FEATURE

There is no doubt the connected church is at work in Neon! Just look at the numbers: thus far in the Neon disaster response effort, 102 volunteers have served over 240 days with an average of 8-hours of work per day, which means 1,952 volunteer hours have been served thus far. Praise the Lord for His provision!

It’s amazing to see the progress in such a short time. This is, at least in part, due to the very competent leadership of volunteer contractor and Shiloh OPC, Raleigh deacon Art Allen, and the many hours served by the faithful volunteers. The Lord hears your prayers and is encouraging the congregation of Neon Reformed OPC. The rebuilding project is in the latter stages, and Lord willing, Neon Reformed may be back worshipping by the end of October. The work is not completed yet, but we are definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mercy Coordinator Needed

The Neon Disaster Oversight Committee continues to look for a Mercy Coordinator to take the lead in reaching out into this impoverished community to help the many who do not have the means to restore their homes. They are searching for one equipped to serve in building relationships with those suffering, connecting needs in the community with the abilities of volunteers, all the while pointing them to the true source of all good gifts. This would ideally be a deacon. Neon Reformed sees this as a tremendous opportunity and a silver lining to the devastating flood. If you are willing to consider serving in this way or you'd like more information, please email Mike Cloy right away.

Restoring Pastor Jay Bennett’s Library

Library Donation Coordinator, Enrique Huezo, member of Shiloh OPC, Raleigh, NC, reports that about 25% of Pastor Jay Bennett’s library has been replaced thus far. Thank you to those who have contributed. To fully restore his library, more books are needed. To see the list of books remaining, go to Enrique's website, created for just this purpose. To get more information, email him at: bookdonations@opc.org. Monetary donations for restoring the library can also be made to the Kentucky Flood Fund.

Update on the Work

In the eight weeks since the flood, the church has seen huge improvements, and is now well into the rebuilding stage. Drywall and trim are installed and preparation for painting is done, allowing for the scheduling of professional painters, as well as the next set of tradespeople: carpet-tile layers, kitchen cabinet, bathroom vanities, and hardware installers. There is also a need for volunteers to assemble furniture. Please consider how you might serve the Lord in the coming weeks. Neon Reformed has received a generous donation designated to purchasing new Psalter Hymnals and Bibles—an answer to prayer. Please visit the OPC Disaster Response website to see a progressive slideshow of the work.

The Local Church

Pastor Jay Bennett continues to work tirelessly to lead his family, congregation, and community through this disaster. The church meets weekly in a local Baptist church building on Sunday afternoons, generously provided to them at no charge. In anticipation of re-occupying the building, a color advisory committee has been established to choose coordinating colors for the new walls, floors, chairs and more.

The Denomination

Donations toward the Neon disaster effort have been generous and quick. So far, the denomination has received over $307,000. This amount far exceeds the church rebuilding costs and will be used to meet needs in the community brought to light by the Mercy Coordinator.

Prayer and Praise

Praise

• for the many generous donations to the Neon Flood Fund
• for the over one hundred volunteers that have come to serve and the amazing progress that has been made
• for the consistent behind-the-scenes work of the Neon Disaster Oversight Committee meeting weekly
• for the Body of Christ, working together to serve Neon
• for the monetary donation earmarked for the purchase of Psalter Hymnals and Bibles
• for the on-time arrival of building materials (some even earlier than expected!)

Prayer

• that the Lord would raise up a servant, preferably a deacon, to serve as Mercy Coordinator
• that the effort would not experience material or volunteer shortages
• for the service of His Church to be a light to the community and point to Christ
• for the safety of volunteers
• that through this effort, the Lord would be glorified

Keep up with the effort in Neon by visiting the OPC Disaster Response website: OPCDisasterResponse.org. If you or your church would like to contribute toward this effort, visit give.opc.org. If you would like to volunteer, contact volunteer coordinator, Jane Robinson: kentuckyvolunteers@opc.org or go to OPCDisasterResponse.org and click on "Go!"