Last night a tornado tore through TN. The latest reports say that there are 25 confirmed dead. Besides the heart-wrenching loss of life, reports show numerous homes, apartment complexes, churches, schools, and businesses that have been demolished. Tennesseans in the tornado’s path are just starting to figure out how to work their way out of this stunning wreckage.
Like many others, Redemption City Church wants to do what it can to help. I’ve been in conversations with government and state relief leaders throughout the day. At this point, it seems that the best immediate course of action includes the following steps.
Pray – Because God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime, we pray. No matter where you are, you can help by asking God to help everyone where they are. TN needs God’s help to move forward. Pray for those without water, food, electricity, and the disaster relief teams already on the ground.
Stay Out Of The Way – As tempting as it is to drive down to the areas most impacted by the tornado, Governor Lee and others have said that the most helpful thing non-essential personnel can do to help the disaster relief effort is to avoid those areas. With trees and wires laying on the roads, the ability to get around is greatly hindered. This doesn’t just impact the commute of those who live in those areas, it also impacts the ability of disaster relief teams to get their equipment to needed areas. That’s why staying out of the way is a great help.
Sign Up To Serve – There are a lot of ways that people will be able to sign up to serve immediately and for the foreseeable future. Whether it’s with our TN Baptist Disaster Relief teams, Hands On Nashville, or some other organization, sign up to serve in some way. To serve with some Redemption City folks this weekend, email us at info@redemptioncity.com. We are still exploring various possibilities, but it looks like there will be great ways we can help this weekend.
Give Financially – Because God generously gave his Son to meet our eternal need, we give generously in his name to meet the needs of those around us. Practically speaking, we all know that it’s going to take a lot of money to make things better. 100% of the designated financial gifts we receive will go to help the disaster relief work.
Jesus came to meet needs. He’s still doing that through his Spirit-empowered church. Let’s be available and engaged in this unique time to show the love of Christ to our fellow Tennesseans.
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