 
 An UMCOR team finished unloading a truck in Haiti. | Why would an all powerful, all loving God allow the horrific natural disasters of the past five years—the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed nearly 230,000 people in 14 countries, Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, the Myanmar cyclone in 2008, and now last week’s devastating earthquake in nearby Haiti? This question of “Why, God?” is not a new one. It is repeated over 330 times in the book of Job alone. But we, like Job, are never given God’s answer. Paul in Romans 8:21 though, does remind us that all of creation, this fallen world that we live in, will always be subjected to the frustrations caused by the consequences of sin until Christ returns.
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Although we are never given the answer to the question “why,” God has made clear to us the “what” of God’s redemptive response to human pain, and of our commitment, our requirement, to respond to it. Jesus’ mission statement in Luke chapter 4 comes straight from Isaiah 61. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners….” We are to “…rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.” Romans 8:28 declares that even though God is not the cause OF all things, God works IN all things so that they come together for the redemptive good. It’s amazing to witness how disaster brings the world together to work in positive ways to serve victims. Those of us who would typically never see eye-to-eye, or who have deep-seated enmity between us based on religious, ethnic, cultural or political divides, can set aside our differences, at least briefly, and join hands to serve our fellow human beings. Just since the earthquake struck on January 12, international aid contributions for Haiti have totaled in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Here’s an update as to how Ginghamsburg Church is responding on behalf of our sisters and brothers in Haiti. Last weekend, you gave nearly $37,000 toward Haiti relief. That total amount has already been forwarded to UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) in memory of Sam Dixon, our UMCOR partner and friend who died in Haiti from injuries sustained in the earthquake. We will hold a second “above and beyond” offering this weekend that will also be sent, in its entirety, for the critical work in Haiti. UMCOR is also in dire need of health kits to deploy to quake survivors as soon as possible. Your $12 to $14 investment in a health kit will support one person in desperate need of everyday basics including soap, toothbrushes and bandages. See your worship bulletin this weekend for details on how to participate. For those of you who are not part of the Ginghamsburg Church family, you may contribute to UMCOR’s work in Haiti online. Continue to pray about how God is calling you to act sacrificially out of your blessings on behalf of quake victims. Also pray for Dr. Steve Guy, a Ginghamsburg board member and physician, who is arriving in Haiti today (Thursday, January 21) to provide badly needed medical care to the injured. I am blessed to be part of a church that knows the mission…and lives it. God bless… 
Hello All,
We have arrived safely in Port au Prince. We drove through the devastation of collapsed buildings and smell of death. The sights of human tragedy are overwhelming. We drove to the orphanage in Fejda, near Mirebalais. We are in the central plateau region of Haiti.
The orphanage is a refuge in a world of panic in Port au Prince. There are 50 some kids and 40 refugees here. We are working today in town at a clinic. We will be back in Port au Prince today to pick up more luggage. We have met other teams and we may network with them depending on what happens today. Thanks for all your prayers and let others know how we are doing. We are very safe where we are.
Peace,
Steve
Posted By: Karen Smith on Jan 22, 2010 10:04AM
I watched the news a few days ago which showed bull dozers scooping up bodies and placing them in dump trucks for mass burials. Why does it always seem to be the least of these who pay the highest price? That’s not for any of us to answer; just knowing that He has a master plan and we’re all included should be enough. However, we still must mourn for those who lost their lives and the families they left behind.
During these devastating times, it’s encouraging to see how we help one another. This church alone offered $37,000 in one unplanned event. Think about other churches some bigger some smaller doing similar collections.
Our (America) natural disasters claim fewer lives because were more prepared for them. The buildings here are planned to handle a variety of destructive elements. I don’t want to sound insensitive but Capitalism and the free enterprise system will save lives when implemented properly. Unfortunately the Haitians are lead by a President who bows at the altar of Chavez and Castro which means their economic freedom and well being will have stringent limits.
I’d encourage you to Google (Donnahue/Friedman) and listen to their 2 minute and 20 second conversation – it’s the one where Friedman is wearing a pink jacket. I’ve searched the internet for years and there is no other content in that short of time that makes so much sense.
What Ginghamsburg is doing in Darfur is a great example of planting seeds (figuratively/literally) and allowing the quality of life to increase. The hope/goal there is clean water, surplus of food, building schools to prepare the young and various other projects to encourage commerce and raise the standard of existence. More...
The Haitians have a difficult road ahead. We should continue to provide aid for their short term needs but also encourage and help them unleash to their full potential and become a thriving force in the hemisphere. Cuba should no longer be the model…..
Posted By: rich b on Jan 26, 2010 01:06AM
Great blog on a difficult question.
