TORNADO RECOVERY at Immanuel Lutheran Church - Joplin, Missouri

NEWS

UPDATE 2/5/2012:

At a meeting of Immanuel Lutheran Church's voters earlier today, Immanuel voted to form an official 501(c)3 corporation called "Transform Joplin, Inc. - A Mission Ministry Of Immanuel Lutheran Church." The Governing Body was formed. The Board of Directors was also elected, consisting of members of Immanuel's sitting Church Council, plus four ad hoc members. The officers of the soon-to-be corporation plan to file the legal documents later this week... Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

UPDATE 9/26/2011:

TRANSFORM JOPLIN is on its way! Our Church Council voted on Tuesday to begin exploring a strategic plan for a new ministry called "Transform Joplin." Please go to facebook.com/TransformJoplin to learn about Immanuel's commitment to continue transforming neighborhoods and lives in Jesus' Name.

NOTE: This strategic plan was later abandoned as we began drafting a plan to create a 501(c)3 corporation.

UPDATE 8/20/2011:

We joyfully welcome our new Director of Distaster Response, Mr. Trent Davis! Trent and his family have moved to Joplin to help us in our ongoing response to the tornado. Trent's experience includes being a contractor, a missionary, and a volunteer coordinator in the Chicago area. We are thrilled to have him working with us at Immanuel. He will be coordinating volunteers, connecting with other organizations in Joplin, and leading our effort to continue our response to the May 22 tornado. May God richly bless his ministry among us!

UPDATE 7/31/11:

Our Relief Coordinator, Lyla, was scheduled to end her time of service July 23rd. She extended her time to the end of July to allow church leaders to make arrangements for her replacement. We are in the process of transitioning to a new person. We will try to make this transition as smooth as possible. Please be patient when the inevitable bumps in the road arise.

A long term planning committee is forming to work on our church's plan for helping rebuild Joplin. We will update the website as decisions are made. The church council has decided to continue deploying volunteers for at least the next three months, possibly longer.

A note from Lyla: "It has been such a privilege to serve in this time and place with my amazing brothers and sisters in Christ from across the Church. At least 1500+ volunteers have been deployed from Immanuel during my brief time as coordinator! God has blessed me immeasurably through what has been the best and harderst time of my life. It is with both joy and sadness that I hand over my responsibiites at church and return full time to my responsibilities at home. God bless you and thank you for letting me serve with you!"

UPDATE 7/24/11:

We joyfully finished VBS Thursday evening. We more than doubled the prechool attendance and also had our largest ever evening VBS enrollment for grades K-7. More than half the students were not from our congregation! Local and visiting volunteers worked together to make this one of Immanuel's most memorable VBS weeks. We saw many familiar faces as families who had once turned to us for help after the storm returned to hear the Good News that, "even when danger surrounds me, Jesus rescues me!" Thanks to our generous sister congregations and CPH, we had all the supplies, decorations, and volunteers we needed to make VBS happen. The kids were so excited about the mission project that they will be sending the Lutheran Malaria Iniative an offering for 100+ malaria nets! Generosity is contagious!

ONGOING MINISTRY

Immanuel will continue to:

1. Receive work requests from the community.

2. Deploy volunteers.

3. Develop our ministry to meet Joplin's changing needs.

VOLUNTEER NEEDS

All volunteers should register at www.lutheranchurchcharities.org. They will be assisting in scheduling crews to help at Immanuel. After clicking on "Volunteer," scroll down to bottom of page to enter information.

Someone from Immanuel will be in touch a week out from your arrival date. We are working on long term plans. Keep checking the website to learn what kind of work will be needed.

Volunteers! Signs on 1-44 directing volunteers to alternate exits do not apply to volunteers working with Immanuel. Take Rangeline exit, turn left on 32nd St, and right on Connecticut. The church and school are on the left at 26th and Connecticut.

VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN TIMES

MON-SAT 8 AM & 3PM | SUNDAY 1 PM ONLY

EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL CARE

Counseling is available for anyone from our church, school and community, as well as for the volunteers who come to serve with us. Please contact our church office for more details. 417-624-0333

DONATIONS

Our facility is well stocked with supplies. At this time, churches still wishing to support the resource center and our outreach to the community may best do so through financial support and gift cards, especially to WalMart, Home Depot and Lowe's. Gift cards allow us to buy supplies locally, as we need them. This both benefits our local economy and prevents a storage crisis at our facility.

Thank you for the incredible outpouring of support. So much aid is flowing from you, through our church, and out into the community. It is such a blessing!

Since the store at Immanuel has closed, what happens to all the supplies sent to Immanuel? During this transition time, we will be redistributing some of our supplies in a variety of ways. Some items will go to the Multi-Agency Warehouses in Joplin where tornado victims can continue to get the supplies they need. Items that are no longer needed by the people of Joplin will be sent to Lutheran World Relief for distribution at other disasters. Items such as cleaning and school supplies will be retained at Immanuel for distribution through special events.

Monetary donations can be sent to Immanuel Lutheran Church marked "TORNADO RELIEF."

*Thrivent Members - Matching funds information coming soon.

Please call Kimberly at the church office 417-624-0333

Sister Congregations.....We are overwhelmed by your offers of support and labor! Thank you!