Praise God, and thanks to Rick and FPC Coral Springs/Margate

The inside of FPC Gulfport before the storm

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, no doubt we are all wondering what we can do to help.  Over the past several days, we have been attempting to gather information to help us discern what we might do as a church.

The Session of First Presbyterian Church of Coral Springs-Margate met on the evening of September 1, 2005, and agreed that our best strategy is to partner with one local church that was greatly impacted by the hurricane.

It has become clear that First Presbyterian Church of Gulfport, Mississippi, is the church that we are called to assist.   You may recognize Gulfport as the city where a Weather Channel reporter gave an account of a 27-foot wall of water slamming into the city.

FPC Gulfport bears witness to that testimony.  You can see the line of destruction within the church, which sits at about 15-feet above sea level. 

The inside of FPC Gulfport after the storm

And that is just the building.  We are still trying to gather information about how the church, the body of believers who gather in that building every Lord's Day, is doing.

On October 2, the church was to welcome its new Senior Pastor, Dr. Guy Richard.  Dr. Richard will now be taking up his post early, and is scheduled to arrive on Monday, September 5.  His plan is to begin visiting as many people as he can, distributing water and praying with them.

Our hope is that one of the first places to return to its regular 'operations' after the hurricane is the First Presbyterian Church of Gulfport.  We invite you to join with us in praying for this church, as well as in contributing funds as we seek to meet both the immediate and ongoing needs of this church, to ensure that the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will continue to be proclaimed by the saints of FPC Gulfport.

To make an online contribution, click here.

Contributions can also be mailed to the following:

First Presbyterian Church

Attn: FPC Gulfport Fund

7955 Royal Palm Boulevard

Margate, FL  33063

Please indicate “FPC Gulfport Fund” on your memo line.

UPDATE September 4, 2005

This morning, during the final hymn, we took up an exit offering for FPC Gulfport. Several churches throughout the country are partnering with FPC Gulfort to to pay their substantial insurance deductible as well as to provide for the financial needs of their pastor while the Body of Christ recovers from this devastating storm.

As a testimony to our Lord's provision through the members of our local church, we received over $17,800 in this morning's exit offering. In addition, a member of our congregation had graciously offered to match whatever was given this morning. As a result, we have over $35,000 in the FPC Gulfport Fund, and expect to begin receiving checks from other churches this week.

Our prayer was that we would immediately be able to cover the deductible, which we understand is $25,000. We must never be surprised by "Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

Our additional hope is meet the physical needs of the members of FPC Gulfport. We are accepting clothing, non-perishable foods, and healthcare items in the Narthex. We expect to hear from Pastor Richard by the middle of this week with a report on some of the specific needs. We then hope to deliver those items, perhaps even by the end of this week.

Finally, as we are able to discern how we can help, we hope to begin sending teams of people to assist with clean-up, construction, and medical needs. Please e-mail Jay Fontanini to indicate your desire to contribute your time and talents to this effort. Be sure to include a description of any special skills, training, or equipment you can contribute to the effort.

In the meantime, please be in prayer for those in Gulfport and the entire Gulf Coast region. Pray that the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will flourish in the wake of this storm.

We invite you to check back here often, as we will post new information as it becomes available.

Thank you for your partnership in ministering to the Body of Christ!