WHAT IS A READY CHURCH?
Most churches and organizations fail to plan and prepare and tend to be more reactive rather than proactive to any type of crisis or disaster. Because of this, they often find themselves wondering what to do, how to do it and who to call for assistance. Very often churches have the resources and volunteers capable of the work but failed to prepare properly that when disaster strikes, they find themselves unable to respond effectively.
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief offers a strategy plan. “READY CHURCH” is a strategy and tool to aid churches to prepare, connect and respond in times of crisis or disaster. This strategy plan will give churches the ideas, tools, and direction to respond effectively and in a timely manner to assist their community when disasters happen.
READY CHURCH strategy will give the local church the tools to be equipped to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the local community.
The goal of READY CHURCH is three-fold:
- To assist churches to PREPARE for disasters by developing a plan for preparedness.
- To assist churches to CONNECT with the local community prior to a disaster or crisis.
- To assist churches to RESPOND in the local community when disaster or crisis happens.
You have heard the quote, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
READY CHURCH will help your church plan for:
- How to respond to crisis or disasters, large or small.
- How to involve your church family with training and roles.
- How to minister and evangelize during a crisis or disaster.
- How to be the light of Christ beyond the crisis or disaster.
Paul challenges Titus and the church “To be ready for every good work.” Titus 3:1
Communities across the Commonwealth have the potential to experience tornadoes, floods, ice storms, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, windstorms, power outages, fires, explosions, industrial accidents, vehicle crash, train derailments, riots, public shootings, and more.
When communities experience such tragic events, our emotion and compassion kicks in, and we tend to react rather than respond. The goal of READY CHURCH is to prepare your church to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to make a lasting difference in your community.
During times of tragedy and loss, people will need compassionate people to love on them, care for them, and help them physically, emotionally, and spiritually deal with their loss. The Scripture encourages us to minister and care for the widow, orphans, strangers, broken, wounded and to the “very least of these.” This is the perfect time for the church to be the church.
We live in a dark and fallen world that needs to see and hear the light of the Gospel. Compassion ministry creates opportunities to share the Gospel and hope through Christ. You have heard it said, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Disasters and crisis open doors that have often been closed to the Gospel if the local church would compassionately respond and care for those who are hurting.
READY CHURCH enables the church to prepare for times of disaster. It is not a matter if the disaster or crisis will come to a community, but when. Churches need to be ready to respond promptly and properly.
READY CHURCH will help you identify real need and not perceived or manufactured need.
READY CHURCH will guide you through assembling your team, identifying community leaders, knowing your resources, understanding needs, and guide you through implementing your plan.
READY CHURCH will help you:
- Develop Your Roles
- Determine Your Resources
- Define Your Response
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines preparedness as a “continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response.”
In other words, READY CHURCH is not designed to be a training for information, but rather a training for continual action.
The Missions Mobilization Team of the KBC can assist you in developing your church as a READY CHURCH. Created by churches, for churches, to help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ. Contact us today at 502-489-3401 or [email protected]. We are here for you.
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