Of course the need still continues. Here are a few ways that you can help:

1) Volunteer through the SE Nashville Flood Relief Ctr. at the church. We have a variety of projects, from removing drywall to making phone calls. It would also be great to have some folks come through to empty the trash, sweep the lobby, and generally make sure that the church is well maintained through all this. Feel free to come and hang out, because we always need a set of hands.

2) Continue to donate items for relief efforts. Cleaning supplies are still needed, but more importantly now is to get tools, masks, etc. We’ve been running short on face masks, which must be rated as an N95 mask to protect from mold. It would be great to have a supply of pry bars (the flat “wonder bars” are the best) to send with volunteers, and work gloves are also needed.

3) Give food to Second Harvest — they are stretched thin. You can take food donations to Hamilton UMC or Antioch Church of Christ.

4) Clean our your closet and donate clothes to Thriftsmart on Nolensville Rd. Early on we recognized that dealing with clothing was beyond the scope of any church, so we turned to the experts. Please make sure to tell Thriftsmart that the clothing is to benefit the Southeast Nashville Flood Relief, because we get credit for donations which can be used to pay for clothing for those without.

5) Check in with one another. While we weathered the storm well, there are some who are digging out. The worst of our folks is Barbara Hood’s mother, who lives in Donelson and had to be rescued by water. Janice Crittenden, Melanie Bethel, and Connie Lindner also had some damage, co check in with them and see if they continue to have needs.

6) Pray about the next steps. The experts tell us that we have at least a year of recovery, and more likely two. There are many families that lost everything and very few folks have flood insurance. FEMA’s payment for home repair is relatively low (around $20,000 for the uninsured) and there will be situations where area churches need to adopt a family, or even a whole neighborhood. Be asking God to lead us to know how we should proceed in the days to come.

I have to go because we are expecting a couple of hundred volunteers from throughout Tennessee and beyond to show up at 9 a.m., but before I do I have one last request. I can’t go into the details but our family is going through a crisis moment and I covet your prayers. Please ask God to give me wisdom on how to proceed, and to help us make the right decisions for our future.

Y’all take care and I hope to see you on Sunday.

Jay

1) Blue Hole Rd. is pretty much underwater, and due to the difficulty folks will have in getting to the church, we are cancelling ALL activities tomorrow.

2) Mary and Savannah Stephens were caught in the water on I-24. They were able to get out of their car, jump the median and hike up to Haywood Lane where they were rescued by Mike and Susan Rainey. They are shaken but fine, and we give God thanks for keeping them safe.

3) Melanie and Scott Bethel’s house was flooded.

4) Janice Crittenden had flooding in her basement.

5) Almost all of our neighbors on Benzing Rd. have experienced serious flooding and will have significant damage. We hosted a couple of families at the church but power is out at the church, so we sent them to the Red Cross shelter at David Lipscomb.

6) The Apollo Apartments on Richards Rd. have been evacuated and are flooded. This is a low income housing complex which means that a number of poor folks are suddenly homeless.

So what next?

We are a church that knows something about flooding. It’s part of our story, and many of you know first hand the effects of that on one’s life. I have already told some of the families on Benzing to call us when it’s time for cleanup, believing that loving our neighbors is absolutely central to walking in the way of Jesus. I have contacted Jason Brock at the Conference office to ask for Flood Buckets for our neighbors, and we will likely need folks to help distribute these buckets. We will also need folks to help with cleaning and all the work necessary to help folks recover from floods.

I will work to keep you informed as more information develops.

Most of all, pray a lot!

See you soon,
Jay

Children are invited to bring gifts to share with our Room in the Inn Participants, such as work gloves, socks, knit caps, and personal items.

Please make sure to come an support out kids at this fun family oriented gathering.