DISASTER RESPONSE
February 2025 NC Mission Trip
Volunteers from Grace and other local LCMS congregations will be helping to rebuild homes in western North Carolina that were damaged by Hurricane Helene last fall. The group will be working 2/24-28, with travel days on 2/23 and 3/1 (customized work/travel dates can be arranged).
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Volunteers will likely be doing demolition and home rebuilding projects in the Hendersonville area; but volunteers will be sent where the need is greatest.
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Volunteers willing to focus primarily on providing a listening ear and Christian care are also needed.
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Volunteers will be staying at Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church, Hendersonville NC
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Meals will be provided by Mt. Pisgah for Monday-Friday; air mattresses or cots will be provided; and showers will be in local gyms.
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Limited volunteer spaces are available.
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Contact Pastor Wayne Puls (703-494-4600) with questions.
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Register at www.lcms-lert.org (“Trainings and Deployments,” then the tile labeled “LERT Deployment, Hurricane Helene Response, Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church, Hendersonville NC, 2-23 to 28-2025”).
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If interested but unavailable for this deployment, other NC opportunities are available on the same website.
Chainsaw Training Class
You’re welcome to register for a Chainsaw Training Class to be held at Grace on Saturday, March 29, 2025. One of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's senior chainsaw instructors, Joel Mathews, will be leading the class.
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Class will be 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with lunch and snack provided, in the Fellowship Hall.
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Topics will include:
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Safe operation of a chainsaw
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Personal protective equipment (PPE)
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Injury prevention
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Physics of cutting trees
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How to buck and limb fallen trees
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How to clear debris in a safe and beneficial manner
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For those who are looking for certification as non-operators (limb draggers), only the morning session is required. Attendance for the morning session is not limited.
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For those who are looking for certification as chainsaw operators, both the morning (classroom instruction) and afternoon (hands-on instruction) sessions are required. Attendance is limited to twelve for the afternoon session.
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Class participants must have completed the LERT Basic Training Class to register for this chainsaw class.
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Register for the 3-29 chainsaw class sessions at www.lcms-lert.org (“Trainings & Deployments,” then the tile labeled “LERT Basic Chainsaw Training, Grace Lutheran Church, Woodbridge VA 3-29-2025”).
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Pre-register by March 10, to ensure class materials are available.
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Cost is $35. Cash or checks (payable to Grace Lutheran Church, memo: LERT Chainsaw Training) will be accepted.
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Afternoon session participants should dress for outdoor work, and bring chainsaws and PPE (chaps, helmet, eye/ear protection, steel-toed boots, gloves), if you have them.
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Contact Pastor Wayne Puls (703-494-4600) with questions.
Recent Disaster Response Training Class
Ten members of Grace, along with fourteen members of six other local LCMS congregations, took part in a basic-level disaster response training class on January 25. They were introduced to the LCMS Disaster Response program, and learned about the basic nature of disasters and how Christians can support neighbors in need as the hands and feet of Jesus. Other class topics included response and deployment protocol in times of disasters, a ministry of presence, and safety practices. The class was led by Pastor Wayne Puls and the Southeastern District’s Disaster Response Coordinator, Deaconess Sally Hiller.
October 2024 NC Mission Trip
In October, four volunteers from Grace did some disaster response work in North Carolina, aiding homeowners and congregations impacted by Hurricane Helene. Much work remains to be done, of course, and many volunteers are still needed. We are aiming to send another team of volunteers in February or March, with specific dates to be determined soon. If you’re interested in participating, or would like to be kept up to date on plans for this mission trip, please let Pastor Puls know. More information to come soon.
