Pastor’s Letter
St. Peter United Church of Christ (Houston, TX)
Disaster Recovery Fund
My brothers, sisters and siblings, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
— James 1:2-3 (NRSVUE)
The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.
— Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is The Way
On Thursday, May 16, 2024, Houston was devastated by a powerful storm that left most of the city without power and caused significant damage to homes, buildings, and churches. None of us could’ve imagined the storm would have had this type of impact on physical structures, trees, and electrical infrastructure. St. Peter UCC was one of those churches impacted by the storm.
The electrical system has suffered significant damage. A tree fell on our main power line, causing shortages in our HVAC. We will need to make several repairs to the main power line as it enters the building and replace most of the equipment affected by the unregulated voltages from the power line while the tree was on it for two days.
We have experienced electrical issues and damage to many of our beautiful trees and the fence along the east side of our historic cemetery. This level of damage is unprecedented for our property, surpassing even the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and other recent devastating weather events. During Harvey, we were actively involved in helping others recover and in building disaster relief kits. However, this time, we find ourselves in need of support.
This October, St. Peter will celebrate 176 years of ministry in Houston. We’ve been through storms, pandemics, and more, and we are still here. We will recover! We will return to our sanctuary! We will continue our journey toward becoming the Leading Church for People Living on Purpose! With your help, our journey will be a bit easier.
We have applied for the $3,000 solidarity grant, but our recovery expenses are over $10,000, far from our insurance deductible. So, we are asking for help from you, members and friends of St. Peter United. Please contribute to our disaster recovery fund today. Any amount will help!
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
— Philippians 1:6 (NRSVUE)
Donate Online by visiting: https://bit.ly/spu_storm
