A LOCAL church is throwing itself behind the relief efforts to help the Philippines in the wake of the devastating typhoon that hit the country.
Pastor Todd Murray of Grace Church in Port Macquarie said they had already sent $2500 out of their mission aid budget to a church member living there, Graham Kennedy, and planned to send further funds.
Appealing for the people of the Hastings to open their hearts and their wallets, the pastor said the church had conducted mission work in the Philippines for many years and had a good network of contacts to ensure aid reached outlying areas where the people were in dire need.
“Be generous, and give. We just want to raise as much as we can. Graham, our member over there, is a very meticulous and honourable guy who will ensure it is well spent,” he said.
Pastor Murray said he himself had visited the Philippines only a few weeks ago, including some of the areas since almost flattened to the ground. Mr Kennedy was based in one of the worst-hit areas, Tacloban, but luckily was in Manilla when the typhoon hit.
“It took two or three days for reality to sink in after I first saw it on the television,” Pastor Murray said.
“It was only several weeks ago I was walking down those very streets that have now been wiped out by Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban.
“I cannot help thinking that some of those houses I was in when I was over there a summer breeze would have knocked down.”
He said Grace Church history of involvement with the Philippines dated back to 1999.
“Since then we have created businesses, built schools, planted churches, organised and facilitated multiple feeding programs, run many youth camps, pastors conferences, sent full-time missionaries to work and live in the country and much more,” Pastor Murray said.
“The area where the typhoon hit is an area that Grace Church has just begun a new work, including building business enterprises to alleviate poverty, feeding programs for children in more depressed areas, and youth and church ministries.
“I can only imagine what it is like after the typhoon.”
He said Mr Kennedy would be targeting aid in outlying areas where the church already had a network of relationships and friends.
“They need money for everything – tarps, food, water, first-aid – just about everything,” Pastor Murray said.
He said at this stage the church was sending money to buy needed supplies and was not looking for volunteers, although it might send a group in a few months when the immediate emergency-relief phase was over.
Pastor Murray said the news of the typhoon hit church members hard.
“Not only have we run missions in the Philippines for many years, but members of our congregation sponsor at least 40 children,” he said. “A lot of people know people there.”
The church has already held a prayer service dedicated to the people of the Philippines.
You can donate to the relief efforts through direct debit: Commonwealth Bank, Grace International Ministry, BSB: 062592 A/C: 10354950. Please put ‘Philippines’ in your description.
Grace Church in an independent non-denominational church which is part of a network of churches. The Port Macquarie church was established 19 years ago and Pastor Murray has been associated with it for 13 of those years.
The church is at 2 Kingfisher Road, Port Macquarie, and can be contacted on 6581 0654 or by visiting the website, www.gracechurchpm.org.au
