| ELCA Disaster Response | |
Donate towards
US Flooding Relief
Minot is one of many areas affected by flood waters in the Midwest. Please consider making a donation today to help support the people of Minot and others across the Midwest who are facing flood water damage.
Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response, designated for "U.S. Flooding Relief," will be used entirely (100%) in response to these disasters.
More information
andother ways to give...
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| Summer Office Hours | |
The office will close at 3:00 pm on Fridays during the summer.
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Field Report from Minot, North Dakota
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From Rev. Kevin A. Massey,
ELCA Disaster Response Program Director
 I've been working in Minot, North Dakota this week. Historic flooding brought the Souris River here over its banks, defeating levee attempts and devastating Minot and other communities like Burlington. Over 5,000 homes and hundreds of businesses are flooded in these communities. This flood has been very slow to recede, with water still over the first floors of many structures, and as such, hundreds of homes and businesses will probably need to be condemned and torn down. A boil order remains in effect for the Minot water system for the foreseeable future.
This flood has acutely impacted the Lutheran community. Lutherans are the majority religious group in this part of the country. Four ELCA churches have sustained flood damage. First Lutheran in Minot and Peace Lutheran in Burlington have extensive damage in their basements, with yet unassessed damage from humidity on the main floors. Augustana Lutheran and Christ Lutheran in Minot had significant amounts of water in the sanctuary of the buildings. We were not yet able to enter these churches to assess the extent of the damage, but it will certainly be heart breaking.
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Augustana Lutheran Church (Minot, N.D.), as seen from a nearby property, completely surrounded by flood waters.
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I've spent a lot of time this week with Bishop Mark Narum of the Western North Dakota Synod. Bishop Narum has been in Minot nearly every day of this crisis, ministering to the affected communities and supporting the clergy here. Bishop Narum estimates that the combined damage to ELCA churches in this area will be well over $1 million. With hundreds of members' homes flooded, along with the churches, rebuilding will be a long and difficult journey. [...]
Continue reading at elca.org...
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| News from the Western ND Synod | | |
An Update on North Dakota Flooding from Bishop Narum
This is a day of lament, as the waters continue to rage and roar on the Souris River and the Missouri Rivers. We have seen pictures on televison of Augustana Lutheran and Christ Lutheran now inundated. As I write First Lutheran in Minot is still dry, I am not certain of the fate of Peace Lutheran at Burlington. I would ask you to continue to pray for the people of these congregations. [...]
Lutheran Disaster Response in Partnership with NDSU Extension Services will conduct training for anyone who would like to work on flood clean-up in the synod this summer and fall. Congregations are encouraged to organize several clean-up teams with each team consisting of 2-10 volunteers and at least 1 designated leader per team. [...]
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| ELCA members remain hopeful in Minot flood disaster | | |
ELCA News Release
 The buildings of some Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations in Minot, N.D., have been flooded, as have the homes of many members. Yet ELCA leaders and members remain resilient and express hope as they wait for record floodwaters to recede before they can assess the effects of the disaster. [...] Continue reading at elca.org... |
| How you can help... | | |
With the expectation that some areas will be flooded for more than six weeks, the recovery process will be a long and arduous task.
Pray:
Download prayers, litanies, prayer petitions, and suggested hymns and songs [PDF] for use in worship with your congregation as a way of remembering those affected by the floods and other natural disasters.
Give:
 Financial donations may be sent to the Western North Dakota Synod office and designated for Flood Relief. In this way, funds can be channeled directly to congregations or through Lutheran Disaster Relief. Send to: Attn: Flood Relief Western North Dakota Synod PO Box 370 Bismarck, ND 58502 Financial donations to Lutheran Disaster Response will provide assistance to those without sufficient means to recover on their own. Donate online or mail donations to: LDR PO Box 389 Fargo, ND 58107 Also, gifts to ELCA Disaster Response "U.S. Floods" help to provide the type of immediate and long-lasting support that is already underway in regions across the US affected by flooding. Volunteer: Your generous help is needed in this effort through prayers and by volunteering. To volunteer call 1-800-366-9841 or email LDRvolunteer@lssnd.org.
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