A church's opportunity to serve comes sometimes from months, even years, of planning. Sometimes it comes simply from a need. Only rarely it comes from an over whelming tragedy.
But tragedy unspeakable was the case when the Clear Lake church learned of the deaths of five children three blocks from its building. A former Clear Lake member put the children's father, Russell Yates, in touch with Byron Fike, Clear Lake Pulpit minister, who responded. Assisted by Laura Reifschlager the congregation's office manager, and staff members Debbie Blackburn, Pat Freyaldenhoven and Bernice Allen, Fike and the congregation conducted visitation and funeral services for the five children-Noah, John, Paul, Luke and Mary.
Several days before the June 27 funeral Fike told the media, "Russell and Andrea Yates are not members of the Clear Lake Church of Christ, but they are our neighbors. ...We are going to serve them for no other reason than that they have a great need, and we can do some things to help."
From the moment the 600 member Clear Lake congregation learned of the situation, Fike says, it was ready to help.
Members ushered, supervised parking, prepared food, (cleaned the building, manicured the grounds, ran errands, attended phones, sang for the funeral and conducted a prayer vigil during the service.
Fike devoted his attention to counseling and praying with Russell Yates and preparing the funeral sermon.
Reifschlager and her staff coordinated all details of the week's events and dealt with what all agreed was the greatest challenge-overwhelming media attention. Clear Lake was flooded with calls for information and for interviews, which Reifschlager screened and coordinated.
Reifschlager says, "My intent was to behave in a way which honored God-no matter whom I was dealing with-funeral directors, volunteers, the grieving family, police officers and especially the media."
The congregation was firm in its insistence that only family and friends attend the services, as the family requested, and that no cameras or recorders be allowed into the funeral.
In his funeral address, Fike focused on the resurrection as the ultimate hope for the five children.
He said, "As terrible as this day is, it is not the end. There is a day coming when every wrong will be made right. There will be a resurrection of the dead. There is such a thing as life eternal. When Jesus returns to this earth, everything will once again be 'very good.' ...Today you acknowledge your pain, confusion and unspeakable grief at what you've lost, but we hold on to hope-the last chapter has not been written."
For the father Russell Yates, certainly the last chapter has not been written.
Yates has visited services at Clear Lake and has been in regular contact with Fike.
Reifschlager says, "Clear Lake didn't ask for this opportunity. It was brought to us. In all we did, we tried to express the hope offered through Jesus Christ, even in unexplainable circumstances. The world's eyes were on us that week. We hope they saw Christ."