For the last three-and-a-half years, Reverend Joe Halbert has been leading Neighborhood Christian Fellowship (NCF), Covina, California, into what he describes as a “ministry of presence.” During the January 2025 California fires, Rev. Halbert’s and NCF’s value of being present was put on display.
By Rev. Halbert’s estimation, the fires devastated over 10,000 structures, including whole neighborhoods, many of which were within 30 minutes of NCF’s location. When the fires began, he personally knew people who had lost their homes. By reaching out to these families, Rev. Halbert was able to learn and understand the scope of the need for many within their proximity.
On day two of the devastation, Rev. Halbert was in the burnt areas volunteering with World Vision. He described the damage as “looking like a battlefield. Everything was burned to the ground, cars were burned out, helicopters were flying through the air and fire trucks were going through.” Supply drop locations would be changed minute by minute due to the shifting risk area of active fires. As he helped to offload supplies from tractor trailer trucks to families who had lost everything, he continued to learn the breadth of the need, and NCF began to galvanize behind him.
Prior to the fires, Rev. Halbert had led NCF to discover who they were and what God was calling them to be. They started a food pantry to serve between 40 to 50 families each week and a lay person began a farm to grow fruits and vegetables for the food pantry. With Rev. Halbert’s example, the church had “gotten out of the church building to walk the community, smell the smells, see the sights, and help the people they found in their community.”
Rev. Halbert explained NCF believed God was inviting them to step into “a ministry of presence” — resourcing, sitting with, praying and doing life with others. “To help with the fires, it was already a part of our DNA.”
When NCF learned that those displaced still had to get kids to school and themselves to work from their temporary housing far from their home, they sprang into action. NCF began collecting gas and grocery cards to assist displaced neighbors with commuting costs. It also collected and distributed hot meals, pantry items, water supplies, hygiene kits and clothing to local community emergency centers. Others began making quilts for those living in hotels for the foreseeable future. Rev. Halbert and others assisted in sifting through the ashes to help find lost valuables. On many occasions, after praying with the displaced family, Rev. Halbert and those with him found the exact objects that were hoped to have survived the inferno. Another gentleman received support from NCF in the form of gas cards, that allowed him to travel and complete the necessary paperwork to recover his losses.
Rev. Halbert recognizes how God is moving through NCF, “We are a smaller church making a pretty big impact in our community.”
NCF’s ministry of presence is not held back by their size. Rev. Halbert acknowledged some of the challenges, mentioning that sometimes it is difficult to care for those coming and their growing facility needs. “The food pantry was not in the church budget,” he said. “So, we had to go build relationships with the grocery chains and mom and pop grocery stores.” As the needs come in, they work to fill them. “We cannot be limited by the resources that are currently on hand,” stated Rev. Halbert.
Reverend Mike Skor, district superintendent (DS) of the Pacific Southwest District, weighed in on Rev. Halbert’s ministry of presence efforts: “He is one of those people I admire as a pastor. He does a great job of practical ministry. They were far enough removed that they could have ignored those in need, but I am so proud of Neighborhood Christian Fellowship, because they wanted to serve and reach the practical needs of their community.”
Rev. Halbert continues to think about future ways to help the fire victims, envisioning that NCF could host youth groups or be the landing spot for people coming on a mission trip to assist in rebuilding homes. DS Skor is amazed by Rev. Halbert efforts: “Joe is an energizer bunny. He has more energy than most people and such a passion to reach the community and region.”
Rev. Jacob Gibson is the senior pastor at LifeSpring Wesleyan Church, Richmond, Indiana, and graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Wesley Seminary, Marion, Indiana.
