Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Praise the Sweet Name!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that you can praise Jesus while reading the TouchGlobal blog about how He has provided thus far for the Hurricane Sandy response!

Please click on the link for the blog: www.touchglobal.wordpress.com

You can also get more information on how you can be involved at: www.efca.org/hurricane-sandy   

We are taking teams and continuing to share the love of Christ to those in the Northeast!  Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's will for what the long term recovery looks like.

God bless!

Katie :)

"Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always."
Psalm 105:4

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Story from the Front Lines!

Below is an account of God's faithfulness told by Pastor Paul from Hoboken EFC! To GOD be the glory!!



I am exhausted and exhilarated. Today was a day of ministry and a day of accomplishment. A team of wonderful people with servant hearts of love from Cornerstone EFC in Easton PA, under the umbrella of TouchGlobal arrived in Hoboken to begin repairing the church basement while allowing the church to do ministry. They came with people and tools. They came with generators. They came with over a thousand hotdogs, hot chocolate, chips, cookies and more. And they came with God’s love. You see, that is what they do. They serve freely and allow ministry to happen.

As they demolished our basement in preparation for rebuilding we served the people of Hoboken. With the strength and love of Jesus, we shared the grilled food on site and delivered into the homes of people shut in. Using generators, we provided charging stations for electronic devices. We served grateful people. One woman had not had a hot meal in five days. We served National Guard troops who were delivering goods throughout the city. We fed a police officer who was sitting in his car providing security. We shared our story with a news reporter from a New York TV station. We located several from the church who we had not had contact with since the storm. And we reunited a concerned son with his father. We made new friends as we shared the love of Jesus. We were blessed beyond explanation.  God is so good

And like the account of the loaves and fishes, the ministry grew.  A couple from nearby Weehawken, who had never been to the church before dropped in and took over the grill.  A neighbor dropped by and spent the day helping. A group from Steven’s Institute of Technology came in and cleaned all our contaminated folding chairs with bleach. A team of people from Times Square Church, delivering food to Hoboken, decided to stop in and help and plan to come back next week. Another neighbor dropped off two dozen sandwiches.  People from the city of Hoboken gave us MRE’s to distribute. And still another couple, who had lost everything in the storm came to share their story and brought us boxes to store what we could salvage.

And at the end of the day the lights came on.

Last Sunday, the Hoboken Evangelical Free Church celebrated its 29th anniversary and praised God for His faithfulness and for His gracious, good hand. On Monday, hurricane Sandy hit. On this Saturday we truly saw God’s faithfulness and His good hand.  Sunday morning we will worship.  God is good!

Next Saturday (Nov 10th), an even bigger block party is planned, as a team from Hershey EFC, under the umbrella of TouchGlobal, comes to help us multiply the loaves and fishes. I look forward to once again being exhausted and exhilarated.

Pastor Paul
Hoboken EFC

Monday, November 5, 2012

Sandy Storms the Northeast



Hurricane Sandy devastated the northeast coast and affected many Free Churches in the area. EFCA TouchGlobal staff has been seeking God’s direction, assessing the situation, and meeting with church leaders as well as those impacted.

Many people have contacted us asking how they can be of help. You can check out the website at www.efca.org/hurricane-sandy To help allow those churches in the affected area focus their time and staff to the needs of those impacted and to effectively utilize ministry resources, PLEASE contact TouchGlobal versus the churches directly.
Here is what you can do:

Pray for:
a)      Churches working in unity to bear a bold witness of Jesus to the community;
b)      Evangelism and outreach in affected communities resulting in Gospel transformation;
c)       Wisdom in the leadership of EFC’s and partnering churches;
d)      God’s people addressing the specific needs of impacted individuals;
e)      God’s provision of needed resources (The Spirit, people, finances) for the church to be the church.

Financially – resources are needed for:
·         Rebuilding needs of churches (Hoboken, First EFC, Faith EFC, Brigantine Bible)
·         Rebuilding and physical needs of homeowners
·         Community outreach
·         Ongoing Crisis Response ministry efforts
(click here to use our secure on line donation link)

Help meet the following physical needs of those impacted:
·         Salem Church (EFCA) is collecting blankets, winter coats and kids' backpacks to distribute.
All items must be boxed and labeled, and received at Salem Church prior to Friday Nov. 9. Drop offs are accepted between 9am and 5pm at the church.
634 Clove Rd.
Staten Island, NY 10310

Coats must be sorted by male/female/kids/baby. 

·         Beacon EFC is seeking specific items (list attached) for their Beacon Hope Chest ministry.
All items must be sorted, boxed and labeled, and received at Beacon EFC prior to Friday Nov. 9. Drop offs are accepted M-F between 9am and 4pm at the church.
420 6th Ave
Galloway, NJ 08205

Go
The need for volunteers is immediate.  To send a team, complete and submit a Team Application, and email tgteams@efca.org.

·         Specific skilled construction teams are needed to rebuild the damaged churches.
·         General  volunteer (skilled and/or unskilled) teams are also needed for  clean-up and repairs of impacted homes and community outreach ministry.

God bless you as you seek His will for how you can be apart of this mission field!