mgpcpastor's blog

Here are some prayer points and news copied from this page at the Creek Road Presbyterian Church website:

Prayer Points

Prescare – Aged Care Facilities: pray for Groundwater at Maryborough and Alexandra Gardens at Rockhampton experiencing disruption because of flooding.

Rockhampton Presbyterian Church
With the floodwaters now rising in South East Queensland and even Northern New South Wales! Here are some things we are doing in Rockhampton to love our city as soon as the water goes down. These things are in place and set to roll when we can start cleaning up. Just want you to know though, even though the TV cameras have moved on the water in Rockhampton hasn’t. We are still flooded in up here and cut off from the world by road/rail and air. Concerns are now for our city of 75,000 people for food supplies coming up from the South and for diseases and sickness. Please don’t forget us in your prayers and here’s some things you can pray about for us.
We have become the child care facility for any one want ing to have their kids minded during the clean up
We are going to do evening BBQ to feed people when they pick up their kids
We were given 5 chest freezers (new) yesterday to freeze meals to give to people and when we’re done we can give the freezers away.
We are still organising a team of people who can just labour — door knocking an area to assist people in the clean up – already in place and set to roll when the waters go down.
Obviously helping people from church flooded in.

Acacia Ridge Presbyterian Church
We’re planning to help out with the clean up of the flood damaged community in two ways. 1. Clean up of muddy homes as we’re able next week in teams yet to be organised, and 2. There’s cooking and packaging and freezing of biscuits going on to be distributed wherever we find workers at around morning and afternoon tea times. We have a couple of people affected in the flood at ARPC but not too serious at this stage and we’ll be on the lookout for where we can lend a hand.

Engage Presbyterian Church (Norman Park)
Please be in prayer for the continued safety for the people of Brisbane and for the people of Engage City Church as we seek to serve our city for Jesus in the absolutely massive clean up that will have to take place in our area as the waters begin to recede. Pray also for God to use this event as a catalyst to open the hearts of many in Brisbane to the gospel in the days in days, weeks and months ahead. Pray for wisdom, strength, compassion and generosity for the church as we seek to be Christ’s hands and feet in ministering to our community through this disaster.

Ipswich Presbyterian Church
1. Praise God that it could have been much worse! Many families from church who had water to the doors but not in their houses (including the church building – water was on the corner but not up to the church)
2. Pray for the few families from the church who have had water damage to their houses. We are co-ordinating efforts to help them.
3. Give thanks for the many church members who have volunteered to help the clean up. We are concentrating our efforts on a retirement village called Bremer Waters. Many homes went under and the people there are older folk who need some younger bodies to help.
4. We will also try to spend some time helping businesses adjacent the church grounds who went under. Pray for a good relationship and witness to them.
5. We are sending a team tomorrow to UniLinks – a residential facility near the Uni. There are a number of Asian students there and some of our guys with experience in Asian ministry are keen to get involved in helping them. They spoke to some of them at the Evacuation Centre today.
6. Give thanks that our little church at Forest Hill (Lockyer Valley) was spared and all her people. The whole town was evacuated.
7. Give thanks that Sharon was spared in the Lockyer Valley though she had to spend a scary night with her kids in the car on top of a hill. Her house was ok but fences destroyed. Sadly, her parents’ house in Ipswich has suffered a lot of damage.

Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Thank you again to everyone for your prayers and concern – here’s another update on things in the Kenmore Church. Over the course of the day yesterday (Thursday) it felt to me like news from church families got better and better. Many of those who prepared for the worst are now relieved, and waiting for power to be restored to their homes (may already have it on now?). However, there are three homes (2 in West End and one in St Lucia) which were partially flooded and sadly a home in Chelmer which I think may be more serious. There have been many offers of help, and as the water goes down I’m sure we’ll work out what can be done to help. It seems that most people I have spoken to are relieved, and more concerned about others than themselves.. particularly those outside Brisbane, and in and around Toowoomba!

Toowoomba Presbyterian Church
Thank you to the many people who have been phoning and contacting the Charges within Toowoomba with regard to the flash floods in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley. It is indeed humbling and encouraging to know that so many of God’s people are praying for the situation here.
As far as we can ascertain, although even now telecommunications are not fully restored, there has been no loss of life or injury within the Charges in Toowoomba. Whilst the pictures and news footage from Toowoomba on Monday was very dramatic, the main flooding was confined along the creek courses, with the result that the flooding was confined to relatively small strips. The loss of life in Toowoomba was where people had been caught in the path of the creeks, which came up so quickly and washed them down the channels. There have been a number of individuals whose houses have had some water ingress from run-off water (up to 1m in depth). However this has been minor in comparison to what has happened in the Valley.
The run off water from Toowoomba cascaded down the Range in torrents (although the actual creek flood waters flowed out West) and has swept away all in its path. The worst affected areas are Murphys Creek, where there are at least a dozen people missing, Withcott, Postman’s Ridge, Helidon and Grantham (where thirty people are missing). The immense force literally swept away houses, sheds and people, even from inside their homes.
In speaking with some of the people affected there is a deep sense of shock and disbelief at the suddenness and terrific power of the floods. Many are feeling deep grief with family, friends and neighbours missing and some are feeling guilt with “survivor syndrome”. People in the evacuation centres are almost numb and are distressed that they cannot return home, as Murphys Creek and Grantham are “red zones”, which the police have cordoned off and are conducting meticulous searches of.
The effect on these small rural communities is devastating and the full story is just beginning to be revealed. There will not be one individual who does not know of a family member, neighbour or friend who has been lost, such is the nature of these communities. So the challenges that lie ahead are immense and the needs of these areas will stretch the resources of all the different agencies and professionals.
The Churches are seeking to minister to some of these needs, however it is impossible to get down into these communities at the moment as the road networks have been cut, apart from essential transport. We would ask that you continue to remember these needs and pray for wisdom, grace and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to be made manifest to those who are suffering greatly. South Toowoomba has a Church in Murphys Creek and Rob is involved in the schools RE programmes at both Murphys Creek and Withcott. So over the coming weeks there will be much time spent ministering in these areas.
In spite of the above needs, we are very conscious of the widespread effects of flooding through the state and beyond. There are so many communities and individuals who have been affected. Please be assured that our prayers, here in Toowoomba, are with you all.

Graeme (South Toowoomba), Andrew (North Toowoomba), Esa (West Toowoomba) & Rob (South)