Boulder County Fire: How You Can Help

Dear Friends,

This isn't the New Year's Eve greeting anyone expected, but I'm writing to give you an update on how you can help support folks who are feeling the impact of the horrendous  fire in Boulder County (view images here).

Here is a word from our pastoral colleague, JT Smiedendorf:

PCCUCC,
The fires are another rough ride for us here in Boulder County. 
The fires were not near us, but forced my stepson to wait to see if his Louisville house survived (it did). And we are without power (28 hours and counting) and living with neighbors.
Prayers for resilience requested.
Blessings,
Pastor JT 

I know you will keep JT and his family in your prayers, and I also ask that you pray for our churches in Boulder County, who are likely to have members who have lost homes. None of the church buildings have been affected.

In addition to praying, the Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC, is collecting funds to support our communities. If you would like to participate, please write a check to Plymouth with "Boulder Fire" in the memo line or choose "Boulder Fire" in the fund dropdown in online giving.

I'll include a message from our Conference Minister, Rev. Sue Artt, below. Thank you for your prayerful and financial support at this time of crisis.

Deep peace,

Hello All,

Yesterday we saw unbelievable devastation of hundreds of houses and businesses from the wildfires in Boulder County.  As of today, Friday, December 31 at noon, the Conference is not aware of any damage to our churches in the area, and we have been in touch with the lead pastors of each of our churches to ensure they and their congregants are safe.  Admittedly, we do not know the full extent of the damage to lives and communities;  we will be getting better assessments of needs once people are able to return to their homes/home sites.

The Conference staff will be working with our church leaders in Boulder county and the affected areas, to help in the weeks and months ahead.  In the meantime, I know the generosity of our church members, and that many will want to help.  The Rocky Mountain Conference will be gathering donations to help in this disaster relief -- if your congregation would like to take special offerings in the month of January, we will ensure the monies go to trustworthy agencies we have vetted.
...

We will also be reaching out to UCC National Disaster Ministries for their assistance as needs are more finely articulated.

Randy Porter, a member of our Longmont UCC congregation, was in the area at the times the fire were engulfing neighborhoods, and thankfully, was able to get to safety.  This morning he reached out to me offering this prayer which Maren Tirabassi shared on Facebook -- with attribution and at your discretion, you may share with your communities:

God, whose voice is like a dying-down wind,
whose love is like snow falling on fire,
whose tenderness always reaches for the unhoused and the homeless,
we pray for Colorado.

We pray for Boulder and Louisville, 
for Superior and Lafayette,
for Broomfield, Westminster, Thornton.
We pray for six hundred families,
who have lost their homes
and for the firefighters who faced
one hundred mile-an-hour winds.

We pray for children
leaving behind their Christmas toys,
for frightened house pets,
for those at the evacuation center
dedicated for the virus-positive,
for those struggling to breathe
or even drive away in smoke,
and for patients re-located
from intensive care and emergency
at Avista Adventist Hospital.

We pray for those who know fear
in new and deeper ways
because suburban places
and not only dry forests, plains,
mountainsides, fall to wildfire
as we humans destroy the safety of our environment
and the climate of your world.

Emmanuel, be with all of those
who hurt or help or wait,
with a peace beyond all burning.
Amen.

Rev. Sue Artt