A Summer Like No Other

Wildfires in the West: 

Presbytery of the Northwest: As wildfires continue to smolder in the western half of the state of Oregon, we have learned that, praise the Lord, there has been no loss of life to OPC members, though several families have lost their homes entirely. A deacon at Trinity OPC in Medford, Oregon, reports, "Our community has been severely impacted by the wildfires in Oregon. We lost almost 1,000 homes in our valley, and it seems that most of the families are low income or elderly." Please keep the local church deacons in prayer as they begin to formulate plans to minister to their community.

Hurricane Sally 

Presbytery of the South: Pastor John Schortmann, Covenant OPC, Pensacola, FL reports they were able to worship this past Sunday, without power, preaching in the light of a battery-powered lantern after Hurricane Sally passed through the region last week. He praises the Lord for the care of the congregation. One member was flooded, but seems to be covered by insurance, thank the Lord. Many came out to clean up on Saturday. The Lord provides! What a wonderful time of worship we had on Sunday! 

Tropical Storm Isaias

Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic: Volunteers and donations are needed for the Tropical Storm Isaias effort. So far, volunteers have participated in emptying and drying out the home of David Bowles, member of Grace & Peace OPC in California, Maryland, and his 90-year-old mother after their home and garage flooded as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias early last month. Work continues at a steady pace as site coordinator, Curt Sproul leads volunteers with aid from Callaway Baptist Church (the church home of Mrs. Bowles).

Flooding in Midland, Michigan

Presbytery of Michigan and Ontario: Volunteers are needed for the months of October and November in order for progress to continue in the rebuilding efforts of the Moots' home. Volunteers are working steadily and the home has passed rough-in inspections. Volunteers also participated in ministering to another family in the same church, the Kennedys, whose first floor was engulfed by the flooding. 

COVID-19 Pandemic Response Fund

The Committee on Diaconal Ministries’ COVID-19 Pandemic Response (CPR) Fund has nearly $50,000 in generous donations to date! With these gifts, the Committee on Diaconal Ministries has been able to respond to requests for financial assistance from Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

Why Serve with OPC Disaster Response?

About to give up, 83-year-old Linda Kennedy tells us,  "We couldn't lift anymore...we were done...it was too much. ...I sat down in my favorite chair and told my husband Tom, 'I give up. I can't do anymore. I don't know what else to do. I'm just going to sit here.'"

OPC Member and flood victim, Linda Kennedy, talks about how OPC Disaster Response helped her and her husband, Tom through a difficult time. 

We now have 259 volunteer registrants! Our goal is 300 by the end of November! Register now, if you haven't yet, to let us know you will serve the church this way. Thank you to all who have registered so far! We're getting close!

I Am A Doer of Little Things

by Cheryl Wade, OPC Disaster Response Volunteer and member of Christ Covenant Church in Midland, Michigan.

I recently created a tiny nonprofit organization to provide little bits of help to people in my community who are experiencing sight loss. Through this work, I learned that there are tiny little things that need to be done—and there is no organized way to get them done. So, I have become a “doer of little things.” That might mean looking up phone numbers for someone who no longer can use a computer or finding local volunteers to read mail or help with errands.

June 10-12, 2021 in Wheaton, IL