THE FUTURE OF KATRINA ASSISTANCE?

As I noted in an earlier post and as we have seen over the past week, the outpouring of offerings to those affected by Hurricane Katrina has been nothing short of miraculous. Churches, radio stations, secular organizations, and private individuals have been sacrificially giving of themselves, both in terms of finances and supplies and in sharing their own homes with those displaced by Katrina (still haven't learned what the correct term is -- evidently, "refugee" is controversial).

But, what is going to happen in the future? As we have seen with other catastrophes, such as 9-11 and the tsunami, there is a peak of giving early on but then that declines into almost nothing as time goes by. In the case of the tsunami, and now with Hurricane Katrina, we are going to be looking at months and even years before all is restored and before all the needs are met.

So, recognizing that there is going to be a continuing need for relief support for an extended time period, how can we keep our Christian communities involved? I fear that once the media coverage leaves and gas prices drop and the holiday season begins, the urgency that we are currently feeling will decline. In our south Georgia region, the Sylvester area was severely damaged by floods just a couple of months ago when Cindy came ashore. According to the reports I have heard from the UMC District and Conference, the giving for those affected by flooding in Sylvester has dropped to almost nothing. This can happen with Hurricane Katrina relief, too.

So, what can we do to ensure that those affected by the storm continue to receive love and support and grace from the church over the coming months and years? I honestly have no idea. I am hoping that by posting this that we can start a dialogue and come up with a plan for the church to step forward and not forget our brothers and sisters in need.

The only real suggestion that I have heard, other than taking refugees into your home, has come from Franklin Graham and has been picked up by others, including the Southern Baptist Convention -- namely, for congregations to "adopt" another church in the affected area and to commit to helping them financially and by praying for them over the next several months and years. I like this idea, but am not sure how to put this into practice. How do we find these congregations? How do we identify those in need? And, what about those who are in need but not associated with a particular church?

The only other idea I had, similar to Rev. Graham's, was to have an organization like Compassion International set up a program for the hurricane victims similar to its "adopt a child" program. If they could identify people in need -- perhaps those in shelters -- and have that person/family be "adopted" by a family or church through a monthly donation and through prayers, maybe that would be a way to keep interest alive. I know the monthly letter I get from Compassion International, as well as the letters from the child we sponsor, keep us interested in giving and investing in the life of a child. Could something similar be done for those affected by this natural disaster?

What do you think? What ideas do you have? How can we make sure the body of Christ continues to show the love and mercy and providence of Christ in the coming months and years?