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After Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, Good Shepherd responded immediately with a gift of more than $60,000 to be shared by dioceses in those 2 states. Individual parishioners traveled to the area to provide medical assistance, clear debris, help residents salvage possessions and listen to people’s stories - a crucial aspect to healing after a disaster. Locally, parishioners took in evacuees temporarily; donated and helped sort clothes, furniture and household items; worked in Red Cross shelters; and helped out local human service agencies whose resources have been taxed by the influx of evacuees from Mississippi and Louisiana. The STARS (the 6th and 7th grade Sunday school class), by hosting the Blessing of the Animals, raised more than $120 for the ASPCA to help care for and place dislocated pets.
A group of parishioners met for several weeks to consider the many and unique assets of the Good Shepherd community and discern what the best actions might be for our community to respond to the disaster over the long haul. The ideas that generated the most excitement were (1) “adopting” a family (maybe more later) that has relocated to this area and (2) partnering with an Episcopal church in the affected areas.
Adopting a family would include helping with housing, employment, providing furnishings and clothing, seeing to medical needs, and whatever other needs the family might make known to us. Through our deacon, Lou Garcia, and his work at Metropolitan Ministries, we are aware of several families that would make good candidates.
Our clergy are in contact with bishops in Louisiana and Mississippi about partnering with a church. Once we have a relationship with a church, a small team will visit to assess that church’s and its parishioners’ needs. The team will report back to the congregation and recruit people for ministry. Possible actions in that arena could include: providing relief to clergy (letting them come here for rest and restoration of their reserves; sending clergy there to spell them), helping rebuild the church, offering a Vacation Bible School, assisting with clean up and repair and much more.
There’s been a lot of energy and excitement about responding to our brothers and sisters in need to the south of us, but the actions we are considering will take a lot of time, resources, persistence and people. Mostly, we will need leadership. We have all heard many times that “we are the church.” We don’t just “go to church,” we are called by God to be His church. If we, the members of God’s church at Good Shepherd, want to take on this ministry, committed individuals need to step toward leadership and responsibility. If you feel called to this ministry, please contact Kathleen Crevasse at the church.
Click here to visit Grace Church's Web site.
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