Goal: $30,000 to support the relief effort of Calvary Baptist Church, Midland, Michigan, to reach 300 unchurched families
Objective: Show Christ’s love to a community destroyed by flooding
Avenue: Provide food, household necessities, and the gospel for the hurting and unchurched
- $500 will purchase and install a water heater for a family so they can wash dishes and clothes
- $5,000 will purchase and install a furnace
Results: More than a dozen people have already professed faith in Christ as a result of Calvary’s ministry. We’ll update you on funds raised as they come in.
On Tuesday, May 12, Michigan’s Edenville Dam broke and the Sanford Dam was breached after heavy rainfall hit the region. The dam failures caused massive flooding. Nearly 10,000 residents in Edenville, Sanford, and parts of Midland were evacuated.
“Experts have described this as a 500-year event,” says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “It’s going to have a major impact on the community and our state for the time to come.” Damages are estimated at more than $640 million.
Calvary Baptist Church, located in the middle of the community that was hardest hit by the flood, is ready to help. Calvary Baptist was spared any major damage (the water “stopped just short of our church buildings,” Pastor Dan Dickerson says), so the church is able to focus its efforts on helping its neighbors who face desperate needs.
Clare Jewell, director of Regular Baptist Builders Club, talked with Dan Dickerson and Mark Dickerson, community and family pastor, on June 2 to assess the situation. While Samaritan’s Purse provided cleanup, Calvary Baptist is working to restore homes by replacing hot water heaters, furnaces, and other essential items that were destroyed. The pastors say that some insurance companies will provide little to no coverage because the flood was caused by a dam break. So the church is asking for Regular Baptist Builders Club’s help.
Regular Baptist Builders Club is seeking to raise $30,000 to send to this church so it can provide much needed assistance. All of the funds will help unchurched victims. A single hot water heater costs about $500. A furnace runs close to $5,000, depending on type. “I am personally giving to this project, and I hope you will join me so these precious people know that they are not alone,” Jewell says.
This is an opportunity to go beyond meeting physical needs and impact the spiritual needs of the people affected. Already more than a dozen flood victims have trusted in Christ for salvation as a result of the help the church offered. “It is exciting to know that people have found peace, hope, and love as they have trusted Jesus as their Savior during this difficult time,” Mark says.
Because Calvary Baptist has a preschool ministry that serves about 300 children and runs an Upward basketball program that includes more than 400 participants, the church has many connections with neighbors impacted by this tragedy. Calvary Baptist is in a unique position to give help and the gospel!
Give online, by phone, or by check. Designate “Disaster Relief” on your donation.
Thank you so much for your generosity!
