Overnight and today we are watching the horrific video footage following the devastating storms that trampled many communities in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia yesterday. Many of us have been busy contacting friends and family members to check on their safety. Others of us have already learned of friends who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones.
At our house, in addition to thinking about our many friends who were affected in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Cullman, Amanda and I are grieving over the destruction inflicted on the Williams Community, our former place of service, where at least two lives were taken and multiple homes were destroyed when one storm followed a similar path to the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994.
Our First Baptist Family is no stranger to storms. As veteran survivors of successive storms in recent years, we can identify with the grief, the loss, and the monumental challenges facing our neighboring states in the days ahead. Today I am calling on our First Baptist Family to respond in the following ways:
PRAY! Pray for those who are hurting and grieving. Homes can be rebuilt, but loved ones cannot be replaced. We serve a God who is "our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble." Pray for those whose lives were turned upside down to discover renewed hope in the aftermath of the storm, and pray for relief and recovery workers to labor with cooperation and perseverance.
GIVE! Consider giving a generous financial gift to assist with rebuilding following this disaster. Make your check to FBC Pensacola and designate it Disaster Relief. All gifts given through FBCP will be channeled through our existing mission partners in Alabama.
GO! In the days ahead, we will be assembling teams to assist with the relief work in Alabama. Today we are working with leaders in Alabama to assess the needs. We know that this will be a lengthy clean-up and rebuilding effort, much like the aftermath of Katrina. Our hope is to target a specific area for partnership. Stay tuned for opportunities to participate on a Disaster Relief Team in the weeks ahead.
I am honored to serve a loving, praying, and caring church family.
With continuing prayers for our neighbors,
Barry
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