What Asbury United Methodist Church is doing to support tornado relief efforts and how you can help

Sponsored

Only weeks into 2019, Alabama endured its first tornado of the year. Now, with the state’s peak tornado season (March-May) around the corner, Asbury United Methodist Church is preparing for disaster before it strikes. Learn how you can help, too.

Who Is Asbury?

Asbury is a growing, thriving United Methodist Church in North Shelby County. Here you will find a vibrant congregation, enthusiastic pastors with traditional and contemporary worship services. Asbury also strives to help our community.

Each year, Asbury tithes 10 percent of its annual giving to several local and international mission/nonprofit organizations. The church even runs its own food pantry and various assistance programs to serve neighbors near and far.

What’s especially cool about Asbury, though, is that every month congregation members—regardless of age—can participate in a monthly missions project highlighted on its mission wall (shown above) and serve page. The goal: to bring everyone together to help people and communities in need.

“Whether you’re new to Birmingham or whether you’ve lived here all your life, everyone needs a sense of community,” Amy Gonzalez, communications coordinator for Asbury UMC said. “Everyone needs to know that they can make a difference in the lives of others and Asbury does that each and every day.”

Tornado Buckets

During the month of February, Asbury United Methodist Church will be building “tornado buckets.” Each five-gallon bucket will be filled with essential items—tarps, paper towels, a hammer and nails, etc.—everything a homeowner needs to begin tornado cleanup. The goal: to fill 240 buckets. But to reach this goal, Asbury needs your help.

On February 24, Asbury invites the Birmingham community to help fill buckets with two things: supplies and love.

“We’ll have a card station set up in the gym and we’re asking everyone to write down some encouraging words so those receiving the buckets will feel the love,” Gonzalez said.

After the buckets are filled, they’ll be loaded for transport. All completed buckets will be sent to the United Methodist Disaster Relief Warehouse in Decatur, Alabama, where they will be stored until needed, then distributed to tornado victims within 18 hours of a disaster.

Disaster Recovery Team

Building and transporting tornado relief buckets isn’t the only thing Asbury United Methodist Church is doing to help those affected by tornadoes. The church is also mobilizing its own disaster recovery team.

From February 28 to March 3, Asbury will partner with the United Methodist Volunteers in Missions through the Alabama/West Florida Conference. During this time, Asbury’s disaster recovery team will travel to storm-damaged areas of Panama and Mexico Beach in Florida to help these communities rebuild after enduring massive destruction last October from hurricane Michael.

“We all know how destructive and catastrophic Mother Nature can be. Our tornado buckets and the recovery team are small ways that we strive to do good for others in the name of Jesus. As Mother Teresa reminded us, ‘small things done with great love will change the world.’”

Rev. Greg Foust, Pastor of Discipleship, Asbury United Methodist Church

Join Asbury in Helping Tornado Victims

Want to help Asbury United Methodist Church with their tornado bucket relief efforts, or join their disaster recovery team? Email them at info@asburyonline.org by February 21 for more information.

Find Asbury United Methodist Church at 6690 Cahaba Valley Rd., Birmingham, AL 35242.

Sponsored by: