Serving Dayton in the Aftermath of the Tornadoes

Right before Jesus ascended to the Father, he told his followers, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

 At the Mission Cincinnati, we have a particular call to be witnesses to Jesus in our neighborhood of Evanston and of Uptown Cincinnati more generally.  This is that place that we might call “our Jerusalem.”  It is where we primarily feel called to preach the Gospel in Word, Deed, and Power, and we are so excited to do so.  

 From time to time, however, we know that God will call us further afield to our Judea’s, Samaria’s, and to the ends of the earth. Thus, as Christ’s family, we are called to continually keep our eyes and hearts open for the opportunities to partner and serve with others outside our main area of mission.

 Well, just this past week, an opportunity to serve in “our Judea” has arisen, and I am asking our people to pray about ways we may serve.  As you know, unfortunately last week, several tornadoes ripped through parts of Dayton, Ohio and wreaked a lot of havoc – trees were knocked down, fences were broken, roofs were ripped off, and in the worst of cases, houses were completely lost.  As a result, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to cleanup and rebuild these neighborhoods, and to bring comfort to those effected by the storms.  

 Thankfully there are churches in the Dayton area that are organizing efforts to help with this work.  If you would like to help them, there are many ways to do so, and I can personally attest to their good work.  So for example, this past weekend, I joined in with Crossroads Dayton and Be Hope Church in Beavercreek to help with the cleanup.  On Saturday, I joined with hundreds of others from all around the area.  We brought water, food, toiletries, and other items for the people effected by the tornadoes; and we divided into smaller groups to help do some clean-up at houses all around the area.  It was a blessed time of serving together, getting to know others and talking with the locals, and we accomplished a great deal. The work, however, is not done yet. 

 So, something that you all might consider.  As the work continues into the coming weeks, consider gathering a group of friends from the Mission and beyond in the upcoming weeks and take a day trip up to Dayton.  To find out ways you can help, be in contact with Be Hope Church or Crossroads at http://behope.church/relief/ or www.crossroads.net/reachout.

 Blessings,

Rev. Kristen