Northern California Wildfire Relief

How the Nazarene Church is Responding

As the Camp Fire continues to burn Northern California, local Nazarene churches are responding. Both Oroville Church of the Nazarene and the East Avenue Church in Chico, CA are functioning as shelters, hosting over 700 individuals combined. 
 
In the midst of disaster, people are responding with compassion. 
 
Although both churches are at capacity, the Oroville Church is offering meals and other services to anyone who is displaced, and the shelter at the East Ave. Church has been made into a makeshift clinic. Other Nazarene churches in the area have also been assisting – Hope Point Church of the Nazarene helped provide food in Oroville. SonRise Community Fellowship in Vacaville offered crisis care kits and water. More than 1,200 crisis care kits have been distributed to the shelters, and they are providing other supplies and food to those who have lost their homes. At least 500 crisis care kits have also been sent to Nazarene churches in Southern California for those affected by the Woolsey Fire.
 
Your prayers are needed for the long months of recovery. 
 
More than 75 people have been killed in the Camp fire, which started on November 8, and nearly 700 people are still unaccounted for, although the chaos in the evacuation could mean that not all of those people are actually missing. The blaze destroyed nearly 12,000 homes. While at least one building at the Paradise Church of the Nazarene is still standing, lead Pastor Lloyd Tremain reports that, with one exception, all of the members of the congregation have lost their homes. 
 
Pastor Ron Zimmer, the teaching pastor at the East Ave. Church, reports that the church is going to keep caring for those who are displaced.
 
"If you're displaced we have water, food, clothing, blankets, pillows. Anything that you need, you can get it here so come on down," Zimmer says in a video posted to his YouTube page on November 12. The church is not accepting general donations at this time, as they need to sort through what they have already been given. 
 
To learn more, read the Nazarene news release here. 
 
How You Can Help
 
Pray
In the immediate aftermath and continued danger of the fires, prayer is needed most. Please pray for those who have lost loved ones, and for those who haven’t been able to contact friends and family members. Pray for those who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and support systems. Pray for the churches who are functioning as shelters and for the volunteers working there. Pray for church leaders and churches responding to the needs around them. To send a prayer or note of encouragement, go to ncm.org/pray.

Thank you for supporting these churches and volunteers as they live compassion out in their communities and to their neighbors.

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