Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Serve the City - An Interfaith Diasaster Recovery Committee

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
June 18, 2008

Good evening all,

Well I am back at the "coffee bar" to access the Internet. Photos of the total destruction of our current location can be found on our web site at www.crossroads-mission.com after midnight tonight (June 18, 2008), as well as a donation page which we pray you will stop by for at least a short visit. The donation page is new, and a classmate of mine from seminary sent the first donation from Pennsylvania. Her prayers and donation were received with great thanksgiving.
My membership on the Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee on behalf of the Synod and Lutheran Disaster Response for the Cedar Rapids/Linn County area is ramping up quickly. When we begin as a community to leave the rescue stage and enter the long-term recovery stage (3+ years), this committee is preparing to coordinate the local, state-wide, and national faith communities to provide disaster response. The Linn County Evangelical Association (aka Serve The City), Churches United, and Linn County Inter-Religious Council are coming together locally to work with local, state and national leaders in donations, volunteers, and other kinds of assistance to help those affected by the flood. Among others, Lutheran Disaster Response, Pastor Mike Stadie, was on the ground in Benton, Linn, and Johnson Counties yesterday to survey the damage and talk with local leadership, and community leaders where appropriate.
Serve The City has performed in a stellar manner as they have effected rescue efforts on behalf of faith communities locally. If anyone wants to volunteer now, we recommend they call Serve The City at 319-378-0337 and sign up as individuals.
Once we enter the relief and recovery phase of this flood, the communication link will shift to Churches United very quickly on behalf of the local Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee. Churches United is asking each faith community in the area to provide them with one or two E-mail contacts who will respond on behalf of each faith community as they begin an assessment of known assets available from the individual churches, mosque, temple, etc. You can contact Churches United at churchesunited@yahoo.com

Download an individual assessment tool that Churches United are asking all faith community members to complete, if possible, and return to Churches United. You will notice they are using assessment tools that have recently been used and are not trying to re-invent the wheel. People of faith will be coming to town, and will need places to stay when they are here to help us. In response to this, Churches United is expanding its staff, computer capacity, and telephone capacity to meet this new role during this disaster. They will need financial support to fulfill this task.
When all faith communities locally are tied into this new system by E-mail, you will receive rapid notice of needs for time, talent, treasure, hospitality, etc. You can E-mail Churches United as well to offer your donations. This will be a huge interfaith recovery effort on behalf of our respective faith communities for those most impacted by the flood. It will take a long time to accomplish, and we must pray for patience as we work through this to bring wholeness in community.
We appreciate your prayers and continued patience as we continue to work with Cedar Christian Church on upcoming clean up efforts and will keep you posted as information becomes available.

Yours in Christ,

Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
"AN ECUMENICAL MINISTRY OF DISCIPLESHIP TO OUR NEIGHBORS!"

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