Englewood Church: Serving After the Storm

Hurricane Helene changed the landscape of western North Carolina and the lives of countless families. For Englewood, the devastation created an opportunity to put faith into action. What began as a response to a disaster became an ongoing mission of service. Over the months that followed, members of Englewood Baptist Church made multiple trips to western North Carolina, working alongside Baptists on Mission to help families and communities recover from the destruction left by Hurricane Helene.

Our volunteers traveled to areas including Hendersonville and Burnsville, working wherever they were needed. Some of the work was physically demanding: removing damaged materials, tearing out flooring and walls, cleaning, repairing homes, and helping prepare damaged structures for rebuilding. But the mission was about more than construction. It was about people. Every nail driven, every piece of damaged material removed, every floor repaired, and every room restored represented another step toward helping a family return home.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons from these trips is that mission work is not always about what we build. Sometimes it is about the relationships we build along the way. Volunteers met homeowners and heard their stories. They worked alongside other Christians who had traveled from different places to serve. They shared meals, tools, skills, laughter, and sometimes difficult conversations. And through it all, they had opportunities to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in very practical ways. The Englewood Baptist Church van became a familiar sight on these trips, carrying volunteers and equipment into communities where help was needed. The church's presence served as a reminder that people had not been forgotten. NC Baptist were on the ground ready to assist in whatever way that was needed.

Englewood continued making trips to western North Carolina throughout the following months and into the years after the storm. Each trip provided another opportunity to serve. That continued commitment is what makes disaster relief different from a single mission trip. The first response says, “We are here to help.” The continued response says, “We haven't forgotten you.” For families who were still rebuilding long after the storm had passed from the news, that kind of commitment mattered.

The experience in western North Carolina reminds us that missions can take many forms. Sometimes missions means traveling across the world. Sometimes it means traveling a few hours up the road. Sometimes it means preaching a sermon. Sometimes it means handing someone a Bible and sometimes it means picking up a hammer, carrying out debris, pulling up damaged flooring, hanging drywall, or sweeping a floor. All of those things can become ministry when they are done in the name of Christ and for the good of others. Englewood Baptist Church was blessed with the opportunity to serve alongside Baptists on Mission and other volunteers who answered the call to help western North Carolina recover. And we were reminded once again that the church is at its best when it is willing to go where people are hurting and serve them with the love of Christ.

Ed Joyner

Hurricane Helene Ministry