Wildfire Updates
Daily Devotional | August 13, 2026
Church Update Email | August 12, 2026
Hey Church Family,
We as God’s Church continue to pray, to wait, and to do what we can in the midst of these uncertain days and hours.
Over the past few days, many have been reaching out for help, and we want you to know that our staff and church family are responding.
Since the fire began, we have been continually helping people find places to stay, connecting them to resources, and trying to meet practical needs however we can. We can’t always meet every need, but we want to be the kind of church that practically shows people the love of Jesus, even in difficulty.
So, if you or someone you know is in need of something, please let us know. Whether it is a practical need, a place to stay, help connecting you to a resource, or simply providing someone to talk to, we would love to try to help. We aren’t able to help if we are unaware of the need. We may not always be able to meet every need ourselves, but we want to try to help, or at least connect you with someone who can.
In addition to this, beginning tomorrow, I will also be writing a short daily devotional for our church family. Each day, it will be posted on our website and shared through our social media.
The rhythm will be simple:
Read: A passage of scripture to centre our devotional time.
Think: A relevant thought or comment from a Christian pastor, writer, or theologian.
Reflect: A prompt to slow down and ask what God might be saying to you through this passage.
Pray: A prompt for you to take this passage and bring it before God.
Live: A small, practical prompt for you to apply what you read and reflected on.
My hope is not to give us one more thing to consume, but instead to give us a small way of collectively slowing down, centering ourselves on Jesus, centering ourselves on His Kingdom, centering ourselves on His Gospel, and centering ourselves on how it’s Good News, even in the midst of this.
We have also updated the main page of our website with a “Wildfire Update” button. This is where we will continue gathering public information, resources, and updates that we have shared with our church family.
In seasons like this, we want to remind you that we are not meant to carry these things alone. The Church is a people, who care for and carry one another’s burdens, just as Christ did for us.
Jesus gives us a simple word that feels especially appropriate for the time we find ourselves in:
“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
- Matthew 6:34, CSB
In the midst of all the “what if’s” and unknowns, we as followers of Jesus are simply called to be faithful with what we’ve been given today.
We are praying for you, we care about you, and we are here for you.
Shalom,
Aden
Church Update Email | August 11, 2026
Hey Church Family,
As we continue to navigate the evacuation, I wanted to pass along a practical piece of information that may be helpful to many of you.
If you are currently displaced because of the evacuation, Emergency Support Services (ESS) can provide financial support for your immediate needs. This includes funding for things like clothing, accommodation, food, essential items, and other immediate needs for you, your family, and any animals with you.
The initial support is generally provided for 3 days. If our evacuation continues beyond that (as it seems likely it will) extensions are available. The ESS operator I spoke with this morning told me that I can call again in three days to receive another payment if needed.
This morning I completed the entire process online and over the phone. They sent an e-transfer to my email immediately, and I did not have to stand around waiting in line. If you are currently waiting in line to register, or are displaced from Penticton, it may be worth trying this route while you wait.
If you have not yet registered with ESS, you can do so through the BC Emergency Support Services system. You can register through the Evacuee Registration & Assistance (ERA) tool, which allows you to provide the information they need and access ESS support.
You can also call the BC Evacuee Helpline at 1-800-387-4258, which, from my understanding, is currently available daily from 7:30am to 9pm.
I know many of us are tired, displaced, uncertain, and simply trying to figure out what the next few days are going to look like. If this is one less thing you have to carry right now, I hope it helps.
We don't have to navigate this alone. One of the gifts of being the church is that when life becomes disorienting, we are called to carry one another's burdens. There is no shame in receiving help when you need it.
For those who are able, we will continue to meet at Bethel in Penticton and Emmanuel in West Kelowna on Sunday while we remain evacuated. We will also continue to publish an online service so that, even in the middle of all this disruption, we can have some small sense of normalcy and gather together as a church family.
We’ll get through this. But I think it may take much longer than any of us would like. We are praying that we will be able to return home soon.
I’ll leave you with Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase from the book of Lamentations. These are the words of the prophet Jeremiah lamenting over his people, who had been taken from their city and exiled to Babylon:
“Oh, oh, oh… How empty the city, once teeming with people…
She cries herself to sleep each night, tears soaking her pillow…
She camps out among the nations, never feels at home.
Hunted by all, she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Zion’s roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts.
All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair.
Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate…So why do you keep forgetting us?
Why dump us and leave us like this?
Bring us back to you, God—we’re ready to come back.
Give us a fresh start.”
— Lamentations 1:1a, 1:2a, 1:3–4; 5:20–21
Amen. Lord, bring us back to you. Give us a fresh start.
We're praying for you, we're here for you, and we'll continue to share information as we have it.
Shalom,
Aden
Online Service | August 9, 2026
Church Update Email | August 8, 2026
Hey Church Family,
Psalm 46 reminds us that, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid.”
Those words feel especially close to us tonight.
We know these are difficult and uncertain hours for many in our church family. Many of you have had to leave your homes. Many are wondering what the coming days will hold. Many are carrying concern for friends, neighbours, family, and our community.
We want you to know that you are not alone. We are a church family, and we will walk through this together.
Our Ministry Team and Leadership Board Chair via Zoom this afternoon, and we wanted to share a few updates with you.
1. Sunday Gathering
Our in-person gathering tomorrow is obviously cancelled. However, we will still gather as a church family online at 10:00am through our YouTube channel livestream. Wherever you find yourself tomorrow morning, we invite you to join us. We may not be in the same room, but we are still the people of Jesus, even while dispersed.
2. Churches Welcoming Our Church Family
Several churches have generously opened their doors to welcome members of Summerland Baptist tomorrow. Some of our staff will be at the following locations:
Bethel Church in Penticton: Melissa and Cory are hoping to attend. There is child care at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services
Emmanuel Church in West Kelowna: Daryl will be preaching here this Sunday, and Nate is hoping to attend. There is childcare at their 10:00am service.
If you do end up attending one of these churches, please introduce yourself and let them know you are part of the Summerland Baptist family. We would love for as many of us as possible to gather together at these locations.
3. Housing
Several churches have offered to help provide accommodation for people who need a place to stay. If you or someone you know needs housing, please reach out to any of us via email. We will do our best to help connect people with a safe place to stay.
4. Meals
Friends of Daryl’s, Rob and Jen, are helping provide meals through the Salvation Army in West Kelowna for those who need them over the next few days. We’re still trying to find out what similar resources are available in Penticton. If you have a need, or know someone in our church family who does, please let us know.
And perhaps most importantly, keep praying.
Pray for those who are frightened. Pray for those who have lost homes or possessions. Pray for our firefighters, emergency responders, volunteers, and community leaders. Pray for our neighbours. And pray that, in the middle of all this uncertainty, we would become the kind of people who embody the presence and peace of Jesus.
We don't know exactly what the next few days will bring.
But we know who is with us.
God is our refuge and strength. Therefore, we will not fear.
We are praying for you all and regularly having conversations if there is anything more we can do for you and our community.
Shalom,
Aden + Daryl