Hurricane Idalia

When The Bridge hosted its opening celebration service in January, Pastor Charles Matlock was excited about the opportunities to reach the community with the gospel of Christ and to hold its first baptisms in the church’s new baptistry.

The city of Cedar Key is a quiet community nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Long admired for its natural beauty and protected sanctuaries, it is now a community working together to help those on the island rebuild their lives.

Like most of the surrounding area, First Baptist Church of Madison was without electricity last week due to Hurricane Idalia, but it didn’t stop its members from preparing and serving hundreds of meals each day to first responders, local residents and a growing Emergency Management team.

Known as a laid-back, friendly fishing village, the quaint community of Horseshoe Beach found itself directly in the path of Hurricane Idalia’s 125 mph winds and 10-foot storm surge. The catastrophic devastation has left the fishing and boating community in pieces.

Hurricane Idalia’s strong winds may have toppled the steeple on Lakeside Baptist Church in Perry, but the storm did nothing to topple the faith of Lakeside members.

As Category 3 Hurricane Idalia made landfall the morning of Aug. 30 in Keaton Beach, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief leaders have transitioned to “active status,” as they begin mobilizing and responding to those impacted by the storm.