Committee on Relief Update: Hurricane Laura
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Hurricane Laura
Hurricane Laura made landfall Thursday, August 27th, just before 2 a.m. EDT near Cameron, Louisiana, as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, according to officials with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center. By 1 p.m. EDT, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it continues to make its way east. The Committee on Relief has been in communication with the Louisiana Conference and is preparing to assist when it is deemed safe. At this time, ERT’s have not been asked to deploy as the assessment period is still ongoing.If you are looking for ways to help those that have been impacted, you can:
- Donate to WNCC Committee on Relief. Funds received for Hurricane Laura will be sent to the Louisiana conference, or used to ship materials we already have available.
- If you have bulk supplies ready to be sent, please contact Ben Rogers to see about getting it in our initial shipment.
- Volunteer - virtually - with crisis cleanup to answer calls and take the information of those impacted by the storm so they can be connected to relief organizations.
Resources for Vital Congregations
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Books
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Serve Your Neighbor
GBHEM Leadership Resources
Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality and the United Methodist Church
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations
Ted Talks: The Power of Vulnerability
Ted Talks: The Price of Invulnerability
Meditations on the Ministry of All Christians
DISCIPLE FORMATION:
A Disciple’s Path; A Guide for United Methodist
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Adult Christian Studies from the Wesley Ministry Network
Traveling Together: A Guide for Disciple Forming Congregations
WESLEYAN STUDIES:
Living As United Methodist Christians
Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials
Reclaiming our Wesleyan Tradition: John Wesley’s Sermons for Today
John Wesley Sermons: Anthology
REACHING PEOPLE:
Evangelism & Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit
Fresh Expressions: Dinner Church
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Reach New Disciples
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: 50 Ways to Reach People
Community: The Structure of Belonging
RESOURCES TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY:
GRANTS:
The Royce and Jane Reynolds Ministry Fund Grants
OTHER:
The Appalachian District Church Vitality Team has been prayerfully seeking ways to help support you and the ministries of your local congregation during this COVID-19 pandemic. Together they have diligently researched and connected with others throughout the conference and our denomination to identify resources and offer them to you. We hope they will be helpful to you and bless you greatly in leading your churches and communities through this unprecedented time. We are very grateful to the District Vitality Team and other contributors for their great work on this resource.
This faithful team has created three documents, two of which you are receiving today. They include:
- Family Home Worship – designed to help families establish a regular worship space within their homes as well as a time where they can worship together.
- Tech Strategies – to help guide you in selecting effective tools and resources within your budget to best communicate in the digital world.
We believe these resources will be of great benefit to you. Also know that the District Vitality Team is available to answer any questions you might have in regards to the documents attached. If you have questions, you may email Rev. Howard Fleming at hfleming@wnccumc.net.
- Resources