Tag: natural disasters

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Religion Unplugged

🌪️ Symbol of hope: Church’s stained-glass windows survive monster tornado 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Subscribe now to get this column delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged SULPHUR, Okla. — A miracle. That’s what Pam Chitwood calls it. To her surprise — and delight — the First Christian Church’s century-old … Continue reading 🌪️ Symbol of hope: Church’s stained-glass windows survive monster tornado 🔌

Bobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

‘All I could see was destruction’

Christians mobilize to help after monster tornado strikes small Oklahoma town. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SULPHUR, Okla. â€” After a monster tornado hit this southern Oklahoma town late Saturday night, the Vinita Avenue Church of Christ swung into action. With power out Sunday morning, the congregation — which counted 38 worshipers on a recent Lord’s Day — canceled the regular assembly and focused on helping storm victims. … Continue reading ‘All I could see was destruction’

Bobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

Trusting God in the fire

In the Texas Panhandle, Christians lean on their faith after the largest wildfire in state history. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle CANADIAN, Texas â€” Dead cattle. Burned homes. Scorched prairie. The largest wildfire in state history made a mess of this small ranching town in the Texas Panhandle, forcing the Canadian Church of Christ to delay its planned Missions Giving Sunday. “We’ve had to put it off because of … Continue reading Trusting God in the fire

Bobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

‘God will provide’: Preacher loses house in Texas wildfire

‘You can replace things, but lives and souls — you can’t replace those,’ Shawn Davis says. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle CANADIAN, Texas — The sun came up on the Sunday morning after the fire. “More importantly, the Son arose,” said Shawn Davis, who snapped a  photograph of the orange rays lighting up the scorched prairie. “Hope prevails!” The 55-year-old oil field worker … Continue reading ‘God will provide’: Preacher loses house in Texas wildfire

Bobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

‘It’s not the amount … it’s the heart’

Why did a Houston church give $50,000 to help Texas Panhandle wildfire victims — 600 miles away? Well, that’s an interesting story. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle CANADIAN, Texas â€” Nearly 600 miles separate this small town in the Texas Panhandle from the vast metropolis of Houston in the southeast part of the Lone Star State. The 800 members of the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston … Continue reading ‘It’s not the amount … it’s the heart’

Bobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

‘Momma, I can see Jesus’

Magnolia Foundation honors legacy of 4-year-old girl killed by Tennessee tornado. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle COOKEVILLE, Tenn. â€” Not long before the tornado that claimed her life, 4-year-old Hattie Jo Collins posed a question. The blond bundle of energy was riding in her family’s minivan with her mother, Macy, and baby sister, Lainey Mae, when she asked it. “We were just driving, running errands,” Macy recalled … Continue reading ‘Momma, I can see Jesus’

Bobby Ross Jr.
Religion Unplugged

‘Faith-based FEMA’: Relief organizations mobilize to help after Hurricane Ian

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Over the years, I’ve covered the faith-based response to a variety of hurricanes. I traveled to New Orleans after Katrina, Houston after Harvey, the Florida Panhandle … Continue reading ‘Faith-based FEMA’: Relief organizations mobilize to help after Hurricane Ian

Bobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Churches of Christ helping in flood-stricken Appalachia

Ministries organize disaster relief as Kentucky’s death toll rises to 26. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A tractor-trailer rig full of groceries and emergency supplies was more than the 40-member Lothair Church of Christ in Hazard, Ky., could fit in its building. So church members — eager to help struggling neighbors in flood-stricken Appalachia â€” unloaded the truck Saturday morning at nearby East Perry Elementary School. By midafternoon, … Continue reading Churches of Christ helping in flood-stricken Appalachia

Bobby Ross Jr.
Associated Press

For tornado-ravaged Kentucky churches, rebuilding means rethinking

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Associated Press MAYFIELD, Ky. — Mayfield First United Methodist Church, a century-old temple with stately columns and stained-glass windows, has long been an anchor in the life of Kathy O’Nan, the city’s 68-year-old mayor. She directed the children’s choir for 42 years and attended countless worship services and ceremonies, from weddings to funerals to the baptisms of both her children … Continue reading For tornado-ravaged Kentucky churches, rebuilding means rethinking

Bobby Ross Jr.