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Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:1-2) |
These last days have shaken our city. Fires have swept across north Spokane, homes have been lost, and thousands of our neighbors have been forced to flee. Many of you are carrying fear, grief, and exhaustion right now. I want you to hear this clearly: you are not facing any of it alone, and neither is our church. |
The words of Psalm 91 are not a promise that we will never see hardship. They are a promise about where we can go when hardship comes. The Most High is a shelter. The Almighty is a shadow we can rest under. In a week when so much feels unsteady, our refuge has not moved. He is still our fortress, and He is still worthy of our trust. |
So I want to ask you to do three things. |
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Not on the smoke, not on the news feed, not on the what ifs. When your thoughts start to spin, bring them back to the One who holds you. Trust Him with what you cannot control. Love your neighbors. This is the moment the church was made for. Check on the people around you. Call the family member who evacuated. Text the friend who has gone quiet. Open your door to someone who needs a place to land. A simple message that says "I am thinking of you and praying for you" can carry more weight right now than you know. Stay in prayer. Pray for the families who have lost their homes. Pray for the firefighters and first responders who are still out there. Pray for our city.
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How we are responding. Turning Point is partnering with Convoy of Hope to help meet real needs across our community. Convoy of Hope has trucks coming up to Spokane with supplies from Sacramento, California, and we are sending a team out to the valley to pick up those supplies and bring them back. If you or someone you know is in need of food, water, or funds (which are limited), please reach out to Pastor Levi. He is coordinating our church's response, both to the wider community and to the needs within our own family until Pastor Cory returns from Spokane County Sheriff's chaplaincy training. Do not carry your need in silence. Let us walk with you. |
Our staff and care team called 251 people living in the level 3 evacuation zones today and got a chance to pray with many. If you are living in a level 3 evacuation zone and haven't heard from one of our care team members, can you please email Pastor Melissa and let us know how you are doing? We want to be able to pray for you and see if there is anything you might need. |
Some of our team are also meeting with local nonprofits, faith communities, Spokane Public Schools, and the city to find ways to join our efforts together as we respond to this crisis. We believe this is a moment for the whole community to stand shoulder to shoulder, and we want Turning Point to be part of that. More information about that meeting will come tomorrow. |
A word on our building. Turning Point remains in a Level 3 evacuation, and our building is closed until the area is downgraded. All services and gatherings are cancelled until our church campus is cleared. |
Hold on to this. The same God who has carried Turning Point through every season is carrying us through this one. Fire can take a lot, but it cannot touch the hope we have in Christ, and it cannot separate us from His love. We will gather and worship again, soon. And when we do, we will do it as a people who found their God faithful in the midst of difficulty. |
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