ONWARD Page 2 October 2005

FROM OUR PEC PRESIDENT

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I heard an excellent sermon on Sunday, the text of which was Romans 12:11 - “Never flag in zeal.” Rebuilding lives and communities in the wake of hurricane Katrina will be a long, long process, and we will need to take that text to heart as weeks and months go by. There is certainly no evidence of diminishing zeal at this point. The text continues: “Be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.” (verses 11 - 13) An update:

1) “Be constant in prayer.”

The following links are to prayers and worship resources from our sister denomination, the Lutheran Church (ELCA), which may be adapted:http://www.elca.org/disaster/download/05-09-02katrinaprayers.pdf>;<http://www.elca.org/disaster/download/05-09-02-katrinaworship.pdf>

Similar resources are available from the United MethodistChurch:<http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14793>

2) Financial Contributions:

Board of World Mission - The Board of World Mission is receiving funds for hurricane relief. Some of the funds received will be set aside for to support work teams over the next weeks and months. At least in the near term work teams must be self-contained and self-supporting, including food, water, housing, etc. (see below) The Board may use the funds for Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery in other ways as well.

Northern Province - please send contributions to the PEC Office.

Southern Province - please send contributions to the BWM Office.

The Northern and Southern Provinces also endorse Church World Service as one of several Christian relief ministries in which we have confidence.

3) Material Needs:
Health Kits made up of the following: One hand towel, one washcloth, one comb, one metal nail file or nail clipper, one bar of soap (bath size), one toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste (4-7 ounces), six Band-Aids. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure. Add a Processing/Shipping donation of $2.00 per kit in a separate envelop. Kits may be taken to Christ Moravian Church in Winston-Salem (PLEASE CALL 336-722-2007 before coming) or contact a BWM office for instructions. Church World Service distributes the kits.
Clean-up Items: We are gathering the following items to be taken in early October to a distribution center in Jackson, MS: Work gloves, rubber gloves, latex gloves, and heavy-duty garbage bags. Contact a BWM office for drop-off instructions.

4) Volunteers:
We are currently in the early or “crisis” stage of response, in which professionals and highly skilled volunteers are in action. There may be opportunities in the short-term (2-3 weeks) for clean-up work in association with Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). These teams will need to be completely self-sufficient as to lodging, food, water and equipment.

We anticipate deploying crews of volunteers for the recovery stage, which will begin in about one month and continue for several months and years.

We are in close consultation with established agencies such as LDR and Samaritan’s Purse to develop definite situations in which volunteer teams may serve.

We ask all Moravian volunteers to register with the BWM. Mark Ebert, volunteer coordinator for the Board, will provide for training for all volunteers before deployment.

How to volunteer:

The Board of World Mission asks that pastors, mission reps, or another designated congregational representative develop a list of interested persons from the congregation. The list should include the following: name, address, phone, email, and skills for each interested volunteer, along with dates and length of time available. Please send the lists to the Board.

Board of World Mission contact information:

Southern Province office 336-773-1732 or mebert@mcsp.org

Northern Province office 610-868-1732 or lisa@mcnp.org collections sites are Schoeneck in Nazareth, Great Kills on Staten Island, Lititz, and (tentatively) Northfield and Lake Mills in the Western District.

Responses we know about (this probably just scratches the surface):

At least two congregations have made contributions of $5,000. Most congregations have made contributions or received special offerings.

This Sunday’s Children’s Rally at Laurel Ridge Camp will include activities in support of hurricane relief.At least two pastors have expressed an interest in volunteering two weeks’ time for Spiritual Care Response through the Red Cross. The Lutheran Church also seeks pastors for Spiritual Care Response.

At least three congregations have made church facilities available for evacuee housing. Well over a dozen families have also volunteered space.

Again, thank you for the outpouring of concern and support for brothers and sisters in need.

Sincerely, in Christ,

Bob Sawyer