Disaster Relief: Iowa Floods 2008

Flood Club

Thank you!

... Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people. - Matthew 14:19

Jesus didn't want to send the people who needed him away to fend for themselves--he asked the disciples to give them something to eat from what they had. They said that all they had there that day was five loaves and two fish. They gave it to Jesus, and you know what happened next!

Thank you, First United Methodist Church of Birmingham, for being part of the Bread of Heaven/manna--from God. We know that you first gave what you had to the Lord in worship. Then, with thanksgiving to God, Jesus - through your church leaders - has put it in the hands of some of today's disciples. It has been passed out to the people of St. Paul's UMC. We (and you with us) are giving it to the people seated here on the grass - ones who are needing Christ's healing, including many who He has touched already.

Because we belong to the God of miracles, I am looking forward with joy to the next verse... "Everyone ate and had enough."

Blessings,

Pastor Sheryl Campbell
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
Waterloo, Iowa

Thanks to your generous contributions to the "Flood Club," we have collected more than $5,200 which has been sent to St. Paul's UMC in Waterloo, Iowa.

The money is being used primarily to help families who lost their homes in the recent floods there. St. Paul's has opened their doors to provide housing for the volunteer teams coming to help these families rebuild their homes and their lives. Some of our donation is being used to support that housing.

Storms devastated Iowa in May and June, 2008. The storms began with a major tornado on May 25 and continued in June as torrential rains began to swell the state's rivers and caused reservoirs to overflow. By June 14, major cities were under water, levees had given way, nearly all of the 99 counties were declared state disaster areas, and 18 counties were declared federal disaster areas.

The flooding in Iowa is being called the worst situation since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Your prayers, time, energy, and gifts are greatly needed and appreciated as this will be a long process of recovery for the various communities in Iowa.

Special donations were made at the June 29 worship services and continue to be accepted by our church. These donations will go directly to St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa, through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

You will find details of the work being done in Waterloo at the St. Paul's website and the Iowa Conference website. The latter includes audio from St. Paul's Pastor Sheryl Campbell. You can also read a moving description of the situation written by Pastor Sheryl on the Iowa Storms 2008 blog.

To make a donation, please send a check made out to First United Methodist Church and put "Flood Relief" in the memo line on the check. Alternatively, you can use a pew envelope on Sunday and mark it for "Flood Relief."

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Jeff Nelson at 248-646-6407 ext 3129 or jnelson1@fumcbirmingham.org.