19th September, 2005

JOE MONTAGUE

"The tendency when you travel around and see as many Christians as I do you see this overwhelming eagerness to just turn over so many jobs of the church to political parties or business institutions,” says Rocketown Records recording artist Shaun Groves.

“(People say) that person over there will take care of it or that group over there can do better than me. This is a wonderful object lesson that everybody else doesn't have the compassion or the solution that we have.

“There are lots of good people who have come to help with the result of this hurricane but their help can only go so far. Our help can go all the way to the soul of the person.

Groves has partnered with Christian businessman Carsie Denning to form FindShelter, a volunteer group that has been acting as a conduit to connect families in need of homes, jobs and so many other things, with potential sponsors.

He says he’s found the response of Christians to the disaster an encouragement.

“It's been really encouraging because as I have traveled around the past four years doing this job (singer/songwriter/musician) I go through small seasons maybe a day or two at a time when I feel like we just don't get it,” Groves says.

“I just don't get it. Why can't I live this Christian life? Why can't I be less selfish and more serving? I find myself pointing fingers at everybody including me and asking when are we going to clue in and do something about our faith. When are we going to be the loving compassionate people that God made us to be? This has been an incredibly encouraging time for me to see that we really are (compassionate).”

Groves says that the response from Christians all over the world to Hurricane Katrina disaster has made him feel “very proud to be a Christian right now”.

“There have been many times in my life when I haven't been but I am extremely proud of the church (now) that she is being what she is supposed to be. We are meeting needs in a way that really nobody else can meet. I am going to try and hang on to that and next time I get frustrated with myself or with the church I am going to try and remember Katrina was the time the church showed up and we loved people, we served we dropped everything else in life and it didn't revolve around us anymore it revolved around the very least."

Charley Humbard, co-founder of the Gospel Music Channel in the US, is spearheading a benefit concert to be aired 22nd September at 7pm New York time in the United States.

"We really felt strongly we needed to help with organizing an event to do our part in the community to help with the victims of Hurricane Katrina and more specifically the evacuees,” he says.

Using Atlanta as the hub for the broadcast the concert - which will be streamed live on www.gospelmusicchannel.com - will feature artists from virtually every genre of the Christian music industry. Those who have aready committed to participating include Nicole C. Mullen, Natalie Grant, Blind Boys of Alabama, BarlowGirl, Aaron Shust, George Huff and NewSong.

Donations will be received throughout the concert and will go directly to World Vision's efforts to feed the children who have suffered as a direct result of this natural disaster.

"When you see tragedy on this large a scale you heart aches because I just want them (the victims) to get help and I don't really care where it comes from," says Groves.

Groves expresses his frustration at not being able to physically do more "hands on" because of previous commitments.

"I was praying that God would show me what I could do besides write a check to somebody. I wanted to go and serve a meal. I wanted to go there so bad and work in the Astrodome or a shelter or somewhere. I couldn't and I was frustrated by that.”

He says he became involved with FindShelter after he was approached by Christian businessman Carsie Denning after a show.

“He said, 'I have a plan and I need your help.' So I said ‘Okay, hit me’. He said, 'We have this website going up tonight - www.findshelter.org - and here is what we are doing.'”

“All he had to do was to say the first sentence and I was hooked. He said, 'We are finding families who lost everything and need our help. We are connecting them to churches who can give them help. We are helping churches help people."

Groves says he wasn't content to be just a spokesperson and wanted to be a partner in the venture. He is directly involved with Denning and the volunteer seminary students from several Christian schools who are assisting the families and sponsor churches in connecting.

“We are looking for churches that can either pay to relocate a family and provide all their needs or we can find a church closer to the disaster who can meet their needs,” says Groves.

"We need to find long term solutions for these people.”

~ www.findshelter.org