In the two weeks since wildfires consumed thousands of homes and acres across Southern California, some people outside the state have begun to call the fires an act of God’s judgment, blaming the “decadent and sinful lifestyle rampant in Los Angeles.” What these people may not realize is that Southern California spreads far past the borders of Hollywood and is home to countless Christians. Even inside Hollywood, there are those who follow Christ – people who are now quietly demonstrating God’s love to victims of the fires.

Members of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, whose mission is to “raise the cross over Hollywood,” have donated thousands of dollars to Malibu Presbyterian Church, which burned to the ground on Oct. 21. The Hollywood Prayer Network, one of 20 ministries that serve the entertainment industry, is holding an online prayer vigil for the victims.

More than 50 volunteers from Bel Air Presbyterian Church hosted a continental breakfast for the displaced congregation of Malibu Presbyterian Church last Sunday. In addition, they have set up a special fire relief fund and joined with churches in Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Westwood to pray for those in Malibu and beyond.

And while their own church building has been reduced to ashes, members of Malibu Presbyterian have not forgotten other victims. “We know that we are not the only ones affected by this tragedy and that a crisis continues,” says Pastor Greg Hughes. “Our hearts and prayers go out to those who are displaced from their homes, and to those who lost their homes in the fires. We are eager to learn of their needs also, and about how we can serve them in this time of crisis.”

Outside of the immediate Los Angeles area, hundreds of other churches have mobilized to show God’s love in practical ways. Members from Coast Hills Community Church, located in Orange County, are helping to run a distribution center for fire victims in the hard-hit Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego. The distribution center is being operated in partnership with Harvest USA, a ministry of Pastor Greg Laurie’s Harvest Church in Riverside, California.

Three of the wildfires touched the region where Rick Warren’s Saddleback Community Church is located, although Saddleback’s 128-acre campus itself was spared. The church has been serving as an evacuation center for refugees and as a refreshment center for 500 firefighters, reports Baptist Press.

With more than 22,000 attendees, Saddleback has some 3,500 small groups "in every city in Southern California, many of whom welcomed evacuees into their homes,” Warren said while being interviewed on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” Saddleback also has dispatched approximately 100 volunteer chaplains who are "counseling, caring, comforting, coaching, praying for people," according to Warren.

The Rock, one of San Diego’s largest churches, has transformed itself into an evacuation center housing thousands, including 122 senior citizens from Mount Miguel Covenant Village. The elderly residents initially were evacuated to a San Diego high school, but later moved to the Rock due to poor air quality.

On Oct. 24, the Rock Church reached out to more than 5,000 people in San Diego County who were isolated from any support. “With the help of the Red Cross, the police organizations, and donated vehicles, supplies and even helicopters, the Christian community has been using the Rock Church as a focal point to reach areas on the far side of numerous police roadblocks,” reports Pastor Miles McPherson.

At PetCo Park in San Diego, more than 100 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers from all over the state prepared hot meals that were taken to evacuation centers. The number of meals reached 30,000 the first weekend following the fires. “The cooperation of Southern Baptists through disaster relief is reflected to the communities impacted by the fires,” says Don Hargis, who directs disaster relief for the California Southern Baptist Convention.