Tornado Relief: Methodist Committee on Relief

Southeast Texas Churches and Southeast Texas Christians have big hearts and have done a great deal to help disaster victims all over the United States and across the globe.

From opening Southeast Texas churches to Katrina victims to being hands on in places like Haiti and recent tornados, Southeast Texas Christians have an impressive record of assisting those affected by disasters.

First Methodist Church Kountze has put some great information on their website that we wanted to share with the SetxChurchGuide.com community.

These are tips that are helpful for Southeast Texas Christians who want to help but aren’t sure of the best way to do so. There are options for those who can give financially, for those who can donate goods, and for those Southeast Texans whose gift is prayer.

Thank-you to First United Methodist Kountze for sharing this information.

1. Pray – As always, prayer is one of the greatest tools for aiding those most in need. Pray for those who have lost loved ones and homes. Pray for those who have been injured, physically and mentally. Pray that the affected communities will experience God’s comfort and peace in these trying times.  If you are a Southeast Texas Christian whose gift is sincere and earnest prayer, just pray!

2. Give – What is needed the most in the tornado affected areas of Oklahoma right now is cash donations. Click here to go to UMCOR’s donation page for domestic disaster relief. For those who prefer to write a check, you can make it out to First United Methodist Church Kountze and write “Disaster Relief” in  the memo line. You can drop your check off at First United Methodist Church Kountze during office hours (9-12, 1-3 M-Th). First United Methodist Church Kountze will write one combined check and send it via the conference treasurer to the bishop’s office in the hurricane or tornado affected region.

Sometime in the near future, relief kits will be needed for the Oklahoma tornado victims. Now is the perfect time to start collecting supplies and assembling those kits so they will be ready when the request goes out. Click here to go to UMCOR’s page about relief kits. The web page provides instructional videos and packing lists for the various sorts of kits. Completed kits or the supplies that go in them can be delivered to the First United Methodist Kountze office during office hours (9-12, 1-3 M-Th) and we will get them to the right people. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

3. Stay in Southeast Texas. We understand Southeast Texas is full of talented carpenters, electricians, welders, roofers, and contractors of every description. While your first instinct might be to load your tools into your truck and drive up to the affected areas to help, DON’T! As well-meaning as this may be, you will only be in the way of the first responders doing their jobs during the initial response phase. Once they are ready for relief teams to come into the area, they will issue an invitation, and we will do our best to reflect that here. For the time being, we must be patient and wait. Preparing supplies for when the invitation goes out is great, but for now stay put! When the time is right, your skills will be of great help, comfort, and relief to those in Oklahoma. A short wait will ensure you can put your skills to use rather than getting there before your skills can be put to good use. Thank-you for your willingness to donate your valuable skill set.

This is good information for Southeast Texas Christians interested in helping those suffering from recent hurricanes, tornadoes, and storms.  Thank-you again for First United Methodist Kountze for making this information available.

First United Methodist Church Kountze Address: 1015 S. Pine St. Kountze, TX 77625

First United Methodist Church Kountze Phone Number: (409) 246-3250