A Letter to the Saints and Friends of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School

Dear Saints and Friends of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, October 30, 2024

St. John the apostle asks, “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word and talk, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

In the first moments of disaster response, there can be a flurry of activity to help clean up and salvage people’s homes and property. Things eventually calm down. Soon the national and state aid agencies pack up their trucks and move on to help others in more dire need. But the work of rebuilding and recovery continues. Right now, there is a need for funds to help people get their lives back on track after their homes, vehicles, and other worldly goods were lost. Often the folks were without flood insurance. It will take years of rebuilding before they get back to the way things were.

As Christians, we have a sacred duty to help our neighbors in their times of need. For this reason I ask each of you to see if your family can contribute something to the ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts for the families connected with our church and school. It may be a little or it may be more. Either way, these gifts will make a difference in someone’s life. Whatever funds we raise will go to directly supporting families in our community. They will know that the help came from our church, school, and surrounding congregations.

God be praised that because we know Christ, we have been richly blessed in every way. He gives food for our bodies and salvation for our souls. From these blessings the Lord gives us the ability to show generosity and compassion in times of great loss and sorrow. What a fantastic way to bear witness to our great hope and salvation? St. John again writes, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16).

Please make out your checks and designate your gifts to Immanuel Lutheran Church’s Disaster Relief Fund.

In Christ,

Pr. Brian Flamme