Around the State: Disaster relief in Louisiana; disaster recovery in Houston

Howard Payne University invited students—such as Devin Caraway, a junior from Cisco—to place American flag around the base of the university’s bell towers during a memorial event marking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (HPU Photo)

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Texas Baptist Men volunteers continue ongoing disaster relief in the area around Jennings, La. Through mid-September, TBM workers donated more than 1,100 volunteer days to the disaster relief mission, made more than 1,100 ministry contacts and completed 159 job requests. They have prepared about 3,600 meals, completed more than 90 flood clean-up jobs, washed more than 300 loads of laundry and distributed more than 4,100 boxes for residents to reclaim and store their belongings. TBM volunteer chaplains and others presented the gospel message at least three dozen times and distributed 164 Bibles. To contribute to TBM disaster relief, click here or send a check designated “disaster relief” to Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron, Dallas 75227.

Texas Baptists’ Disaster Recovery program and TBM are working together to mobilize volunteers to repair flood-damaged homes in the Greater Houston area Sept. 29-Oct. 1 and Oct. 27-29. Projects focus on the uninsured, under-insured, disabled and elderly families affected by flooding. Staff will be on site to provide assistance and direction. Volunteer teams will provide free labor, and affected families will purchase building materials, with assistance from donors. Housing in Houston-area churches can be arranged for out-of-town volunteer groups. Volunteers are responsible for their own meals. Reservations are requested. To sign up, click here. To help families purchase building materials, supplies, furniture and appliances, click here. For more information, contact Gerald Davis at [email protected] or (214) 924-6401.

Texas Baptists’ Disaster Recovery program is seeking volunteer construction coordinators to work with long-term recovery in the Houston area and Ellis County. Coordinators are needed to help disaster survivors affected by the Dec. 26 tornadoes in Ellis County and flooding in Greater Houston move forward in their recovery, rebuilding and repairing homes. Coordinators must live close to affected areas. Mileage will be reimbursed. For more information, contact Marla Bearden at [email protected] or (214) 828-5382.

Encounter Week fall revival services are scheduled Sept. 19-21 at Howard Payne University. The featured speaker is Dave Edwards, an Oklahoma City-based Christian speaker to the postmodern generation. Roger Cullins, worship pastor at Bay Area Baptist Church in League City, will lead worship. Services will be in HPU’s Mims Auditorium at 10 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. All Encounter Week services are open to the public.

HPU’s New Braunfels Center received a $30,000 grant from the McKenna Foundation to fund all technology and supporting infrastructure for the computer lab at the university’s new facility. HPU has named the lab the McKenna Foundation Computer Center. 

Pastors for Texas Children launched a Dallas School Improvement Mission, seeking to mobilize 100 Dallas churches to help 20 high-need schools in the Dallas Independent School District. Andy Stoker, pastor of First United Methodist Church, will lead the initiative, which has received funding from the Meadows Foundation. Stoker’s congregation already includes more than 250 mentors and reading partners who help schoolchildren. Charles Foster Johnson is executive director of Pastors for Texas Children.


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