We are on the cusp of some exciting changes at FLC in the way we do flood recovery! In 2008 we helped people flee to safety, we mucked and gutted their homes, and we held their hands and cried with them over their tragic loss. In 2009, we rolled up our sleeves and went to work! We reached out to our members and beyond to the community to help three families rebuild their homes and their lives. We celebrated the one year anniversary by holding a community picnic and helped kids recover through Camp Noah. We canvassed flooded neighborhoods to help the city assemble a massive flood recovery map. Now it's 2010 and we have a new mission.
The Holy Spirit is at work, my friends. Due to the success of this blog reaching throughout the country and our daycare recently vacating space in our building, a number of out-of-town work groups have expressed to me their interest in wanting to come and stay with us to help. Ask yourself, how might you fit into that plan? Could you help cook meals? Could you provide rides? Might you provide some summer entertainment for our guests or even be a friendly face greeting people around the church? Would you like to roll up your sleeves and do a little rebuilding alongside of them? Do you or someone you know have a house that needs worked on?
We have the space to house groups at our church. I am also working with a group in Wisconsin who would like to move their shower trailer from an area affected by Hurricane Katrina to our church parking lot for this summer only. In addition, we have a couple of key guys who recently retired in our congregation that have approached me about leading rebuilding teams. I still feel called to be a host and help co-coordinate flood recovery, even if it's in a reduced role this summer as I feel out being a first call pastor.
I've contacted the teams coming in and encouraged them to sign up with First United Methodist in Marion here: http://fumcmarion.org/Flood/index.html to get involved in the block-by-block program. I'm also praying heavily for the Holy Spirit's guidance for additional work for them if we need it and asking for your help in every way that you can offer it. Bring on 2010! Let's be the hands and feet of Christ in our community.
