Although just 3.4% of the U.S. population has been directly affected by Hurricane Harvey, its ripples reach all of us. Some of you have loved ones whose homes have been ruined by the flood, leaving them with a sense of loss similar to coming home to find your house burned down. A friend of mine living in Houston described his life as “indescribable loss and incredible grace,” weeping with friends as they try to put their lives back together.
How should we respond? We recognize that some of you are already responding through personal connections, which is great. As an Acts 29 church, we are in close relationship to other A29 pastors and churches who are on the ground, affected by the floods, and coordinating efforts. We have joined them in a threefold response:
GIVE
Finances will be the biggest need as Acts 29 Houston prepares for the recovery effort. There are three ways to give:
- US donors can text keyword HARVEYRELIEF to 51555 and follow prompts to give via credit card
- Anyone can give online at www.clearcreek.org/harveyrelief
- Anyone can mail a check to Clear Creek Community Church 999. N. Egret Bay Blvd. League City, TX
- If you would like to wire funds please email trichardson@clearcreek.org for instructions.
For options 2 and 3, please indicate it’s from an Acts 29 source to help with tracking and accountability.
PRAY
Pray for the Comforter to do his work among the peoples of Houston. Celebrate the great acts of service and rescue. Lament the heart-breaking stories of loss. Hope in God. Ask the Spirit to draw a line from the help of God’s people the hope of the cross. Pray for people to see in Jesus a Rescuer who endured the deluge of the cross for the hope of their resurrection. A new day is coming.
SERVE
As mentioned earlier, we encourage you to drop off supplies at the ADRN drop-off location. We have also contacted key churches and signed up to express interest in sending a team to Houston. We will keep you informed of any opportunities that arise. We encourage you to support those you know, open your homes to those in need, and remember that there will be service opportunities for quite some time.