The Church Didn’t Launch—It Showed Up
When Pastors Dave and Cari Jackson planned to launch Rise Church in Asheville, NC, they had everything in place—guest bags packed, launch team ready, excitement high. The date was set: September 29, 2024. But the same weekend they were supposed to launch their first official service, Hurricane Helene unexpectedly slammed into Asheville.
Trees snapped, power went out, cars floated down rivers, and their neighborhood became impassable. The launch didn’t happen. But the church was already alive.
Instead of starting with a service, Rise Church started with service.
Along with help from Convoy of Hope, ARC churches across the country, and their own storm-rattled launch team, Rise began meeting real needs—distributing food, water, and clothes, praying with people, and offering hope when it was needed most.
And it made a difference. Not just in the moment, but in the mission.
A city where the church wasn’t always welcome started opening its heart. Why? Because they saw the church being the church—not just in a building, but in the middle of their crisis.
As Pastors Dave and Cari put it,
“What we saw as a setback, God used as a setup.”
It’s a story of resilience, compassion, and the power of the local church to meet people right where they are—even in the eye of the storm.
