastern U.S. are doing their best to raise morale and get organized after many communities have been devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Historic rainfall, flooding, power outages, and 140 mph winds plagued the Southeast, with the mountains of western North Carolina particularly hard-hit. According to The Associated Press, at least 179 people over six states were killed as a result of the storm, which made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26.
President Biden has promised resources including food, water, communications, and lifesaving equipment.
Bishop Ken Carter, who leads the Western North Carolina Conference, estimated that more than half of the 44 counties in the annual conference have been affected. “We want you to know that we see you, we are praying for you, and you will not be in this alone. Your well-being and recovery are the mission,” he said in a Facebook message.
The conference’s Council on Finance and Administration and Board of Pensions and Health Benefits have voted to contribute $1 million each to the relief and recovery of churches and communities. Local churches are also being asked to receive a special offering on October 6 for relief efforts.
United Methodists can help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts by donating to UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief reports offering consultation and coordinative support to all affected conferences as communities begin to assess their needs. So far, grants have been awarded to the North and South Georgia, Western North Carolina, and Holston conferences.
“The devastation from Helene is heartbreaking, but it is in times like these that the church is called to embody hope,” said Roland Fernandes, top executive of UMCOR and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. “Emergency response teams are gearing up to work with those affected, to offer immediate relief and plan for long-term recovery.”
United Methodists in the Holston Conference, which encompasses eastern Tennessee and parts of Georgia and Virginia, have been busy assembling and distributing cleaning kits and raising money for relief efforts.
Three days after a conference flood relief fund was set up to help survivors in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, more than $36,000 has been received through the online giving link alone, reports Annette Spence, who has been providing live updates from the Holston Conference. According to the Rev. Mike Sluder, Holston connectional ministries director, additional funds are promised from local churches and United Methodist annual conferences. Neighboring conferences also are sharing cleaning kits.”
You can participate in the recovery effort by helping assemble the cleaning kits on October 27 or making a financial contribution to UMCOR. As always, thank you for your support of Spring Valley UMC and the United Methodist denomination!
- Pastor Frank