Dear Beloved in Christ,
In recent days, severe storms, flooding, and derecho winds have caused significant damage across Indiana, affecting more than 60 counties and many communities within our Synod. We have heard reports of homes, churches, vehicles, and neighborhoods damaged by water and wind. Some are still without power. Some are exhausted by repeated storms. Some are only beginning to understand what has been lost.
To all who have been impacted: you are not forgotten. The God we know in Jesus Christ meets us not from a distance, but in the very places where life is broken open—in fear, grief, fatigue, and uncertainty. As Paul reminds us in Romans 8, neither hardship, nor distress, nor anything else in all creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Even here, in the cross of life, Christ is present with us, holding us in love and carrying us toward hope.
At this early stage, our Synod’s most helpful immediate response is to give toward the purchase of flood buckets and support long-term disaster recovery. Each bucket costs approximately $50 and provides basic cleaning supplies for homes damaged by floodwaters. Congregations and individuals who are able are invited to give to the IN-KY Disaster Response Fund here: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/403455. Please select “IN-KY Disaster Response” in the dropdown menu.
We are also hearing from partners that the need for emotional and spiritual care in affected communities is especially significant. That need matters deeply. In this immediate emergency-response phase, we are listening closely to local partners and honoring the leadership of those already coordinating care on the ground. We are attentive to the grief, fear, exhaustion, and trauma many are carrying, and we encourage rostered ministers, congregations, and community partners to remain especially mindful of neighbors' spiritual and emotional needs in the days and weeks ahead.
We also want to be clear and faithful about our role in this early response season. In the first days after a disaster, the most helpful way for our Synod to respond is to support flood buckets and encourage immediate relief efforts to move through local agencies already serving affected communities. We ask for patience and care: sending supplies before needs have been assessed can unintentionally create additional burdens, and many survivors are still in shock, grief, or uncertainty as they begin to understand what they need. For that reason, we encourage anyone seeking immediate information to follow their local county emergency response team through the mass communication platform they use. If your congregation has unique ways they can help, please call or text Jayme Beneker at (513) 635-8309.
The Synod’s particular calling is in longer-term recovery: helping fill gaps where insurance, government aid, and other resources fall short, especially for those who are uninsured or underinsured.
Let us pray.
Merciful God, hold close all who are weary, afraid, displaced, or grieving. Be present in flooded homes, damaged churches, darkened neighborhoods, and exhausted hearts. Make us patient, generous, and wise. Show us how to serve our neighbors with humility and love. Through Christ, who meets us in the cross and carries us into hope. Amen.
In Christ,
Bishop Tim Graham
