Harvey Relief
As no doubt all of you know, the greater Houston area, along with other parts of the southeastern United States, has experienced massive devastation as a result of Hurricane Harvey. It’s estimated that some 13 million people have been directly affected by Harvey. In the Houston area alone, approximately 40,000 homes have been destroyed. 32,000 people across Texas are now living in shelters. Most devastatingly, at least 31 people have lost their lives.
Citylight Church is a member of the Acts 29 Network. The CEO of Acts 29, Steve Timmis has produced a brief video I want to share with you about how we as Jesus’ followers should think about and respond to Hurricane Harvey.
Here are some details from Steve about how we can very practically respond:
PRAY
Praise God that unity and collaboration amongst churches in Houston and others has been great. Pray for our fellow Acts 29 churches as they have a unique missional opportunity to be the visible church, serving people in need.
GIVE
Acts 29 is giving $50,000 towards this appeal and we hope that you & your churches will consider contributing. Donations will be used to provide relief and recovery assistance to individuals, families, and churches impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Finances will be the biggest need as Acts 29 Houston prepares for the recovery effort.
SERVE
Houston Church Planting Network (containing many Acts 29 churches) is compiling a list of churches from outside of Houston that may be interested in bringing in a team to serve, donating supplies, etc., as the waters recede. We have contacted them to add our name to that list, and will keep you posted on what opportunities God gives us as a church to be part of recovery efforts.
The recovery effort will be going on for months, so please be patient as they get coordinated for long-term efforts. This will be a marathon and not a sprint. Rescue & Relief are happening now but recovery will go on for months and they do envision needing outside support, so stay tuned. Also, if you’d be interested in helping Citylight coordinate any relief efforts, please let us know!