News

LCMS prepares response to Oklahoma tornado; prayers, gifts requested

Comments (8)
  1. Helen & Richard Runge says:

    Do you have individual members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore who need help? Our family lost their home in Katrina so we know how much help is needed. We would like to help. We live in California and have room in our home. Our daughter and children spent nearly a year here after the storm because it took that long to make their home liveable.

  2. Steven Maske says:

    Is the synod generating a flyer to receive contributions from churches?

    1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

      Yes! A email with a link is being sent to pastors later this afternoon and it will also be posted on the website. Blessings!

      1. Bailey says:

        Where do I find this flyer? Is there an announcement or bulletin insert?

        1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

          Bailey, thank you for posting on our blog. An email has gone out to all pastors with a link to bulletin inserts. I’ll be sending you a separate copy shortly. Thank you for the work you do. Blessings!

  3. Rev Daub says:

    I tried calling the donor line several times during the hours it advertised in the article, and the voicemail said it was closed. When asked to leave a message, I was then disconnected. I am the Chaplain for the Police and Fire Department for our local city. The Fire Department has recently changed over bed spreads in one of their stations and would like to donate the in good shape older ones to the people of OK. They want to know if there is a need for them, and how to go about doing this. Is there anything through the LC-MS that would facilitate a reception of this donation, or where could I be driected to make this donation? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Please email me if you can at st.paul.pastor@eastnc.twcbc.com. Thank You.

    1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

      Dear Rev. Daub,

      Thank you for writing and for your willingness to help tornado victims. We’ve alerted our staff about the problem. Thank you for your patience as we get it worked out.

      We are still in the process of assessing the need in Oklahoma. Our contacts on the ground in Oklahoma have asked that we not send any material goods or travel to Oklahoma until we know how we can best respond. Making a financial donation is the fastest way to get help to the people in need.

      How you can best help:
      • Monetary gifts are the most helpful, as they allow local congregations to purchase items to meet the specific needs of their community.
      • Gift cards to national chains are also needed to help people replace food, clothing, and medications lost in the storm.
      • Consider holding a garage sale, bake sale or other fund raiser and donating the proceeds to allow the needed items to be purchased locally — your donation will go directly where it is needed most.

      Checks should be made payable to “The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod” with a memo line or note designating ‘Disaster Response’ and mail it to:

      The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
      P.O. Box 66861
      St. Louis MO 63166-6861

      I encourage you to keep checking our website at http://www.lcms.org/disaster for the latest information. Thank you again for writing. May God richly bless your day and your ministry.

  4. Mark Hofman says:

    Rev. Daub:

    I was out of the building yesterday and today, and will look into the problem with the Donor Care line as soon as I get in tomorrow morning. I do know that, because of planned leave periods, a number of the staff who man that line are out and we were working a plan that involved some volunteers.

    In-kind donations of materials, such as that you are describing, will almost certainly be needed. That said, we are taking our cues from the pastors and district staff, in concert with out disaster response team led by Rev. John Fale. My suspicion is that the infrastructure for accepting, storing and disbursing in-kind donations is being set up, but is not yet in place. I also know that Synod, Inc. does not have the infrastructure to receive and transport in-kind donations (trucks, storage space, etc.).

    So, I would ask that you hold those donated items until the system for receiving and distributing them to affected families is in place. That may take several more days.

    For other readers, the encouragement to provide financial donations now is important. Donations made this early in a response effort will go to helping families via gift cards, where they can purchase items needed at local stores (such as Wal-Mart or other discount department outlets.) This provides them with basic needs such as underwear, socks, personal hygiene products and the like. And each family can determine what it needs most, so the gift cards provide a measure of control that packages of items do not. As resources allow, larger grants targeting relief work can be made. Eventually, as in the case with Superstorm Sandy, congregations and districts can apply for targeted recovery assistance grants made possible by donations made either through the LCMS or through the affected district.

    The LCMS will be in this relief and recovery effort from the long haul, in partnership with local congregations and the district offices in affected areas. Our disaster response teams (national office, district staff and local parish leaders) are exceptionally well-qualified to effectively and efficiently manage this process through a sequence of steps which get the right kind of aid to the right people at the right time.

    As one Superstorm Sandy victim told President Harrison, “You Lutherans are the real deal.” Let’s work together and show the love of Christ – again!

    Mark Hofman, CFRE, MBA
    Executive Director, Mission Advancement
    The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod