On March 14, 2024, Western Ohio was devastated by an EF3 tornado.
The tornado had a path 1,000 yards wide and winds that reached 155 mph. The areas of Russel’s Point and Indian Lake received heavy damage to homes, trees, businesses, and mobile homes. Three people were killed, 27 were injured, and over 900 people had damage to their dwellings.
Among the families affected, Grace Church Lake Campus, a church plant of Bellefontaine Grace Church, had 5 families whose homes sustained damage. One of these families, the Augustuses, received the most significant damage to their home in Lakeview, in one of the hardest hit areas.
Luke and Nyki Augustus and their four children (Lily 17, Ari 12, Deegan 7, and Phoenix 6) have attended Bellefontaine Grace Church for three and a half years, and are now active members at the new church plant. Grace Church Lake Campus had a soft launch into small groups January of 2023. It began with 11 members and has grown steadily into about 75 people total.
“I have personally ministered to and discipled the Augustus family during their time at Grace, both at our main campus and now our new plant,” said Kohltin Hoeppner, founding and lead pastor at Grace Church Lake Campus. “As a young new church, loving the Augustus family and our community well in this crisis is important to our Christian witness of love and the sharing of the Gospel message.”
The Augustuses face many challenges in rebuilding their home. Both Luke and Nykki are self-employed, two of their children have autism, and the original condition and location of their home proved challenging. Prior to the tornado the house was in need of updates and repairs, and being in a flood zone, the family was unable to secure homeowners insurance.
Currently, the Augustuses have sought help from United Way, Samaritan’s Purse, and God’s Pit Crew. They have also received support and help from Grace Church. Through these national and local ministries, they have received some support but are in need of more in order to see their home restored.
“When praying for the Augustuses and how to address their situation, God has laid it on the heart of our church to see that their family can move back into a healthy and safe home,” Kohltin said. “We have begun the renovation process alongside Luke and his wife. However, this process is a daunting one. We hope by seeking help from the Charis Fellowship that God will supply the right people with the right skills or resources to continue to raise up this family for the glory of God, the furthering of His Gospel truth, and the building of His local church.”
It took a while to meet the requirements of the zoning department to receive the necessary permits, but they have now secured them and are finally ready to move forward.
Todd Derry, who is overseeing the project from the Charis Disaster Response side, said, “We are extremely grateful for the amount of work and effort that Bob Sidwell from East Side Grace (Blacklick, Ohio) has put into drawing the plans, estimating, and developing the project. He has spent countless hours and personal resources to make several trips from his home in Columbus to Lakeview to assess the damage, get measurements, and work with the homeowner to get us to where we are today.”
The overall estimate for the project to restore the home to a livable condition is approximately $55,000, and they are about halfway there. Through Charis Disaster Response, they are praying Charis churches will provide the additional $28,000 to make this home restoration a reality. Some local individuals have also offered some supplies to go toward the project. Every little bit helps!
“In addition to the funds, Charis Fellowship is providing 100% of the labor, which we hope to get in the form of response teams from our churches,” Todd said. “We need roofers, siders, plumbers, electricians, framers, drywallers, mudders, painters, etc. In most cases, experience isn’t necessary, we just need willing people that know how to swing a hammer and operate a paint roller.”
Kohltin said, “Grace church seeks to be light in darkness (John 1:4,5). We believe that the Augustus family can be that light for Jesus in a poor and devastated community in which we seek to see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus!”
Interested churches or individuals should contact Todd Derry (DisasterResponse@CharisFellowship.com) for more information.