Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday in Alabama This Weekend

Those of us in Alabama can save money on the purchase of disaster preparedness items this weekend. According to AlabamaRetail.comhttps://alabamaretail.org/resources/salestaxholidays/severe-weather-preparedness/:

Alabama’s sixth severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, and ends at midnight, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, allowing Alabama shoppers to stock up tax free on common supplies costing less than $60 that every home and business needs to prepare for a natural disaster or even a general emergency. Generators costing $1,000 or less also can be purchased free of the state’s four-percent sales tax during the three-day tax holiday. Alabama’s local governments may also choose to waive their sales taxes on the covered items.

Fundraising Drive Has Started

After the first year of ministry we now better understand the needs of the ministry and the resources necessary to support its work. Well the truth is that we think we know. God knows the needs and will continue to provide the resources.


Armed with this confidence and after much prayer and consideration, we have developed a budget and fundraising goal for 2017 of $27,640. The budget is broken down into the following four categories, which parallel ministry goals and objectives for the year.

• Ministry Development ($8,830) -  Develop a high level of disaster preparedness and quick response capability by helping presbyteries, churches and families plan in advance for emergencies, become aware of potential disasters in their communities, develop a plan to survive after a disaster, and minister to others in the spirit of God’s grace and mercy.
  
• Vision Casting ($4,800) -  Make presbyteries and churches within the region aware of opportunities to have a greater impact by working together to respond to regional disasters and by coordinating our efforts with MNA Disaster Response to further leverage our efforts.
  
• Resource Development ($8,320) -  Pull together resources – funds, volunteers, equipment and facilities – to respond to disasters locally and regionally as an act of mercy to give compassionate relief from calamity and to plant the seeds for the Kingdom of God.
  
• Ministry Cultivation ($5,690) - Improving disaster preparedness within my region by offering training opportunities to key leaders, churches, and presbyteries. 
  

I would be happy to meet with churches, presbyteries, and individuals to discuss the details of these needs and, with your permission, ask you to consider investing in this work. Through our connection with the PCA we have addresses and contact information for each of the churches in the region and letters asking for this opportunity have gone out to each. I also desire to reach out to individuals who have a heart for mercy ministry and would partner with us in this ministry. If that description fits you, please contact me by phone (256-899-4966) or email.

Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church Building Sheds of Hope

Lake Oconee (GA) Presbyterian Church was recently featured in The Eatonville Messenger for their role in providing Sheds of Hope to tornado victims in southwest Georgia. MNA Sheds of Hope specialist John Browne recently taught a workshop on building Sheds of Hope for the church.