The Mid-South District - LCMS

Faith In Action

Disaster Response Team Is Ready to Roll!

A Bobcat MT100 Mini Skid Steer with bucket and root grapple allows the Faith In Action team to take on a variety of heavy-duty jobs.
A Bobcat MT100 Mini Skid Steer with bucket and root grapple allows the Faith In Action team to take on a variety of heavy-duty jobs.
The team recently received a disaster response trailer from the Mid-South District, which was previously donated by Christ the King Lutheran Church & School in Memphis after several years of use.

Communities across the Mid-South District have certainly experienced their share of natural disasters over the last few years. From tornadoes in Kentucky, to deadly flash floods in middle Tennessee and another round of tornadoes in Arkansas and west Tennessee, lives have been forever touched by nature’s devastating power. As Christians, we see those tragic moments as opportunities to touch lives in a positive way: through love, compassion and acts that exemplify the hands and feet of Jesus at work. That is why numerous congregations across the Mid-South District have formed Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT). For the LERT at Faith Lutheran Church in Hopkinsville, Kentucky—aptly named Faith In Action—a unique arsenal of equipment is giving their response capabilities a huge boost!

Equipped with a Bobcat MT100 Mini Skid Steer with bucket and root grapple (and a trailer to transport it), the Faith In Action team can take on a variety of heavy-duty jobs. Following unusually strong storms this summer, the team has already assisted numerous homeowners with removal of trees downed by high winds. In May, the team received a disaster response trailer from the Mid-South District, which was generously donated by Christ the King Lutheran Church & School in Memphis after several years of use. The Team Leader, Rev. Trae Fistler, immediately filled the trailer with an array of supplies and equipment so it would be ready for action at a moment’s notice. Everything from chainsaws and tree rigging to yard tools and a generator can now be quickly moved on-site when disaster strikes. These important resources were made possible through a variety of generous grants, including District funds, a Lutheran Disaster Relief grant and assistance from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) for Christ the King’s original purchase of the trailer.

Pastor Fistler’s Faith In Action Team, with its powerful tools, stands ready for deployment under the guidance of the Mid-South District’s Disaster Response Coordinator, Jan Simko. Now when disaster strikes, the District can quickly mobilize not only people, but also important equipment, where they are needed most.