By DENNIS WATSON, pastor of Celebration Church in Metairie.
It is my perspective that Greater New Orleans is still struggling, and will continue to struggle for some time, from the people losses, property losses and trauma related to Katrina. At the same time, it is my perspective that Greater New Orleans is now a much better place to live in the present and in the future because:
• poverty stricken areas are being rebuilt with new homes, schools and businesses;
• public school facilities are being rebuilt and the public school educational strategy is revised and strengthened;
• government corruption and ineptness is being discovered and rooted out;
• the unemployment rate in Greater New Orleans is lower than the rest of the country;
• the levee system has been strengthened and rebuilt;
• the police forces are in the process of being strengthened and better equipped;
• property values are much more realistic and attainable for young adults and others;
• many positive and intelligent young adults have moved into our area from around the nation in order to “make a difference” in the rebuilding of this region;
• pastors and churches are far more connected and cooperative across denominational and racial lines than they were previously; and
• the food in New Orleans is better than ever.
Katrina did not re-shape our church’s philosophy of ministry, but it did reformat our ministry strategy. Celebration Church has always been involved in ministering to the hurting and needy of our city and region, but the need following Katrina caused us to minister to people in new ways. For the first year after Katrina, in partnership with volunteers from around the country, we fed, clothed and supplied people with products, and gutted out their homes. In the second year we continued gutting out homes but also began the process of helping people rebuild their homes and churches. We are still helping to rebuild churches and homes.
Also, prior to Katrina we had had a small counseling ministry in our church. Following Katrina, however, we became convinced that more than anything else – besides a relationship with Jesus – people needed trauma counseling. And so we re-launched our Celebration Hope Center counseling ministry that now has more than 25 counselors on staff, and ministers to hundreds of people on a weekly basis.
Another change that has taken place is that we now work far more closely with Southern Baptist churches and other churches as well. With these churches we have been involved in joint conferences, outreach events, prayerwalking through communities within our city, and supporting one another’s activities. Currently the pastors of a number of churches meet together to pray on a monthly basis, and on a quarterly basis we bring our congregations together to pray as well.
I’ve shared with many people how appreciative I am that we are a part of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention as a whole. In my opinion, nobody does Disaster Relief better than Southern Baptists. At the same time, the leadership and encouragement the pastors in our region received from Dr. David Hankins and the LBC staff, as well as our own local director of missions, was simply outstanding.
While Southern Baptists do a great job in response to a disaster of sending teams to feed people, counsel people, gut-out homes, and rebuild homes, I believe that more can be done in the area of intentional evangelism. Although our church permanently lost 60 percent of our pre-Katrina attendees who were displaced to other cities and states, we were able to rebuild our congregation – and are now much larger than we were prior to Katrina – because we were able to lead large numbers of people to faith in Jesus while we were serving them in a variety of ways.
What did God teach me through Katrina? “Storms” – natural, physical, emotional, financial, relational, vocational, spiritual – are a part of life.
God is all-powerful, and can circumvent the impact of “storms.”
The Lord will be with us through the “storms” of life.
God speaks to us through the “storms” of life.
The Lord uses “storms” to make us more like Jesus.
Faith in God is the key to overcoming the “storms” of life.
The Lord uses “storms” to unify His people.
The Lord uses “storms” to galvanize the church into action and ministry.
The Lord will perform miracles in, for and through His people as they get involved in serving Him by serving others.
God can turn every tragedy into a great victory.