Dear Urban Church Family & Friends,

I am so blessed by all of you and your prayers, support, emails, phone calls and text messages today in light of the fire that has consumed our meeting auditorium and 80% of all our equipment. – Thank you I appreciate you all!

On Tuesday at 12am in the morning I received a text that Birney Elementary, the school that we meet in on Sunday mornings was on fire which now has been confirmed was arson. I quickly called one of our leaders and we made our way over to Birney and discovered that the area consumed by flames was indeed the auditorium we meet in. I was there that morning until about 2am hoping to find out if we could assist Birney Elementary in any way and to see if the equipment we leave there survived. I was unable to find out anything so we decided to leave.

Katie and I headed back to Birney the next morning at 8:30am and met with the Principle to see how we could assist. We were then interviewed by the Metro Arson Strike Team to try and help determine if this arson is in any way connected to a string of arsons that have occurred in the area. From there we were eventually allowed in to work with the insurance adjusters and property restoration company that was on sight. After doing a walk through with them their preliminary assessment is that all of our stuff we store there is lost to smoke and soot damage. The total estimated loss to us is approximately $50,000 as all of our audio, visual and lighting was stored there along with all of our signs, banners and welcome center etc. The school itself sustained major fire, smoke and water damage rendering it unusable by both of the after school programs and Urban.

We have been working with the school to see how we can assist them while at the same time making plans for us to continue meeting as a church. We are determined to not allow this or any other weapon the enemy may try to bring against us to stop the great momentum we have. I firmly believe that what the devil has meant for evil God will turn it around for our good (Gen 50:20). I also know that “God works all things together for good to those who love him and are the called according to His purposes” (Romans 8:28). God has opened a great temporary door for us just 500 hundred yards away from where we currently we meet. We will be meeting at the Board of Education Auditorium for the next 2 weeks while we wait to hear how long it will take to rebuild the auditorium at Birney.

Church, we are so grateful that no one was hurt during these fires and we believe that the person responsible will be brought to justice. We must rally together as a church community and stand against the enemy and let him know that we will not shrink back in the face of opposition. We must stand firm in prayer for the detectives that they will have the wisdom they need to catch these people, for Birney and all of the kids and staff that they will be protected and for Urban that God will give us guidance.

As your pastor I am asking you to pray for me as well. I need you all right now and I need your prayers. We have insurance that will cover most of our loss but as you know this can take some time. I need your prayers for wisdom on what to do in the meantime. I also need your prayers because today has been a very emotional day for me. Feeling somewhat paralyzed by our own loss yet wanting to reach out to Prime Time and ICES (two after school programs) that have also lost all of their equipment while also being some kind of support to the principal at Birney. To be honest I am emotionally drained.

Many of you have been contacting me and asking how and what you can do to help. First and foremost the greatest way you can help is by doing what you are doing, letting me know that you are with me and that you are willing to stand with me in the face of adversity. Your words of encouragement are huge at this time. Another way you can help is by coming THIS SUNDAY and worshipping with me, letting the devil no that he cannot stop the work that God is doing at Urban Church.

Practically you can help by praying and asking God what you can give financially to help rent the equipment we need until the insurance money comes in which at the earliest will be 2 months.  There will also be other added costs that are not in our typical monthly budget. If you are able and feel led to give you can go here to do so.

I am reminded today of the children of Israel when they were in captivity in Egypt and how the greater they were oppressed the larger their number grew and the stronger they became (Exodus 1:12).  Church we will rise up stronger than ever before! We will not be sidetracked from our mission of reaching those far from God. We will regroup quickly, have our needs met and stay true to being “an access point for people to discover Jesus Christ. We will not be sad in what we have lost but will beat down the devil with the greatest evangelistic thrust Urban has ever seen. We are the church and WE WIN because if HE is for us who can be against us! (Romans 8:31).

We are the church and we will stand strong and we will endure. Let’s reach people for HIM! Let’s make this the greatest year Urban has ever had!

Dream Big

Ben Brinkman