Typhoon response mounted in Philippines

By Mark Kelly

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —More than 1,000 people are dead and hundreds of thousands struggling in the aftermath of a typhoon that slammed the southern Philippines Dec. 17. Southern Baptists are mounting a relief effort through Baptist Global Response and local partners in the Philippines.

“Typhoon Washi brought heavy rains, strong winds, and a large number of flash floods to the area,” said Pat Melancon, BGR's managing director of disaster response and training. “The government has reported around 10,000 homes damaged or destroyed and estimates are that 335,000 people have been affected.”

Baptist Global Response, a disaster relief and community development organization and partner of IMB, is working with local partners in the affected areas. Funds have been released to begin an immediate rapid response to assist the survivors in the area, Melancon said.

The funds will be used primarily to meet immediate needs such as food assistance, temporary shelters, and water and sanitation needs. The initial rapid response also will include assessment of longer-term response needs in the area.

“Storms regularly occur in the Philippines,” Melancon noted, “however Typhoon Washi struck the southern part of the country, where these types of tropical storms are not as frequent and people are not as prepared to deal with them. BGR has worked in the past with flooding situations in the Philippines and continues to partner in providing assistance in this event as well."

Indianapolis

All roads may not lead to Indianapolis, but many, many do. Wherever you live, you’re likely not far away from the “Racing Capital of the World.” It’s one of the most accessible cities in the United States.

More than 2 out of 3 Americans live within a day’s drive of the city, and more highways cross it than any other city in the U.S. It’s truly the “Crossroads of America.”
Now it’s time for Southern Baptists to use those roads to carry the gospel to “Indy” like never before.
With more than 800,000 people in the city itself and 2 million people in the metro area, Indianapolis is the 11th largest city in the U.S. It’s also one of the most unchurched. Only one out of five “Indy” residents go to church each weekend. More than a million people are not affiliated with any religious group.
Yet it’s the kind of metropolitan area where you’d want to raise a family—the perfect balance of cosmopolitan style and small-town charm. In metropolitan Indianapolis you’ll find good schools, conservative values, and a deeply held patriotism. Recreational and professional sports have been woven into the fabric of the city.
The good, clean living from many in the city may have become the greatest stumbling block for the movement of the gospel. Many Indy residents believe they’re “good enough” and have no need for a Savior. Their search for the “American Dream” has drowned out their overwhelming need for Jesus.

The only long-term answer to the city’s spiritual needs is to start reproducible church plants to creatively engage the community with the gospel. Through Send North America: Indianapolis, Southern Baptist church planters are doing just that.

But these church planters can’t reach the city alone. They need the support of other Southern Baptists with a passion to permeate the city with the gospel.

They need the help of churches like Highview Baptist in Louisville, Ky. Highview has been helping church planters with financial and human resources for the past two years. Close to 200 people from Highview have traveled to Indianapolis to help church planters.

For Southern Baptist church plants to make a dent in the need for SBC churches in Indianapolis, more strong supportive churches from across North America will be needed—more churches like yours.