On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall north and west of Bonita Springs. A mere 30 hours prior, the consensus models (which were the best forecasts available to us) seemed to indicate that the storm would impact the Tampa Bay area about 150 miles to our north. Consequently, mandatory evacuations were issued for those communities, and some individuals chose to seek refuge in Ft. Myers. However, a wobble of the storm’s eye during the night resulted in a sudden eastern pivot, sending it careening into Lee County, devastating the communities of Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, and Cape Coral, and carving a path of destruction for miles. Wednesday was a long day for Southwest Florida, as Ian crawled at six miles per hour while fierce winds and surging water barraged our coastal communities.

Following a storm of this magnitude, the immediate aftermath is a blackout. Electrical grids and communications are disrupted, making it difficult for community members to see and comprehend the event’s totality outside of their own local areas. This physical reality betrays a psychological reality as well. Following a community and landscape-changing storm, it becomes difficult to see very far into the future and to make plans accordingly. The unknowns and uncertainties can be paralyzing. These moments remind me of a quote attributed to a flight instructor, “At the moment of crisis, you will not rise to the occasion, you will default to your training.” In other words, when a crisis comes, our habitual behavior determines our response. Such emergencies tend to be revelatory, uncovering the character, the heart, and the soul of an organization. I am proud to serve First Church because in response to crises, our faith, hope, and love—our training or discipleship—are fully on display. As your pastor, I was privileged to witness this in our exceptional church staff and in our faithful congregation.

On Thursday afternoon, after nearly a full day of checking on neighbors and cleaning up debris, my family and I ventured to First Church for a look at how the facility had weathered the storm. Because of the shutters and the loss of electricity, the building was completely dark. Traipsing through the facility by flashlight, we bumped into other staff members who were likewise concerned for the facility that functions as our church family’s home. Upon leaving, we noticed Pastor Doug’s vehicle parked across the street by his office, so we stopped in and were overjoyed to reconnect with Doug and Jeanne. To our surprise, the building where First Church leases four office suites had electricity and internet. This discovery shed light on the possibilities for the next few days.

First thing on Friday morning, the pastoral staff and leaders of the church assembled in Studio One (our recording studio on the lower level of the 9696 building). Prior to the storm, the staff had tentatively planned to record a Pastor’s Chat on Friday morning, assuming our community would benefit from an update from us. And so, without any post-storm communication (which was frankly impossible), the staff convened. Electricity and access to the internet provided a lifeline to begin reaching out to our church family to whom we desperately longed to minister. We not only desired to communicate with our congregants (near and far) about the condition of our staff and church, but we also sought to know how our faith family had fared. Following the recording of the Pastor’s Chat, our skeleton staff crew planned an amended worship service for Sunday, October 2, knowing that it would be a unique service where the only power would be attributable to the Holy Spirit! That Sunday, we were delighted to host over 300 people in person; about 200 individuals watched the service online by delayed broadcast.

The following week continued to reveal the health of our staff and church family. Without electricity in the church building, the First Church staff continued to rally in the four 9696 office suites. Those few days together felt more like Silicon Valley or the hustle and bustle of Wall Street than a typical day at First Church. Staff gathered around conference tables, or wherever a workstation was available, each diligently working to accomplish our shared vision. The team worked in proximity with cohesion to manage the building and grounds reopening preparations, determine which programs and events were possible, develop communications strategies, and most importantly, discern how the church could respond to the vast community needs in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Before electricity was even restored to the main campus, our church family gathered to worship God in unity, some Pastor’s Chats were recorded and delivered, the Hurricane Ian Relief Fund was established with a policy defined in partnership with First Church’s Board of Elders, and various efforts were made to respond to the immediate needs of members and the community. While the church was without electricity, the power of the Spirit of God was surging through our church.

Reflecting on these experiences reveals the faith, faithfulness, commitment, and love that the staff has for our church family. Equally important and impactful was the response of our church family. In the six years I have been blessed to serve as your pastor, time and time again, I have seen First Church “default to its training,” and rise to the occasion of whatever circumstances God sovereignly calls us to face. I saw it after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and witnessed it in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. So when Hurricane Ian came, I was confident we would rise to the occasion because that is our training.

Thank you for your generous financial support of the church through what will be another difficult season when we will undoubtedly have increased expenses and challenges. Moreover, we are awed by those who have gone above and beyond their church commitments through generous contributions to the Hurricane Ian Relief Fund which is presently working to convey the love of God in Christ Jesus to our neighbors in Southwest Florida. As your pastor and a member of the tremendous staff of First Church, I am grateful Southwest Florida can count on First Church, and I cannot imagine a better staff or community with which to serve our Lord in such a time as this.

by Pastor Brad Rogers