Posted By: Chris Pugh on Jan 27, 2010 11:14AM
 As in most third world countries, children are the most innocent victims of poverty and unrest. Orphans were already numerous in Haiti, and Tuesday’s earthquake has increased their numbers. | As we finish collecting our 2009 Christmas Miracle Offering to support our ongoing commitment to our sisters and brothers in Darfur, Sudan, a new and terrible crisis strikes. At roughly 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the worst earthquake Haiti has experienced in the past 200 years struck, crumbling buildings, destroying thousands of lives, orphaning children, and wreaking incredible devastation in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere—a country that struggles even on its best day to feed its people. The average income for the employed in Haiti, I’ve heard, is between $400 and $1400 annually. In our comfortable existence in Tipp City, Ohio, even in these days of lost jobs and economic crisis, we can’t even begin to imagine that level of poverty. Preliminary estimates are the quake may have killed more than 100,000 people. Confirmed dead in addition to the thousands of Haitians include the Catholic Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, the U.N. Haitian Mission Chief and 15 U.N. peacekeepers. More than 100 U.N. mission personnel remain among the thousands unaccounted for.
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So, what do we do? Redirect our funds from the people of Darfur, a more “slow motion” crisis that has been 5 years in the making? Absolutely not. Our responsibility in Darfur is significant and not to be denied. Tens of thousands depend on us for food, clean water and their children’s very future. Then, do we ignore the urgent cries of our suffering Haitian sisters and brothers? Absolutely not. We must answer the call, dig deeper into our pockets, deeper into our own wealth, and serve the least, lost and dying--both in our own hemisphere and from the other side of the world. This weekend, we will collect a “second mile” offering, an above-and-beyond sacrifice, to support emergency and ongoing relief in Haiti. This will be at the close of worship. Always remember that your regular tithes and offerings are still urgently needed to provide for the real and critical needs in our own Dayton and Fort McKinley backyards and to fuel our local mission. This “second mile” offering, however, will go to our strategic partner, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), who is already serving the people of Haiti. In fact, Rev. Sam Dixon himself, the head of UMCOR who has been a guest on our campus, was in Haiti as the earthquake struck. At the time I am writing this, UMCOR has not been able to reach Sam or members of his team. We do not know if they are safe. Please pray for Sam and all of the immediate responders who are working urgently to save lives. (1/16/10 BLOG UPDATE - The reports that Sam was extracted alive from the rubble of Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince late on Thursday night were sadly inaccurate. Sam had passed away before being removed from the rubble. Please join me in praying for Sam's family and the UMCOR team.) Also be praying as to how God is calling you to serve God’s children in Haiti as we prepare to make our gifts this weekend, in Jesus’ name, to those whose lives depend upon us. For those of you who are not part of the Ginghamsburg Church family, you may contribute to UMCOR’s work in Haiti online. For the latest news regarding United Methodist response in Haiti, visit www.UMC.org. God bless…
Mike, thank you for doing this. The LORD will bless each gift received.
It is wonderful to be a part of a church that answers the call of the Lord in such a tangible fashion, led by a pastor with such a heart for the poor and down-trodden.
Posted By: Mark on Jan 14, 2010 10:00AM
I was out of work from April until December 22. What a great gift, a job. I am single. I didn't have any money to truly fall back on when my lay-off came as I was just putting my life back together. I still continued to tithe, watching every single penny, every penny, even watching and making sure I had enough to eat each meal. It was trying. Money came to me, when I least expected it. I can't believe it. When I go to bed at night, in these cold frigid temps, I always think of the poor people that can't rest in a warm safe place. I am now working downtown. I see the homeless, and it just takes my heart. Even though I thought I was in poverty, I wasn't. I will make sure that I give extra this week-end. Thank you so much Mike.
Posted By: Anne on Jan 14, 2010 11:53AM
This is the latest update from UMCOR regarding Sam Dixon & friends:
We are still waiting for news of Sam Dixon, Clint Rabb and Jim Gulley. The limited information we have received is cause for concern and indicates they were at the Hotel Montana at the time of the earthquake, and that hotel was badly damaged. People have been rescued from there but we do not know the status of our friends. Please continue to pray.
Posted By: Karen Smith on Jan 14, 2010 12:45PM
Very inspiring to see the church's passion for those in need.
Posted By: Chris Pugh on Jan 14, 2010 01:39PM
If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, check the Ginghamsburg Church fan page on Facebook or @ginghamsburg on Twitter for updates on Sam Dixon as they become available. Follow Pastor Mike on Twitter at @RevMSlaughter.
