Vol. 7: No. 3
August 23, 2019

One of the locations at which OPC Disaster Response served in Houston following Hurricane Harvey. The OPC Disaster Response lawn sign is visible out front.

Stir Up One Another to Good Works

by David Nakhla

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.
Hebrews 10:24 ESV

The Committee on Diaconal Ministries recently sent an email to ministers and elders, asking them to help with the roll-out of a new documentary-style video that shares the testimonies of those who have been helped by the OPC Hurricane Harvey Response Ministry in Houston. The goal of the video is to inspire people to get involved, and to register in advance to serve as disaster response volunteers. 

Deacons, you may want to follow up with your ministers and elders. We asked if they would consider scheduling 1) a Sunday School class in which to watch the video as a congregation, and 2) a follow-up dinner for discussion and sign-up. Our hope is that this will, in the spirit of Hebrews 10:24, result in a registry of people who are ready to serve when disaster strikes.

Tan House for Men: A Diaconal Ministry

by Erik Potter, Pilgrim OPC, Bangor, ME

Tan House for Men

In 2017, the family of the late Dr. Yeow Tan donated her home to Pilgrim OPC in Bangor, Maine. Dr. Tan was a long-time member of Pilgrim Church, and beloved friend and physician to many members of her Pilgrim family. The Pilgrim Church congregation spent several months researching the possible ministry opportunities for which the gift could be utilized. Out of that research, the Tan House for Men was born.

• After much labor and renovation, the home now serves as a non-profit, interdenominational, Christian residential home for men.
• It provides safe, comfortable, reasonably priced living accommodations for men 18 and older who desire a secure discipling environment where they can be mentored to grow in their relationship with their Lord and Savior, while they also learn necessary life skills.
• In an intergenerational setting, the men engage in Bible studies, prayer meetings, and church services, while sustaining their employment and/or education. Fellowship is intrinsic to the model of the Tan House for Men.
• Each man has a direct connection with a mentor who is in regular contact with them.
• Tan House for Men is a place of foundational theological learning guided at a pace that is agreeable to all those who live there. 

Church members have participated by providing meals in a family dinner setting, or providing meal planning under the direction of a certified nutritionist. 

Young men in our nation are often underserved by social programs. Our church has stepped up to do what we can to encourage local men in their walk with Christ. 

CONTACT:

If you know of a man in this vicinity who is in need of a ministry like this, or you would like to support this ministry with a gift, please contact us. In addition, we are currently seeking a House Parent to oversee daily operations while dwelling with the young men. 

Refugee Ministry Update

by Rev. Chris Cashen, Evangelist to Refugees, Clarkson, GA

The children rode horses, swam, fished, canoed, climbed a ‘rock’ wall, and zip-lined

From the August 7, 2019, edition of Home Missions Today:

At the end of July, we were given the opportunity to take many refugee children to a three day summer camp. These young ones from Syria, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and the Congo were exposed to the truth of the constant presence and saving grace of the God of Scripture.

After one of the younger children made it to the top of the 45' high rock wall, looking down, she burst into tears. The fear of height was so significant, this little one was paralyzed. So, my wife Grace Ann donned a helmet and safety harness, climbed her way to the top, and convinced our little friend that the rope could be depended upon to get her safely back to the ground. As the children were taught, it is quite amazing that the Lord Jesus has promised to be always present with each child of God. Especially when, like Peter, we take our eyes off Jesus and become fearful of the winds and the waves of this world, Christ reaches down and pulls us up to safety in His powerful arms.

Please pray that these children would clearly see the light of Christ within our hearts as we seek to minister to them in sometimes unexpected ways.

Hurricane Harvey Ministry Update

The CDM'S Disaster Response Subcommittee determined that it would be appropriate to use Hurricane Harvey disaster response funds towards the support of an evangelist to minister to the long-term spiritual needs of those affected by the hurricane in Houston. Rev. Nick Lammé was called to serve in this capacity.

In the August 21, 2019, issue of Home Missions Today, Nick says:

As I continue to minister to Harvey victims, my daily prayer is that the Lord would bring me into contact with people who do not know him, or who need to be reconnected with the body of Christ. The Lord has been good in hearing this prayer and answering it. I covet your prayers for my efforts to reach these people with the gospel.

Learn more about this ministry in the following articles:

Hurricane Florence Ministry Review

by Deacon Fred de Ru (Grace OPC, Wasilla, AK)
Site Coordinator, OPC Hurricane Florence Response Ministry

Site Coordinator Fred de Ru (second from right) with a volunteer team from Michigan that served with OPC Hurricane Florence Response in North Carolina

EXCERPT from closing report of Site Coordinator Fred de Ru:

A Witness of the Love of Christ:

Though the work was primarily construction-related and a ministry of deed, there were also opportunities to minister the Word. Volunteers and I had several conversations with non-believers or non-practicing believers. We spoke with the families of church members, neighbors of those we were helping, and even the mechanic at the rental yard we did business with. We directly ministered to an atheist homeowner though we never met him, helped a woman attending a Mormon church, and a woman who had strange ideas about the Bible. Many people came to know what we were doing and with what church, even if we didn’t talk about our faith with them. This, too, was a witness of the love of Christ. At least twice, non-believing volunteers served with their Christian friends and were witnessed to while there.

A Model of Proper Hospitality:

Covenant OPC in New Bern was a wonderful church to work with and could serve as a model of proper hospitality. I know the hospitality coordinator had her challenges, but from my perspective the church members really stepped up. Volunteers were housed at individual homes as well as at the church building. Volunteers housed at the church building received a meal just about every night they stayed there, unless they wanted to do something else. Volunteers were always approached and engaged in conversation when they attended the church. They were also acknowledged and thanked from the pulpit. Overall, they were very much welcomed.

Link to the report on Hurricane Florence Response that was presented by David Nakhla to the General Assembly in June 2019:

CDM Members
as of General Assembly June 2019

Resources for Deacons