United Methodists pour out compassion for victims of tsunami

Photo courtesy of Bethesda United Methodist Church The �Wave of Compassion� concert at Bethesda (Md.) United Methodist Church raised money for tsunami relief.

Compassion washed through Bethesda (Md.) United Methodist Church Jan. 9, as a special concert raised $6,000 for the survivors and victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

The church sponsored a "Wave of Compassion" concert, and 100 people from the congregation and community attended. The church has raised more than $12,000 since Jan. 2 to send to the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

"The concert gave people a chance to respond, a way to reach out to those in the face of disaster," said the Rev. Ronald K. Foster. "It was a great event, fun and poignant at the same time. This disaster has touched people very deeply."

Concerts, paper chains, water purification tablets and offerings of prayers and money are just some of the ways United Methodist across the connection are reaching out to the survivors of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Jeanie Leeper wanted fellow members of the Versailles (Mo.) United Methodist Church to take time and think about what it meant for 150,000 people to die in a moment of crashing waves, in a place worlds away from rural Missouri.

Church members left the Jan. 2 worship service with a blank envelope and instructions to place the envelope "on your night stand, your coffee canister, TV remote or any place where you will see it every day and pray about what God wants you to give."

The envelopes will be collected each Sunday.

"It is very easy for someone to write a check for $10," she said. "But I don’t think God is asking us to write a check for $10; I think God is asking us to give from the heart." By placing the blank envelope in a place they will see every day, Leeper hopes church members will listen for what God wants them to contribute.

Photo courtesy of Bethesda United Methodist Church Members of Bethesda United Methodist Church attend a concert to raise funds for tusnami relief.

Jeffrey Bignell, a member of Reading (Mich.) United Methodist Church, felt "the moving of the Holy Spirit" calling him to do something. He started a campaign at his church to raise money to buy water-purifying tablets to send to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. As of Jan. 11, the church had raised enough money to buy tablets to purify 12,500 gallons of water.

Bignell said he was in the Navy and has "walked among the people in those countries (affected by the earthquake and tsunami)." Bignell and his business partner in Industrial Marketing are paying the shipping costs to send the tablets to Sir Lanka.

"God’s glory shines through this action," said the Rev. Gayle Berntsen, pastor of Reading United Methodist Church.

Children at Resurrection United Methodist Church in Durham, N.C., are redecorating their day-care center with paper chains representing money they are raising for UMCOR. So far, the children and their families have raised $500 and have enough paper links to cover the hall three times, said Director Heidi Bays.

White, purple and blue paper links represent 25 cents, 50 cents and $1. "I should have added another color for $10," Bays said. "Some of the donations have been large, and I am making a lot of links.

"The children look at the links and comment on how much money they are raising," she said. "On the way home every day, they tell me they are going to bring in more money tomorrow."

At Iowa (La.) United Methodist Church, an offering suggestion from the Rev. David DeWitt has reaped more than $2,000 for UMCOR since Jan. 2.

"When the congregation came to the altar for communion, I asked them to consider giving some small donation and leave it on the communion rail for UMCOR," DeWitt said. "To my surprise, with only about 50 people in church, $900 was collected."

Before everyone left the building that Sunday, the United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, a group of women who make and sell quilts, and the administrative board had added enough to send $1,500. Since then, an additional $200 has been raised, said DeWitt.

* Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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