Category Archives: Disaster Assistance

Spring Storm Devastation – Disaster Assistance

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Responds to Spring Storm Devastation

Multiple natural disasters have struck the United States over the past few months. Disasters that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been responding to or monitoring include flooding in North Carolina, Tennessee and the Upper Midwest; tornadoes in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Virginia and Wisconsin; and wildfires in west Texas. Over the April 14-16 Palm Sunday weekend, a massive storm system spawning more than 220 tornadoes rolled through ten southern states, leaving at least 45 people dead. Virginia and North Carolina have sustained the most severe damage and the most deaths resulting from the storms, with 21 people confirmed dead and countless families displaced.

Response:

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been in touch with the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina and New Hope Presbytery in North Carolina and the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia to offer One Great Hour of Sharing funds. National Response Team (NRT) members have been invited and deployed to New Hope Presbytery. Additional NRT members will be arriving this week and next to provide spiritual care and to help assess damages and needs in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina and the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia.

Learn what you can do

SE Cluster Gathering 4/14/2011

Come one and come all to a holy gathering of worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth as we meet for our 2^nd time in 2011.

When? This Thursday, April 14 at 6 pm
Where? Community Presbyterian Church in Henryville (on route 31- Get Directions)

Worship begins promptly at 6:00 pm, with dinner to follow. Over dessert we’ll hear from a representative of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, a program that is doing relief ministry on our behalf in Japan, Haiti, and other places where catastrophe has struck.

To RSVP for yourself or a church group, please leave a message at either number below:

Community Presbyterian Church, Henryville (host site): 812-294-4633

First Presbyterian Church, Scottsburg (cluster communicator’s office): 812-752-2704

Disaster Relief: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Image from the Associated Press

The following article is from the PC(USA) website:

Devastating earthquake and tsunami affects the region

MARCH 14, 2011

Pray for Japan: Denominational leaders have issued a Call to Prayer for those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami

You can help: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding

Click Here for Donation Information

Presbyterian World Mission grieves at the loss of life from the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years. We urge you to pray for those who have lost loved ones in Japan. We also urge you to pray for people in other countries affected by the tsunami.

Nine mission workers and their families are living and working in various cities in Japan. As of March 14, we have confirmed that seven of the nine, in three different cities, are safe. We will continue to work to contact the other mission workers and will provide updated information here as soon as it is available. None of our mission workers are based geographically close to coastal city of Sendai, nor to any of the areas affected by the tsunami. Find resources for prayer and reflection here.

We have also contacted our partner churches and organizations in Japan and are starting to hear back from them. One of our partners, Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka, writes:

Thank you so very much for your kind words and prayers. Thankfully, our hospital patients and staff and their families are all safe, but our heart aches as the earthquake disasters are spreading in other parts of Japan. We are praying for God’s protection and comfort over those people in the earthquake affected areas. He is our refuge and fortress.

Would you please pass this message to our PC(USA) partners and we truly appreciate your continuing prayers for us all.

Sincerely in Christ,
Masaaki Mukubo, Superintendent
Kimiaki Fukushima, Business Administration Chair

For more information, see the General Assembly Mission Council page for Japan.

Flood 2008 Updates

Disaster Assistance Information – 24 June 2008

A Financial Plan for Flood Relief – 12 June 2008

Prayer after the flooding:

Holy and Grace Filled God, we are people who even in the midst of great distress and sadness are grateful. We are grateful for your presence that is with us in all times. We are grateful for our friends and families, people who have come to our rescue. We are grateful that great numbers of lives were not lost in the midst of this scary tragedy. We are grateful that each day we see our community working together to recover. But, Loving God, you know that many of us in our hearts and our spirits are hurting. Many of us are experiencing feelings of loss and despair. Some of us are still in various stages of shock – oh how we need to be comforted. Please send lots and lots of loving faces and arms to hold us with your love until we feel less vulnerable. We trust that you will lead us once again to places of wholeness and healing. Amen.

Prayer written by Peggy Casteel, Associate Pastor, Columbus, First