Le Tour . . . Disaster Response


Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator


I am an avid bike rider and enjoy spending time on the roads and trails. I cycle for exercise and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Each year, during the month of July, you can find me glued to the television watching le Tour de France and le Tour de France femmes. Also referred to as “grand tours” in the cycling community, these men’s and women’s races involve up to 200 individual riders representing 24 teams from professional cycling world-wide. Over the course of a few weeks, these riders traverse the French countryside completing daily stages (21 for the men and eight for the women) and riding approximately 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and 1,033.6 km total (642 miles) respectively. For perspective, as a novice rider, the most I have ridden has been 74 miles in one day and 400 miles over the course of a month.

The tour is both a team sport and an individual one that relies on strategies and tactics to be successful. Only one rider can stand on the podium as the winner of each stage. Four additional riders are recognized as race leaders. Each is awarded a colorful leader’s jerseys (yellow, green, polka dot, and white) for that stage. And, when the tour concludes in Paris, the overall leader and category winners are crowned as champions. To have a rider from your team standing on the podium is celebrated as a team success.

As I watched each stage unfold, I could not help but think about the parallels of this concept as they apply to how the church and the Disaster Response Ministry work. Scripture tells us “There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

In cycling, the team is comprised of individuals who each have certain skills that contribute to the team. There are riders that are known for their speed and sprinting ability. Others are better at climbing the steep mountains. And, some are skilled at maintaining a pace. But, without them all, the team cannot be successful.

Likewise, in Paul’s illustration, the church is one body and comprised of many specialists who serve in many different capacities to share the gospel in the community. And, in disaster response, relief and recovery efforts would not be as successful without a multitude of people sharing their many skills and abilities. 

On July 27th and 28th, portions of Kentucky sustained major flooding and hundreds of houses and businesses have been destroyed. Relief efforts are ongoing and my counterpart in the Kentucky Annual Conference is working with UMCOR and other disaster relief agencies to meet the needs of the communities affected. While we wait for assessments to be completed and needs to be identified, there are many things our team can be doing to support this effort.

PRAY. Spend time, individually and collectively, praying for the victims, leaders, and emergency responders in these communities. This can be a powerful tool in the immediate and long-term aftermath of a disaster. As you pray, petition God for direction and guidance on how you can be involved.

SUPPORT. The financial need after a disaster is great. Your generous giving makes this possible. To provide financial support, click: UMCOR US Disaster Response and Recovery Advance This will ensure 100 percent of the donation reaches the affected area, supports the work of UMCOR and its partners, and meets the needs of the community.

ACT. While we wait, consider assembling UMCOR cleaning and hygiene kits. Information about those kits and how to assemble them can be found on the UMCOR website or the Mission Central website.

Every gift comes from God. And, 1 Peter 4:10 tells us we should “use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 

In the future, there will be opportunities to serve the people of Kentucky. Until then, work together as faithful stewards of these gifts to honor Him, bless others in your community, and build His Kingdom.





E-mail: drc@susumc.org

Telephone: (717) 766-7441

Website: www.susmb.org

Facebook: @SUSDisasterResponse

Twitter: @UMCDisResp

Disaster Response Ministry Blog:  https://susdisasterresponse.blogspot.com/


Popular posts from this blog

Planning for Disaster Response Victories

Image
  Planning for Disaster Response Victories Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator In most sports, the coach prepares the team for a game by developing a plan. This blueprint outlines the strategies and tactics to which players will adhere and execute during competition. Using a plan clearly defines roles and responsibilities, establishes goals, and guides the team toward success. When disaster strikes, it is equally important to have a plan and allow God to bless it for success. This was particularly evident when major flooding swept through the Clarks Summit area (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre District) on September 9 th , catching many people off guard. As a result, nearly 300 individuals and/or families in and around this community just outside Scranton found themselves wondering how to address their wet basements and damaged property. And, when the call for help went out, the response to meeting this need mirrored the work of a well-practiced team entering competition. In th
Read more

Sitting at the Crossroads of Life

Image
Commentary: Sitting at the Crossroads of Life By Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator Have you ever found yourself sitting at a crossroad in life, wondering what to do? You know you can’t just sit there. You need to make a decision. Does your life’s path require you to continue in the direction you are traveling? Maybe you need a clear change in your circumstances and need to consider turning left or right. Or, are you so far away from your starting point, that returning to the familiar might be the best option. These crossroads in life can take many forms and cause us to struggle. Fear, sadness, anger and grief begin to creep into our lives. And, when these emotions begin to take over, we lose sight of our destination or the path to it. Margaret Benefiel states In her book, Crisis Leadership , that it is at this point we should “sit still long enough and be quiet” and allow God to do amazing things around us. Resist the urge to forge ahead under the assumption that the road we a
Read more

Commentary: In the Master’s Hands

Image
Commentary: In the Master’s Hands Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator I remember attending the Pennsylvania Farm Show a few years ago and viewing the butter sculpture on display in the Main Hall. I was always amazed at how much time and effort went into creating these dairy displays. The sculpture for the 2023 annual show took fourteen days to create and, the sculptors spent that time creating their masterpiece in an enclosure cooled to a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees. It’s quite a contrast to the artists at outdoor festivals whom I’ve watched create ice or wood sculptures in a fraction of that time, in very different conditions, using some very rudimentary tools. In both instances, the result was a wonderful piece of art. God works in much the same way. Sometimes it takes Him years to sculpt us into a masterpiece. He pulls away the layers slowly and methodically to give us our spiritual shape. Other times, He is very capable of transforming our lives overni
Read more