Posted By: Karen Smith on Jan 14, 2010 01:48PM
United Methodist News Service is reporting that Sam Dixon and team have been pulled alive from the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince. Go to the Ginghamsburg Facebook page for a link to the full article.
Posted By: Karen Smith on Jan 15, 2010 06:12AM
Pastor Mike updated his blog earlier today to indicate that sadly the reports yesterday regarding Sam Dixon were false. The United Methodist News Service has now reported that Sam had passed away before being removed from the rubble. We are praying for Sam's family and the UMCOR team.
Posted By: Karen Smith on Jan 16, 2010 10:45PM
I already went to the UMCOR website last week and made a donation to the relief effort and attributed it to Ginghamsburg Church. The website will easily walk you through the process, and if you want to have your donation attached to a particular church, you can do so. You can make a one-time donation, or you can create an account so that you can make repeated donations. To "credit" your donation to Ginghamsburg, you'll first need to identify the district, which is listed as Ohio: Miami Valley. Then locate Ginghamsburg Church in the scroll down list.
Posted By: Dave on Jan 19, 2010 01:50AM
I have never been one to give much pulpit attention to the angelic race. The forces of good and evil as biblical realities that we must contend with have been mentioned not infrequently, but I have tended to stay with the meat and potatoes of the gospel: that people may “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” and to demonstrate this love by “caring for widows and orphans in their distress.” So why am I starting a new series this coming weekend on Angels and Demons: winning the battle of heart and mind?
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When our teams travel together in Darfur we are very aware of the inherent dangers. One of the most dangerous days of our travels involves a round trip from our Ed Daein compound to the area of Adilla. The six-hour drive over rough desert terrain in 110-degree heat (without air-conditioning) must be done without rest breaks. Bandits and rebels make frequent attacks along this route. It is the unseen enemy lurking in the barren brush that represents the grave hidden danger. JEM rebels on this very road kidnapped one of our UMCOR staff last June. You can be sure that precautions are taken. We travel in a five-vehicle caravan. Radio contact is maintained at all times (it has gotten a little hairy when two of our radios batteries died). We must also take unplanned alternative routes in the midst of the journey. So why angels and demons? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). Taking proactive measures in regard to the unseen is the key in winning the battle of heart and mind. Please keep me in your prayers. God bless…
Necessary and very relevant topic. The ongoing and often daily battle seems to always have been the temptation to respond and/or act differently than Christ would have me to.
In situations where the powers of darkeness incite humans to do their will, being influential to their responses & actions is quite a different task altogether (ex. the situation with the team's travels in Darfur).
It will certainly be educational to hear biblically & culturally relevant teaching on the subject, and prayers will certainly be with you & your team. God bless
Posted By: Helen Combs on Jan 08, 2010 02:32AM
We must add in a complete life. One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy – Aristotle. The Darfur trips help us all understand the innate dangers in the world but also help to complete those who serve there. I appreciate your prayers as I know they are always there. God Bless…
Posted By: Rich B on Jan 10, 2010 05:27PM
I am glad we are doing this series because it is addressing an issue that God has been calling me to and I am only now beginning to learn about and that is the spiritual, "mystical" nature of God.
I think you can go all your life calling yourself a Christian and never explore the spiritual nature of your existence. It would seem to me, difficult to think about angels and demons without also thinking about the unseen world that they exist in. It is connecting to this world what the eastern religions and to a lesser extent Catholicism acknowledge and practice far better than we have as Protestants.
Think about how we typically teach people about our faith - a dualistic salvation faith (saved or unsaved), a faith of cognitive assent (if you believe the things on this list that we made, then you're good to go) or a works-based faith (keep volunteering at the church in the hope that you will stumble upon a relationship with God or worse, gain marks in the "good" column of your life). By removing the spiritual (and probably the most important) aspect of God we have allowed rationalism, secularism and atheism to gain a foothold because we've lowered God to their playing field - one of logic, facts, and discussion points.
A Christian faith without the spiritual, contemplative teaching practice that encourages a 1-on-1 relationship with God has allowed its followers watch or participate in slavery, the Holocaust, apartheid, etc. More...
because,
a) I am already saved.
b) I already believe in the list of things to believe in.
c) I am already doing good works elsewhere.
In my opinion, we may not have allowed these things to happen if we were listening to what God was telling us, contemplating His will for our life. The lack of emphasis on this aspect of God becomes apparent by looking at where we worship. With the more spiritually-focused eastern religions, the temples are open 24/7 with a continual flow of people. In the West our churches are commonly open 1 day a week.
