14 Jun Tornado Claims Third Member of Mainstreet Family

As mentioned previously, one family at Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) was hit especially hard by the June 5 tornado, which crashed through their home and took off the second floor. The four members of the Walters family all asleep in upstairs bedrooms when the home was flattened to its foundation.

Mary Walters, 36, and her son Hayden, 4, were both killed. Husband Ryan, 37, and daughter Madison, 7, were hospitalized, Ryan in critical condition.

On Sunday night, June 13, Ryan Walter passed away. Madison was released from the hospital on June 13, but continues recovering from some broken bones. Now she faces life without any of her immediate family.

Other news from Mainstreet:

• The 705 Campus remains open, 9 am – 6 pm, as a collection center for relief donations.
• On Saturday, June 12, they sent out 100 volunteers to help with cleanup and relief.

14 Jun Update on Tyler Herlein

Duane and Teresa Herlein sent this update on their 16-year-old son, Tyler, whose suffered a several head injury in a fall June 10.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers for Tyler.  He came home Saturday afternoon and seems to be doing extremely well. He was up for most of the day yesterday with minimal head pain.  He had a good appetite and didn’t feel sick at all. He will be following up with his regular doctor as well as a trauma doctor.  He will get another CAT scan in one month and then will see the neuro surgeon. Now the trick will be trying to keep a 16-year-old who is used to being very active as non-active as possible.

11 Jun Prayer for Tyler Herlein

Tyler Herlein, the 16-year-old son of Duane Herlein, suffered a serious head injury on Thursday, June 10, when he fell from a pickup truck in the school parking lot. Duane (right), a member of Gaines UB church (Caledonia, Mich.), is a member of the denominational Executive Leadership Team.

Duane writes:

“Tyler is in the hospital now and will be for a few days. He has a fracture in the back of his skull down to the base of the skull and a large hematoma on the front inside of his skull and  brain.

“He is a real trooper! The headaches are almost unbearable, and he has nausea most of the time. He is getting pain meds and anti-nausea meds to help keep him as comfortable as possible. He is going to have a lot different summer than he planned, as he will have to stay very low-key and low-stimulus. He is also a little down about not being able to go on the church youth mission trip that leaves tomarrow morning. Thanks for your prayers.”

Tyler is at the Devos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.

11 Jun Mainstreet Prepares to Worship After $500,000 in Tornado Damage

Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) sent out this press release on Friday, June 11.

Sunday services will resume on June 13, 2010, at the 795 Campus of Mainstreet Church despite the damage received as a result of last week’s tornadoes. The 2.5-year-old facility sustained an estimated $500,000 damage to its lobby, roof and classrooms, shutting down the facility last Sunday.

“It was a difficult sight for those of us who were first on the scene after the initial round of storms hit,” said Pastor Marty Pennington (right). As information quickly came in about the level of destruction throughout the community, Mainstreet immediately decided that, other than securing their building, the facility would take second priority to the relief efforts and serving our neighbors.

“The building is not the church, the people are the church,” stated Pennington. “We do not gather on Sunday just for the sake of gathering, but rather to be the church outside our walls to our neighbors, the community, and beyond.”

Staged at its 705 Campus, Mainstreet’s primary focus for the week has been dedicated to relief efforts as promised. Yet contractors and additional volunteers have been able to make necessary repairs to allow services at the Moline-Martin Road location. “Even early in the week, there was never a question of if we would gather for worship,” say Pastor Pennington, “only where.”

Pennington recognizes how deeply the area has been impacted by this disaster and the losses suffered. “There is much rebuilding for so many right here in our own backyard,” he added. “God is the true source of hope and restoration and Sunday worship services will be an important step as we all begin the healing process.

Services will take place at the 795 Campus of Mainstreet located at 5465 Moline-Martin Road located just off of East Broadway and St. Rte. 795. Service times are 9 am, 10:30 am and 12:00 pm. Full children’s ministry and nursery care will be available. All are welcome.

09 Jun Mainstreet Suffers Tornado Damage

On Saturday night, June 5, a Category 4 tornado came within 100 yards of Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio). A home very close to the church was completely destroyed.

The church suffered damage which Pastor Marty Pennington (right) guesses will amount to several hundred thousand dollars.

• Windows were blown out, causing a wind tunnel effect inside.
• Extensive water damage from the storms.
• Two-by-fours from nearby homes were embedded in the side of the building.
• Lightposts in the parking lot were down, along with trees.
• A large HVAC unit was picked up and blown to the other side of the roof.
• A gas line was cut, so they have no gas (though electricity has been restored).
• There was much other exterior damage.

Because of the damage, they closed the offices at the new campus (known as the 795 Campus), to which the church relocated in 2007.

Church people are working hard Wednesday and Thursday to clean up debris at the church–both inside and outside–so they can hold worship services on Sunday.

