Churches can serve as central parts of a community, helping people celebrate the good times and providing healing and hope in times of need. As ministry veteran Dino Rizzo says, this aspect of churches has come front and center recently, as church communities have chipped in to help support people in need as they experience crises throughout the country.
When unexpected events occur, life-giving churches spring into action to do all they can to help. Whether putting boots on the ground to help with disaster recovery efforts, collecting much-needed supplies and relief money, or simply praying for those affected, churches help bring the community together to navigate through tough times.
Dino Rizzo provides some recent examples of churches in action helping communities in need.
Grace Creek Church Aids Texans During Severe Weather
In late June and early July, thousands of Texans were powerless during recent severe weather that included a historic heat wave and deadly tornadoes that lasted almost two weeks.
More than 112,000 Texans lost power due to the severe weather, leaving many without access to basic necessities and a respite from the scorching heat.
Grace Creek Church, located in Longview, Texas, sprung into action, serving as a "beacon of hope" for these people in need. They set up a cooling center where people could escape from the heat and helped to feed people who were hungry, providing nearly 3,000 meals over two days.
Backed by the coordination of Dino Rizzo, Grace Creek Church was also able to loan out generators for people to use at their homes. This helped people get back to a normal life while they were waiting for their power to be restored.
Multiple Churches Help with Hawaii Wildfire Relief
In early August, Maui was hit by deadly wildfires that caused mass destruction and displaced thousands of residents from their homes. More than 100 people lost their lives as a result, and more than 1,000 are still unaccounted for.
Church communities nationwide gathered together to give back to the people affected by the wildfires in various ways.
Convoy of Hope, for instance, had volunteers working on the ground, coordinating with partner organizations to distribute water, food, hygiene kits, and any other essential supplies people needed. All of this was handled through the Regional Distribution Center that Convoy has set up in Sacramento, California.
Inspire Church, which is located in Waipahu, Hawaii, set up a Maui Relief Fund, where people could donate money that would go to helping people who were affected by the wildfires. In addition, the church sets aside two times every day -- 8:08 a.m. and 8:08 p.m. -- to pray specifically for the people of Maui.
ARC (Association of Related Churches), an organization that Dino Rizzo serves as executive director of, also set up a relief fund to support people affected by the wildfires in Maui. The donations go to support churches that have been affected as well as the ARC Resource Partners working hard to bring relief to the island.
About Dino Rizzo
Dino Rizzo, a seasoned pastor with 35 years of ministry experience, co-founded Healing Place Church in 1993 with his wife, DeLynn, and served for over two decades as senior pastor. A strong believer in inspiring others to serve their communities, Dino Rizzo founded the organization "Servolution." He's co-founder and Executive Director of ARC (Association of Related Churches), overseeing 1000+ church plants worldwide while also serving on the Senior Leadership Team at Church of the Highlands.
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