This modern leg of our faith journey is summarized well by a book I'm reading, "The Naked Now" by Richard Rohr (a Fransiscan friar)..."In the West, religion became preoccupied with telling people what to know more than how to know, telling people what to see more than how to see. We ended up seeing Holy Things faintly, trying to understand Great Things with a whittled-down mind, and trying to love God with our own small and divided heart. It has been like trying to view the galaxies with a $5 pair of binoculars."
So thanks Mike for taking steps in a direction which (I have heard several say about this series) is strange, unusual and scary. I hope we continue to explore this nature of God more deeply and hopefully learn how to see and how to know.
Posted By: Chris on Jan 11, 2010 10:21AM
Hi, Mike,
I'm so thankful you are stepping up to the pulpit with this timely topic. I have been feeling God's call in this direction. Yesterday's message was excellent and on point for my whole family.
Posted By: Kim Marts on Jan 18, 2010 05:00PM
Mike, Tonight while in the TJ and heading towards the reading in John, I flipped a little too far and landed on the first page of Jude. I can't remember reading in Jude before but it very much relates to angels and demons. Some of it was a little confusing. Will you touch on Jude at any time or have you in the past?
Posted By: Tina Gonzalez on Feb 03, 2010 10:05PM
Hi, Tina, I did look briefly at Jude when prepping for the series. We won't get back to it I'm afraid in the remainder of the series,but there are some great commentaries on the web. I'd suggest you google Jude commentary to get started. God bless...Mike
Posted By: Mike Slaughter on Feb 09, 2010 05:34PM
 Happy New Year from our family to yours! |
It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since Y2K. 9-11 changed the Western world's sense of security. A tsunami and Gulf Coast hurricane resulted in a great outpouring of human compassion. The first genocide of the 21st century occurred in Darfur, Sudan. The world plunged into the worst recession since the Great Depression, and the first African American was elected to the office of the United States Presidency.
Each of these events has affected us all in some capacity. I sat down and made a list of people and events that have affected me personally over the first decade of the 21st century.
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- -The Avenue's (Ginghamsburg's Student Center) grand opening brought in New Year 2000 with a mega student event. My family met together there at midnight to welcome in the new millennium.
- -Executive Pastor Sue Nilson Kibbey joined Ginghamsburg's staff in January 2001. Her impact has been essential in developing the staff team that Ginghamsburg has today.
- -Ginghamsburg restarted Medway United Methodist Church in 2003. John Ward (30-year unpaid servant) has led point on both of the decade's restarts. The church has a weekend worship attendance of 600 led by former Ginghamsburg member Mike Berry. The church is currently preparing to break ground for a new facility on a new site.
- -Ginghamsburg people became Darfur advocates one year after the crisis broke out by beginning The Sudan Project.org in the fall of 2004. $317,000 was raised that Christmas, which began a sustainable agricultural program in the winter months of 2005. The project expanded to child protection and development in 2006 and safe water in 2007. Almost $4.3 million has since been raised and is impacting more than 175,000 people.
- -Many churches are adopting the theme, "Christmas Is Not Your Birthday." I am so thankful for the thousands of Jesus followers who are living more simply so that others may simply live.
- -Our partner churches, schools and businesses that have been critical to the success of the Sudan Project.
- -UMCOR partnership.
- -The great people that I have met while serving in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Palestine, Jamaica and Sudan. Thank you for your generous grace and offerings of hospitality.
- -The gift of working alongside three pastors whom I count as my friends: Mike Bowie, Brian Brown and Dave Hood.
- -My friend and favorite 3x intern, Sidney Traynham.
- -Steve Guy, Mark Bentley, Jim Taylor and Carey Smith who have impacted thousands of Jamaicans through medical-dental clinics and micro businesses.
- -Ginghamsburg's Fort McKinley Campus, which was officially restarted in the summer of 2008. Worship attendance has reached 350 in less than 2 years. The congregation is racially and economically diverse.
- -The thousands of church leaders who have traveled from many parts of the world to attend Ginghamsburg conferences. I have been blessed and have learned so much from many of you.
- -The 50 pastors who participated in Church of Resurrection's and Ginghamsburg's first Young Pastors' Network.
- -The students I have shared with in my United Theological Seminary classes on "The Missional Church."
- -Our publishing team at Abingdon Press who has worked with us on numerous projects.
- -The thousands of Ginghamsburg unpaid servants who serve locally, nationally and globally, including the 55 teams that have worked in the Gulf region.
- -Ginghamsburg's incredible staff that supports our unpaid servants. You are the best staff team that I have served with in my 31 years here.
These are just a few of the people and events that have shaped my life over the last ten years. I am sure that you can add a few of your own. I look forward to serving alongside of you as we begin the second decade of a new millennium. Happy New Year!
