New 24 hour Prayer Request Phone Line now available. See details below.
Jan 27 - Haiti Update
Thanks to many of you for your response to the Haiti earthquake. In my earlier email I noted that the NAB has a two part response - immediate and then long-term. In the immediate, we are a founding member of the North American Baptist Disaster Relief Network. The day before the quake I met with the director, receiving updates on our preparedness. The next day the theory was put into practice. The team assembled on a conference call and we began to immediately forward funds through Baptist World Aid, and an immediate response team was in the air. The Network sent a team from the North Carolina Baptist Men to respond on our behalf. Your funds helped send them. Here see a short news broadcast regarding their life-saving work. Our immediate response continues.
One of our NAB Haitian pastors from Florida is in Haiti now. Lord willing we will soon have better updates on the destroyed churches and homeless families. He is assessing the immediate needs within the church family. He has some funds to meet emergency needs.
Regional Minister Rick King will be going to Haiti shortly. Rick and his team will ensure that our funds are well-spent as we plan to help churches and ministries rebuild.
Simply throwing money at these challenges does not help! (I personally witnessed agencies wasting millions of dollars post-war Bosnia and Kosovo. We will not make those mistakes. I also witnessed the multiplied impact of thoughtful Christian strategies in the Balkans, those responses continue to reap eternal rewards, and God is glorified).
There is a short but excellent article about this perspective as it applies to Haiti at this link. We are coordinating efforts to best serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is certainly Biblical precedence (2 Cor. 8:13-15) for the outpouring of love; I’m very thankful for our many churches who have given through many responsible agencies. Pray for wisdom for all of us who must give an account for the funds received.
We are planning to keep you updated on our NAB response. Thank you for your leadership in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are loved and cared for.
Rob McCleland Executive Director The NAB Conference of Churches
You can respond financially by giving on-line by clicking here, or mail your contributions to the following addresses:
Canadian contributions only:
North American Baptist Conference PO Box 57235 Station A Toronto, ON M5W 5M5
North American Baptist Conference 36578 Treasury Center Chicago, IL 60694-6500
Jan 26 - Storm Damage in Dakotas
Rain, sleet and snow fell, followed by high winds, snapping thousands of high line poles across North and South Dakota. Early estimates are that there are in the vicinity of 10,000 homes in South Dakota and 5,000 in North Dakota without power. Miles of lines are down. Many farmers have been without power for 5-6 days and word is that it will not be restored for from one to four weeks. There have been whole small towns without power.
Your response to the current crisis in Haiti has been wonderful. Our front lines workers are experiencing the strength that comes from the Joy of the Lord – you are evidently praying, and God is responding. Thank you so much!
Please continue to pray and give. There are outstanding front lines relief ministries working in Haiti right now and we have the privilege of supporting them. They are providing food, water and medical supplies. As the NAB, it is great to see our support when it comes to great works of compassion and care. Well done!
When you give to the Haiti crisis through NAB, some funds are directed immediately to Baptist World Aid, our relief workers who are on the ground right now. Other funds will be invested in the families, schools and churches supported by our own NAB Haitian leaders in Florida. Most of that work will be in the weeks and months to come.
Our NAB leaders in Florida are ready to go! Soon they will be able to get into Haiti to assess first hand the needs of our extended work. As the immediate needs are met and the time of rebuilding comes, we will continue to update you, to share needs, to share prayer requests and possible work projects. Please continue in your prayers and generosity—both reflect Christ well and are making a difference.
You can respond financially by giving on-line by clicking here, or mail your contributions to the following addresses:
Canadian contributions only:
North American Baptist Conference PO Box 57235 Station A Toronto, ON M5W 5M5
Click here for more information about Canada's Matching Funds Program.
U.S. contributions only:
North American Baptist Conference 36578 Treasury Center Chicago, IL 60694-6500
Thank you once again for responding with our prayers and resources. God is honored by our efforts to help those who are hurting and in need.
Do you need prayer? Share your specific requests with others in the NAB family so we can pray for you. Prayer requests can be recorded 24 hours a day by calling the NAB Prayer Request Phone Line (630) 317-5509. Recorded requests should not exceed 45 seconds; names appreciated but not required. Specific, detailed requests are preferred.
Prayer requests will be updated every Wednesday by 1:00 p.m. CST. (Previous requests will be removed, allowing for a new group of requests to be heard.)
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