Look around the city of Port-au-Prince and a sense of helplessness sinks in really fast. With so many unemployed and so many still living in tents, there is a pervasive lack of progress in the capital.

Don’t get me wrong—lots of activity is evident and a lot of work has been done since the earthquake in January. But with such a devastated infrastructure, the effort will likely take the rest of my lifetime—if not longer. I can’t help but wonder how to help. Given the insurmountable circumstances, what can I possibly do to assist? I’ve asked that question many times since my trip to Haiti, as I’m sure many of you have as well over the past few months. The Bible clearly gives us many ways to respond. Here’s a few ways you might put these guidelines into practice:

Move to Haiti

God may call some to full-time work in Haiti. Brandon Schaeffer, a Mars Hill elder candidate from our Shoreline campus came to Haiti. Last summer God called Brandon to plant a church in Haiti, a country his family knows well from extensive mission work. When the earthquake hit a few months later, it made Brandon’s calling all the more clear. He traveled to Haiti with us last month to serve, help, and seek God’s wisdom and discernment. Though I suspect very few of us will be called to live in Haiti full time, I encourage you to pray for those who will, including Brandon and his family.

Keep Praying

For the majority who will probably never visit Haiti (let alone move there) you can still help by praying. Pray that many would meet Jesus as a result of churches and pastors preaching the Word and loving the people in their communities. Pray that those in Haiti would cast their anxieties on Jesus, the only one who can meet every need, heal every wound, forgive every sin, and save from death to life.

Give Resources

As a church with many training materials and a strong online presence, we can serve by pooling our resources as a body and extending a hand of grace to the churches in Haiti, which are already in position to love and serve the people. We certainly can’t solve the issues in Haiti, but we can do a lot to equip workers on the front lines. This is the mission of Churches Helping Churches, which is thriving because so many of you do help through generous giving. Whether in Haiti or the U.S., all Christians share in the mission to make disciples and plant churches until Jesus comes back and the work is done.

Find Pastor Jamie on Twitter and Facebook. Check out the main CHC site for more on the recent pastors retreat. (Photos via CHC's Flickr.)