Thanks for sharing. I just wanted to share our blessings from God.
This year could have been our worst since Gary has been laid off since Feb. But instead our family has been so blessed. A few years ago I listened to God and Gateway came alive. This is how God has blessed us ever since. Our daughter, Megan, and Elizabeth Heft helped me with the Thanksgiving dinner. They ended up meeting, becoming best friends and much more. Elizabeth took Megan on a mission trip to New Orleans where she met her husband Mark Gariety. Six months later, they go again and he proposes. Six months later, they are married on the day they met. We have prayed for our children's future spouses and when we met Mark, I knew he was who God had for Megan. Shortly after the wedding, our son Matt and Elizabeth started dating. She brings out the best in him and he has gotten so involved in things in church because of it. They are in New Orleans, as I write, on mission,his first. Megan and Mark couldn't go because they just bought a new house and we moved them in today. Our son, Michael, loves life and Jesus and always has an adventure in his life. Since the Sudan, we have limited gift buying and this year it was necessity but Michael yells down to us late that night and said, "Thanks for the best Christmas ever! What a blessing.
I am so thankful I listened to God. Obedience brings blessings.
GOD IS GOOD!
Happy, healthy New Year to your beautiful family.
Therese Garison
Posted By: Therese Garison on Dec 31, 2009 09:20PM
Love your family picture. Thanks for blessing us with your wisdom and leadership. Happy New Year.
Posted By: Kate Johnsen on Jan 01, 2010 06:13PM
What is an unpaid servant? If you work for the Lord you are getting paid and you will receive your treasures when you stand before Jesus. I do not see working in or at the church as unpaid, it is a blessing. The dollars that I make will decay, but my work for the Lord will never decay. God wants our hands and feet. He was an unpaid servant and he had his hand and feet pierced and paid the price for us. He wants and desires our hand and feet to work for him. I do not want to go home and have Jesus look me in the eyes and ask me, what did you do for me and have nothing to show for my days on this earth. The Lord wants us and loves us.
Posted By: Craig on Jan 04, 2010 10:44AM
And we are blessed to have you. I have made a commitment to pray for you every day this year and beyond. You are appreciated more than you know. To coin a phrase from from someone we both know...I love you like a brother and there ain't nothing you can do about it!
Posted By: Tim Ortlieb on Jan 05, 2010 08:43PM
Mike, I don't mean to "nit-pick", but the decade doesn't end until 2010 is over. I know the media has been doing "The Decade in Review" for a couple months now. But since we're based on a base-10 number system, we begin counting with one (as in 2001) and end with 10 (as in 2010).
Posted By: Dave on Jan 07, 2010 04:53PM
Great pic.
The people that have affected me are most definitely my husband of 20 years because he's been there to help me with so much of the stuff that I been through in this decade. My children also. They've helped me grow. My Mom & her illness have drastically changed daily life, and has impacted my health adversely. Caring for both the older & younger generations has certainly been a task. The events both nationally & internationally have been intense to say the least. The gospel is being preached & lived out in so many areas of the world including Darfur. So many of God's people really take seriously the call to spread the Gospel, and care for the least of these...or those or both. I hope this year is one that will be remembered for God's impact on it and the world.
Posted By: Helen Combs on Jan 09, 2010 03:39AM
 My camel friend and I smile at the camera in Deriga village in South Darfur. Deriga has now been dubbed “Ohio 2” because of your investment in safe water, agriculture and schools.
(click on the photo above to watch the story of Deriga) |
Yesterday’s issue of The Christian Post featured on its front page this article about our Christmas Miracle Offering approach to serve our sisters and brothers in Darfur, Sudan. Your continued focus on humanitarian investment at Christmas versus the culture’s focus on self-serving materialism is influencing other Jesus followers and churches to do the same. I am grateful to be part of this faith movement called Ginghamsburg!
God bless…
Great article! (And I still think you and the camel are twin brothers of different mothers.)
Posted By: Karen Smith on Dec 22, 2009 01:39PM
Karen, I thought it was a lady camel, just going by the attractive headband she's (?) wearing. Maybe I'm being sexist.
I guess guy camels can wear them too.
Wait a minute... Mike was on OUR left right? Or right, am I left?
Well heck, they're both cute, and I'm proud to know at least one of them (now I can't remember which one).
This thing called Ginghamsburg is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I LOVE that you people are showing the world what Christians are SUPPOSED to do.
Thanks to all of you.
Posted By: Barry Hall on Dec 30, 2009 10:01PM
If only you guys could've gotten the camel to smile.
Posted By: Helen Combs on Dec 31, 2009 05:10PM
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