Of the five people killed in the tornado, three were connected with Mainstreet.

During the next few days, Marty Pennington will deliver three difficult messages:

• One funeral on Friday.
• A double funeral on Saturday (mother and son).
• The regular Sunday morning services at Mainstreet.

09 Jun Providing Relief After the Tornado

Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) has been tirelessly involved in relief efforts following the tornado which ripped through the area last Saturday night (June 5). Church people have been preparing and delivering food, collecting and storing supplies, providing shelter, clearing debris, and much more.

“The pictures on TV don’t do justice to the devastation,” says Pastor Pennington. “When you’re standing in the middle of it, you’re in awe of the devastation.”

Mainstreet’s previous facility, which they still own, is known as the 705 Campus. The current facility, to which they relocated in 2007, is known as the 795 Campus; it sustained heavy damage.

The 705 Campus is an official Red Cross distribution center, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. All kinds of supplies have been collected there. Volunteers check in at 9 a.m. and are sent throughout the area. Men with chainsaws are especially needed to cut up all the trees and limbs laying everywhere.

On Tuesday, June 8, they put out an appeal for garbage bags, bug spray, rope, work gloves, laundry baskets, brooms, sun screen, plastic silverware, plastic cups, gift cards, and lunch supplies, among other things.

The 705 Campus is filled with donated clothing. They are not accepting any more clothing.

The church has hosted numerous volunteers from throughout Ohio and Michigan. One man, a retired construction worker, came up from El Paso, Texas. He just wanted to help.

08 Jun Flip-Flops and Sandals Event in Saginaw, Mich.

Ted Doolittle, senior pastor of Calvary UB (Saginaw, Mich.), reports:

“We had a youth event for middle and high school girls called ‘Flip-Flops and Sandals’ on Saturday, May 1. It was a time of sharing God’s love while the girls gave themselves pedicures under the instruction of a local beautician, listened to a devotional, and munched on goodies dipped in a chocolate fountain.

“Goodie bags and flip-flops were given to each of the 29 girls. We thank the Lord for his blessing!”

06 Jun Mainstreet Church Mobilizes to Help Tornado Victims

A Youtube video showing destruction in Millbury from the tornado.

The Mainstreet church (Walbridge, Ohio), is mourning the loss of two persons from the church who died in a tornado Saturday night, June 5.

Mary Walters and her son Hayden, 5, died in the storm as the family slept. Mary’s husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Madison, 9, are hospitalized; Ryan is in critical condition. One member of the Mainstreet youth group also lost his father to the storm. Altogether, at least five people were killed.

The tornado ripped through Millbury, a 1200-person bedroom community of Toledo located a few miles from Walbridge, causing extensive damage to homes and city buildings.

At least 100 homes were destroyed or damaged, along with a number of city and commercial buildings. The township police and emergency medical services building were, by one report, destroyed. The 911 operators, who worked in that building, had to be relocated. The high school, where graduation was to be held on Sunday, June 6, also sustained heavy damage.

Mainstreet Church canceled Sunday services because of damage to the church and the devastation to property and people’s lives around them.

The church website says, “Regardless of the damage to our building, we will be the church to the community around us.”

In that spirit, Mainstreet has mobilized to help care for people in the community, working to prepare and distribute food and help people with shelter and clothing.

Mainstreet opened its campus at 705 N. Main Street in Walbridge as a shelter for persons in need. They call this their 705 Campus; it was the church’s main facility until they relocated in 2007. Bags and gloves, among other things, are available here so people can help their neighbors with cleanup efforts. The 705 Campus is also open for anyone needing shelter Sunday night. Food, clothing, water, and toiletries are also available there.

On Sunday night, Mainstreet began serving food to people at the new 795 Campus. They also began delivering meals to volunteer workers and displaced people.

Marty Pennington is senior pastor of Mainstreet Church.

View a collection of Flickr photos showing the destruction.

02 Jun Anchor Baptizes 12 Persons

Pastor Tim Hallman (right) and layman Terry Sutton bring Matt Beck out of the water.

Pastor Tim Hallman gave a short message in the main lodge.

Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) baptized 12 persons on May 30. About 135 people attended the service held at the Stillwater Retreat just south of Fort Wayne, Ind. Anchor has held a baptismal service at Stillwater for the past ten years.

The day began with a brief service in the main lodge–singing, a short message from Pastor Tim Hallman, and the testimonies of four of the baptism candidates. Then everyone grabbed chairs and headed down to the lake.

Nearly all of the persons baptized were fairly new to Anchor. They included four couples. In three cases, partners assisted Pastor Tim Hallman in baptizing each other. A 13th person planned to be baptized, but she got called in to work that morning.

A potluck meal followed the baptisms. And then people hung around for a fun afternoon of swimming, canoeing, fishing, games, and fellowship.

Here are more photos from the day.