'Houston Five' Pastor Models Matthew 5:40 in Incredible Way - JESSILYN JUSTICE CHARISMA NEWS

Volunteers sort through donations at Grace Woodlands. (Grace Woodlands Church/Facebook)

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Steve Riggle, one of the "Houston Five" pastors and the leader of Grace Woodlands Church, saw his community sink under water this week as Harvey swept across the area.

While many would focus on taking care of themselves in a situation like this, Riggle has mobilized his congregation to serve in an unprecedented way.

According to an update sent to Charisma News, Grace Woodlands Church has deployed:

• 46 trucks full with supplies went out to needy people.
• 272 volunteers who served more than 600 people.
• 30 men cleaning and restoring homes.

"[Our] auditorium [is] filled wall to wall with supplies," Riggle tells Charisma News. "There is a clinic in Katy that is receiving patients for free; we are sending people who need assistance. [We have] eight 18-wheeler trucks confirmed for next week. We are opening two more distribution centers to keep the flow of things constant."

The church is open as a donation center and has thousands of items to give away.

"Our experience with the government helping, and even the major charities, is their red tape when what people need is help, not filling out endless forms. I will assure you that any funds received will go 100 percent to people in need," he told Charisma founder and CEO Steve Strang.

 Though so many have already donated, the need is still great. Help Grace Woodlands by clicking below.

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Jessilyn Justice is the director of online news for Charisma. Born and raised in a pastor's family in Alabama, she attended Lee University and the Washington Journalism Center. She's passionate about sharing God's goodness through storytelling. Tell her what you think of this story on Twitter @jessilynjustice.

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'Houston Five’ Pastor Steve Riggle Makes a Bold Call

10/21/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA NEWS

Steve Riggle

Mayor Annise Parker may have thought she could subpoena the sermons of Houston pastors without much of a battle but the lesbian politician has opened the flood gates of resistance freedom-loving Americans from sea to shining sea.

Some are calling it extremism. Others are calling it tyranny. Others are refusing to let Parker "put us in the closet."

But Steve Riggle, senior pastor of Grace Community Church and one of the so-called "Houston Five," isn't leaving it there.

"Those we elect to lead our government are charged with stewarding the public trust. When elected officials abuse the power of their office by denying the people the basic right to vote, we must stand against that action whatever the cost," Riggle told Charisma News.

As he and other Bible-believing Christians see it, Parker and her city attorney have denied citizens of the fourth-largest city in America a right to vote yes or no.

"All citizens—on both sides of the issue—should be outraged," Riggle says. "Her blatant actions to subvert the referendum process of the Houston City Charter must not be tolerated with impunity."

Riggle is making a bold statement and a bold call:

"If her actions are allowed to continue without being investigated for violations of our voting rights, we will have failed ourselves, each other, our children, and devalued the price many have paid for our 'process' of freedom," he says. "As one of the 'Houston Five' whose sermons and any comment ever made about Mayor Parker have been subpoenaed, I call for her actions and those of the city attorney to be thoroughly investigated."