OUTREACH at Heights Christian Church Heights Christian Church has a history of being deeply committed to outreach and the work for peace and justice in our community, city, nation and world.  We believe that faith is to be lived out among all God's children and the church is not just a building to be used on Sunday only. Presently we host two congregations-in-formation: Antioch Christian Family Church [Disciples] - an African American congregation Iglesia Cristiana Renovada Sion [Disciples] - an Hispanic congregation Along with these two fine new church starts, we also provide space for Opera In The Heights and their four productions each year, Upstage Theatre and their six to eight productions each year, Art Studio on the Blvd. - a learning center and art studio, and Claire School of Dance.  Each summer in June we host "Mad Hatter Arts Camp" with 120 children from the community participating under the direction of Art Studio on the Blvd. Each year Heights Christian Church members participate in the Houston Area Crop Walk, the Houston Heights Relay for Life and White Linen Nights -- all benefiting our community and neighbors. Heights believes that part of our calling is to set aside 10% of our income for other outreach projects, including support of our 14 church-related colleges and universities and 8 seminaries, Week of Compassion - One Great Hour Of Sharing, The Heifer International Project, the Global Missions Partners [missionaries] of the Christian Church [Disciples] and our five Homeland Missions.  We are proud to help support two Global Partners who have ties to Heights Christian Church, one serving in Chile and another in Papua New Guinea. We also support on the local level the Houston Food Bank, Star of Hope Mission, DePelchin Children's Center, Coastal Plains Area of the Christian Church [Disciples] in the Southwest, as well as special gifts and visits to our Houston VA Hospital.  Although Hurricane Ike destroyed our computer lab, we hope to restore that soon and again offer beginning computer classes to our community. Every week, Heights Christian Church hands out high-protein sack lunches and bottled water to those who are hungry.  We also look for ways to help others in our neighborhood live a fuller life.  One of the joys Heights Christian Church shares is a state-of-the-art playground open to the children and families of our neighborhood 24/7. Heights Christian Church is always looking for new ways of offering love to others.  If you have ideas or want to share in things we are already doing, please let us know.

Your Gifts are already at Work in Haiti and Chile, as well as elsewhere around the world - and in the flooded areas of Nashville TN and recently Texas ! !  Through the largest global alliance of Christian humanitarian agencies, Action by Churches Together (ACT), Week of Compassion is already on the ground in Haiti .  Your generous gifts and offerings are already at work.  In the chaos of aid distribution, ACT Alliance members, including Church World Service (CWS), are managing to get food, temporary shelter, water cleaning materials and expertise to the Haitian capital.   Prospery Raymond, country manager for ACT member Christian Aid, reports he is concerned there may not otherwise be enough food in the country to last more than a few days.  The streets are still thronged with homeless people, walking for hours to find food and water.  As well as widespread destruction of homes, schools and other buildings, major damage has been done to key water, electricity and road systems.   Port-au-Prince's heavily congested airport is finally allowing some aid to get through.   Proud to be part of one of the largest alliances working on relief in Haiti , Week of Compassion is grateful for our partners in the ACT Alliance.  Currently, there are four member church agencies working in-country:    Christian Aid reports it has started distributing food and tents, hygiene kits, blankets, jerry cans and water purifiers to 15,000 people in eight communities, targeting areas getting little help from other agencies.  It has also sent in a medical team through a specialist healthcare organization.  CA hopes to source food from markets in Haiti if possible, but all other items will definitely need to come in from outside. The team in Haiti is co-coordinating with colleagues in the Dominican Republic to source materials there where possible. Lutheran World Federation is constructing a camp for ACT members at its compound, with additional space for member staff.  Cooking facilities are provided, and Internet connection is good.  Water supply is problematic.  LWF plans to recruit supplementary staff.     Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has programmed delivery of 15 tons of food relief together with Caritas Germany . Lutheran World Relief plans to send a shipment of food products. Church World Service and Christian Aid offices are ready to serve as a base for receiving emergency items.  ACT member staff in Santo Domingo is on the way to Haiti , including CWS staff member Don Tatlock.   Norwegian Church Aid is prioritizing water sanitation equipment and psychosocial work.  It has sent a team of water engineers, a communicator and a logistician.  Two Norwegian advisors with expertise in gender and children's' protection are also going. ACT members report that buildings remain very fragile and continue to collapse.  Rain has compounded the situation of the million people without shelter. The border with the Dominican Republic remains insecure. Health risks of contagious diseases are getting serious. Other towns are also badly affected and many areas outside Port-au-Prince remain unexplored. A number of staff from ACT members in the country remain unaccounted for-we are still searching for them since the earthquake.     The United Nations has launched an appeal for $562 million intended to help three million people for six months. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon describes the situation as one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades and implored for calm in the beleaguered capital.  The number of dead is still unknown, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 200,000, the BBC reports. In the midst of this horrific tragedy, we can be comforted knowing that we are doing something. We are already there, thanks to our amazing partnerships.  We are not helpless. Together, we can do so much.  God is there, too.   Even in the rubble.   Let us keep the faith. Thank you for your courageous compassion at such a time as this.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2010 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am writing this message on behalf of our General Minister and President, Sharon Watkins. Even though Sharon is on sabbatical, she has been keeping a close eye on the situation in Haiti. Sharon and I request your prayers for the people of Haiti, for our Global Mission Partners, and our missionaries who need not only our prayers, but also our resources. I also request your prayers for Dr. Glen Stewart, Regional Minister of the Christian Church in Tennessee, who is in Haiti with a delegation from the Tennessee region. At the time of writing, they are safe and have arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. My understanding is that the U.S. State Department and the Tennessee Congressional Delegation are working to arrange their return. At the same time a delegation from the Oklahoma and the Great River Regions are on the other side of the island in the Dominican Republic. While they felt the earthquake, they did not have any damage. In addition to these groups, I would urge you to pray for the Haitian communities within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We have about 100 Haitian churches. These are anxious days and moments for many of them who have family and friends on the island. Charlie Wallace from New Church Ministries has traveled to be present with our Haitian churches in Florida. As you can imagine, communication to and from the island is very limited. Week of Compassion, Global Ministries and others have been using all of their available resources and technology to connect with our missionaries and partners. Yesterday afternoon, Rev. Amy Gopp, Minister of Compassion, participated in a phone call with Church World Service. This conference call provided additional information regarding the resources, needs and opportunities for service. If you or your congregation are compelled to offer financial resources in support of our relief efforts and our partners, I invite you to give at www.weekofcompassion.org or send a check to Week of Compassion, 130 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204; noted for Haiti or earthquake relief. Week of Compassion has already sent an initial grant to Global Ministries / Overseas Ministries in support of our missionaries and partners, as well as Church World Service. Week of Compassion and Global Ministries are trying to keep their websites as up to date as possible and I encourage you to check them frequently. Your partner in prayer,   Rev. Todd Adams Associate General Minister and Vice President