Churches and communities along the Texas coastline are reeling from the destruction of Hurricane Harvey. With flooding impacting hundreds of thousands of families, ministry outreach opportunities for churches in the Houston area will last for years. As a result, Dallas Theological Seminary alumni and EFCA ReachGlobal Crisis Response are partnering with local churches in the affected region to mobilize people and resources.
Many EFCA pastors and Dallas Theological Seminary graduates endured significant damage in the communities they serve. Pastors like Zack McCoy (ThM, 2012) of Redemption Houston, Jaron Jones (ThM, 2016) of Shine Bible Fellowship, Lawrence Scott (ThM, 2015) of Harvest Point Fellowship, Brent Burckart (ThM, 1996) of Cornerstone Community Bible, Mike Bauer (ThM, 2004) of Oak Creek Bible, Mark Swirsky (ThM, 1988) of Hope Fellowship and David Lewis (ThM, 1985) of Bayshore Bible are directly engaged in the Harvey response and committed to a long-term strategy of disciplemaking through meeting the relational, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of those impacted by the storm. These leaders, and dozens of others, have already mobilized their churches to help families with clean-up, gutting, and distribution of needed supplies.
While currently building ministry teams and designing the next steps for a long-term, sustained response of gospel outreach and intentional disciplemaking, these pastors are also now praying and dreaming. Zack McCoy wondered, “How will God use this event and His Church, and our church, to transform Houston and the region, to be spiritually and socially better?” We have a unique opportunity to love and serve people.
But your help is needed. Partner with the EFCA and DTS by organizing a team to serve and invest in relationships in Houston and the surrounding area, living the gospel to those in crisis. To learn more, visit www.efca.org/hurricaneharvey, follow the EFCA Facebook page, @efcacrisisresponse on Instagram, and email respond@efca.org to partner with Crisis Response and send short-term service teams.