Disaster ministry leaves lasting impressions on Lancaster church

LANCASTER—First Baptist Church in Lancaster served as the staging site for three ministries to help families in the area recover from tornadoes that ripped through homes and lives there.

Tornadoes ripped through Lancaster and other areas near Dallas April 3.

The Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief Child Care unit, as well as volunteers from Samaritan's Purse and Operation Blessing, all used First Baptist Church as their headquarters during relief efforts.

The groups worked together to meet the needs of more than 105 families.

"You always hate for a disaster to happen," Pastor Charles Dixon said. "But since it did, we were glad to play a small part in being a blessing to those who lives were affected by the tornado."

A couple of images from the relief efforts left lasting impressions, Dixon said.

In one, a group of volunteers from Samaritan's Purse joined hands in a circle of prayer with a woman whose house had been lost, but her son was saved from injury.

A rainbow appears overhead as volunteers from First Baptist Church in Lancaster work to cover a storm-damaged roof with a tarp.

Another occurred after a woman asked the church for assistance in covering her storm-damaged roof with a tarp because she feared more rain was coming. As volunteers worked quickly, a brilliant rainbow appeared overhead.

One woman Dixon met described surviving her second tornado in a year, having previously been in Joplin, Mo., when a tornado struck there.

"We inquired if she was currently attending any church," Dixon said. "She replied, 'No, but having survived two tornados in one year, I believe God may be saying something to me.'"

First Baptist in Lancaster, established in 1867, is seeking to map out its future, and the recent opportunity to be used for ministry was instructional in that effort, Dixon said.

Volunteers from the Texas Baptist Men Childcare Unit—along with workers from Samaritans Purse and Operation Blessing—all used First Baptist Church in Lancaster as their base of operations for disaster relief after tornadoes hit several North Texas communities.

"We're a stage in the church's history where we're looking to see what the future holds for use. This is a time of prayerful consideration to see what steps God would have us take to prepare for the years before us," he said.

"With this development, it was a very timely reminder that God is still working through First Baptist Church to meet the needs of the people of Lancaster and even the region.

"What a blessing to work with Christians who have come from all across America in the name of Jesus to serve the needs of people in Lancaster, Arlington, Dallas and throughout North Texas."