Efforts continue at Church of God Ministries (CGM) to obtain detailed assessments on the extent of damages to Church of God congregations affected by Hurricane Ike. While some churches have been able to provide initial assessments, contact has remained difficult with several congregations in the most severely affected areas due to power outages, closed roads, and downed phone lines.

“Contact with the Churches of God in Port Arthur, Orange, and Beaumont, Texas, has been difficult,” reports Robert Pettit, hurricane relief coordinator for our churches in Texas. “They were hit hard, and at this time we are unable to make contact to assess the situation. As soon as information is available, we will be able to have a better understanding of what type of response to initiate.”

The following is a letter of update provided by Pastor Don Bergstrom, Houston First Church of God regarding their experience and situation following Hurricane Ike.

Dear Church Family and Friends,

Houstonians who stayed in town will never forget the night of September 12, 2008.  We went to bed (well, some went to bed) not knowing what the morning would bring.  Hurricane Ike was coming, and all we could do was wait…and pray.  Around 1:00 a.m. our power went out (and would remain out for the next ten days, but we were just one of some 8 million homes from the Gulf Coast to Canada that would experience power outages due to Ike).  The sound of wind that rattled our house through the night is permanently etched in my memory!  I’ve been through a few earthquakes.  They hit and then it’s over.  I now know that hurricanes hit - and continue hammering!  I wondered throughout the night if it would ever end. 

A few months ago, Church of God Ministries sent a simple and free gift to your congregation via e-mail that you could use in your worship: PowerPoint slides for welcome and announcements. The response was very positive. Good news! We now have a new set of slides that you can use. Simply click here to download, from the Church of God Ministries Web site, new announcement slides for use in your worship. It’s a great way to have professional slides for your worship service and identify with the Church of God family.

Church of God Ministries, Inc., is offering eleven books on Christian discipleship as free downloads from its Web site (www.chog.org). To access an online directory of CGM’s electronic books for download, click here.

Titled Bridges: Invitation to Discipleship, the series was published by Warner Press, Inc., in 1996 and 1997. You can now download, print, and reproduce any of these books for use in your congregation.

Church of God Ministries has advanced Rev. Tim West, area administrator for Texas an emergency distribution of funds to assist our congregations there following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike. But more money will be needed for the relief and recovery operations.

Rev. West has been in close communication with Rev. Obadiah Smith, coordinator for compassionate ministries at CGM. In spite of the difficulties with communications due to phone lines being down, West was able to provide an initial report of the damages from a few churches affected by Ike:

By Susan Kane
Church Multiplication

At the age of fifty-three, Rev. Jim Brooke never thought he would be planting a church. Yet after leaving a pastorate he had served for nine years, during which time he increased weekly attendance from four to 125 and navigated a building project, that is exactly what he found himself doing in late 2005.

As the state church planter for the Oklahoma Church of God, Brooke was responsible for targeting areas throughout the state for possible new church plants. At that time, his focus was on the town of Norman, a small, but growing, community south of Oklahoma City. Although Norman was home to the University of Oklahoma, two previous congregations had failed over the years. The community was full of young families, however, so it was a prime opportunity for a new plant.

By David Farlow

The idea was birthed in the small teepee-shaped red church building on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. It came from a realization that traditional church services had limited appeal to the Lakota Indian youth living in the area. It was a bold question. Why, it had never been done before. But that didn’t stop Julie Hollow Horn and others at the Church of God in Wounded Knee from praying and petitioning God. Why not send our youth to the International Youth Convention in San Antonio? And there began the journey.

Emergency funds have been sent to church leaders in Orissa, India, to help those affected by the recent violence and persecution against Christians. Church of God Ministries (CGM) staff have been in frequent contact with church leader and Christians Broadcasting Hope (CBH) director Asim Das, and sent the money following his recent report on the situation there.

Das reported that recent attacks against Christians forced families to flee into the jungle for protection after their homes were burned and lives threatened. Seven families have been located and are receiving temporary care while the search for others continues. Das also informed CGM staff that three of our church facilities have been destroyed.

Warner Press, Inc., is pleased to release a mini-encyclopedia of Church of God beliefs and practices compiled by Barry L. Callen. Following Our Lord is a ready reference for pastors and lay leaders who have questions about a variety of issues. Topics range from traditional doctrinal subjects, such as church membership and the ordinances, to behavioral issues, such as the use of tobacco and alcohol, a Christian’s manner of dress, and sexual orientation.

Wounded Knee, SD—A new family life center was dedicated on Sunday, August 24, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The new facility, located on the Church of God grounds, will provide a gathering place for ministry, community events, and other services for the Wounded Knee community.

“Nothing new has been built in the community for the last several years,” said Stanley Hollow Horn, pastor of the Wounded Knee Church of God. “Our center is something new that can help meet the needs of our people while reaching them for Christ.”