When disaster strikes a city, the Church runs to the front lines and responds with the holistic gospel — meeting practical material needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs. As part of our response, we are going to be partnering with Acts of Mercy, the disaster relief organization within the Antioch Movement. Acts of Mercy has been responding to disasters around the world – providing medical care, helping rebuild, providing trauma care, sharing the gospel, and planting churches – since the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004. And when disaster hits a place like Los Angeles where there is an Antioch church, there is a natural partnership between Acts of Mercy and Epicentre West LA.
Over the next two months, we will be hosting Acts of Mercy teams. Their teams will consist of 4-8 people each week from Antioch churches all over the country who have gone through their training program. Many of these folks will have some background in medicine, public health, or emergency services. More importantly, they love Jesus and are choosing to represent him on the frontlines of this crisis. They will be coming for a week at a time to do “ash-outs” in the Palisades. Donning Tyvek suits, N-95s, gloves, and all the other required PPE, they will sift through debris to help people recover belongings from the ash and begin the cleanup process. They will also provide emotional support, trauma care, and share the love of God with those who have lost their homes.
Our partnership in this is going to be critical. We believe God is going to use this partnership with Acts of Mercy to serve our broken and grieving community in Los Angeles, and also to accelerate so many good things he’s already been doing in us as a church — helping us grow in hospitality, encountering God in prayer and worship, increasing our passion for Jesus, self-sacrifice, and missional living. So we’re praying that all of us as a church can rally around this. This is a unique moment to go all-in on where God is leading us. And in response to one of the worst disasters to ever hit our city, we are believing that the church will rise up to be a vessel for healing and restoration. So we’re praying that you would join us in this.
- Kathryn and Quen
1. ATTEND WEDNESDAY PRAYER & WORSHIP WITH ACTS OF MERCY TEAMS
Our relief efforts will only bear long-term fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will hold a weekly prayer and worship night with the visiting AOMI teams. Join us to stoke the “boiler room” that is necessary for moving the mission forward!
Wednesdays 7:30-9:00 PM at the Cheng’s residence.
2. VOLUNTEER ALONGSIDE ACTS OF MERCY (FOR 1 DAY)
Epicentre West LA members are invited to join the Acts of Mercy team in the Palisades on any given day.
Timing is approximately 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mondays through Thursdays
No training required; required training will be provided the morning-of by Samaritan’s Purse.
PPE will be provided, donned/doffed on-site in the Palisades
3. JOIN AN ACTS OF MERCY TEAM
(week-long trip)
Become a member of the AOMI team for a week for ash-outs, clean ups, prayer and sharing the gospel (including team meetings, meals together, etc). Joining the team usually requires an 8-hour online course, but AOMI is waiving it for local churches responding to this disaster.
All gear is provided by Samaritan’s Purse - Tyveks, shoe covers, goggles, gloves, and N-95s. You don and doff there on site.
4. HOST AN ACTS OF MERCY TEAM
Epicentre West LA will host teams of 4-8 people from U.S. Antioch churches in individual homes for one week (Saturday evening - Friday morning).
Lifegroups & volunteers will deliver meals to host homes.
EWLA will cover housing costs
At minimum, homes need to have:
Bathroom and shower for AOMI teams
Room that can accommodate up to four in sleeping bags on the floor
Space for AOMI team to use for team meetings in the morning and evening
Maximum 30 minutes commute to Cornerstone Church
Interested? Fill out our form:
5. SERVE AN ACTS OF MERCY TEAM BY PROVIDING DINNER
Sign up here to provide dinner for the AOMI teams and their hosts (4-8 people)… and yourself if you would like to join!
Meals can be home-made or store-bought
EWLA can reimburse expenses