STORIES
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
Hawai'i Fires8/15/2023 responding with partners on MauiOn Tuesday, August 8, gale-force winds rushed along the mountains of Maui, bringing down power lines, igniting grasslands, and contributing to what has become “America’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century”. An extremely dry summer, and winds as a result of Hurricane Dora, exacerbated the flames and the toll on land and people continues to mount. Hawaii Fires : pray, give, stay8/14/2023 We continue to receive your many questions and heartfelt concerns for our neighbors on Maui and the continuously heartbreaking news in light of the hurricane-fed fires that have decimated the island in the last week. RIGHT NOW it is important to PRAY, GIVE, and STAY. In this moment, Disciples, our call is to support those affected, with the fervency of our prayers and the generosity of our financial contributions. responding in Maui8/11/2023 headlines & prayers from our partnersfrom our partners at Children's Disaster Services (Facebook, Friday August 11 2023) : Children's Disaster Services is responding to the wildfires in Hawaii. Teams of certified volunteers are being pulled together today for deployment soon. They will be working in the shelters on Maui. Take a moment to say a prayer for all the families impacted by by these wildfires. Also pray for all the responders providing care, including the CDS volunteers. monitoring the Maui fires8/10/2023 first responses from local observersfrom our colleagues in the Disciples Pacific Southwest Region (Facebook, Wednesday August 9 2023): We pray for the people in Hawaii who are affected by the devastating fires. While our own congregations (on the island of Oahu) are not directly impacted by this disaster, they are preparing and bracing to help possible evacuees from neighboring islands. Please pray, and provide funds to Week of Compassion (our church-wide relief, refugee, and development mission fund). Arizona Disciples Border Initiative7/18/2023 Disciples respond to migrant concernsMigration has been a part of human experience for as long as there have been people. In our own religious tradition, the earliest stories of the Hebrew Bible are often about people needing to leave their homeland and find a new place to call home. Maybe they are forced out (Adam and Eve), step out in faith (Abraham and Sarah), or have fled a climate crisis (Jacob and his family). In the gospel according to Matthew, even Jesus’ own family flees due to fear of political violence. Across generations, our faith ancestors had to cross borders so that they could continue to thrive, provide for their families and, ultimately, faithfully serve God. There is not just a common theme of migration in the Bible, but a constant reminder from God that those who are migrants, foreigners, aliens to the land, should be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. (Exodus 23:9) Summer Storms Update7/6/2023 in solidarity with disaster-affected communitiesFrom inches of rain to tennis-ball sized hail. From straight-line ‘derecho’ winds to midnight tornadoes. From city-wide power outages to repair options in short supply. Multiple localized and severe storms were a rough start to summer across the United States, leaving Disciples facing significant challenges. But stormy weather also has also found Disciples ready to help. When disasters strike, or as forecasts give advance notice, Week of Compassion often offers a ‘response watch’ in social media, sharing any known impact to Disciples churches and members, highlighting ways Disciples are helping their neighbors, and holding affected communities in prayer. |
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