“FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE” BRIDGES OF LOVE MINISTRY SOCIETY “FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE” FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE CONNECTING CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE PREPARED FOR: YOUR CHURCH Anytime, 2012

BUILDING BRIDGES OF LOVE MINISTRY “I can do everything through Him MARG’S JOURNEY BUILDING BRIDGES OF LOVE MINISTRY “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 Eight years ago my sister gave me a book for my Birthday. Little did she know that this book would change the course of my life. The book was called “Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin Raphael McManus. In his acknowledgements he thanks God for creating us to live, not simply believe. It begins…”Rumblings are more felt than heard and certainly never seen. They come to you through the soles of your feet into the depth of your soul. Only then do they open the eyes of your heart. They speak of a shift that is about to take place”. Erwin calls us to abandon the monotony of life and to begin an adventure. We know in the days of the early church, the thing that most impressed their neighbours was the community of love they witnessed among believers. In every age, the most persuasive evidence for the gospel is not words or arguments but a living demonstration of God’s character through Christian love for one another, expressed not only in word but demonstrated in tangible and practical ways.   Building bridges into a community can be as diverse as are the beautiful architectural bridge structures. Four years ago, God opened a door of opportunity to reach our communities through Pandemic Preparedness The definition of an adventure is “an undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.” And life as God intended us to live it; is nothing less than an adventure. It comes with great risk and at significant cost. Jesus summarized it like this: for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24) I had heard this verse many times, but it now took on a whole new meaning. Jesus calls us to live a life of unimaginable adventure. It begins the moment we choose to follow Him. He is inviting us on a divine adventure with Him. 3

THE “GO” OF PREPARATION It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact, it is a process that must be steadily maintained. It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience. The Christian life requires preparation and more preparation. Oswald Chambers The focus of Bridges of Love is to provide opportunities and open doors for churches to have a greater concern for, and an irresistible influence on people in their communities to be a guiding light demonstrating God’s love. To facilitate a Kingdom mindset more than a church mindset deploying resources in time, energy, people and dollars outward rather than inward making the church both real and reachable. 4

THE “GO” OF RELATIONSHIP Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. God brings us into the proper relationship with Himself so that we can then serve Him out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him, service becomes my every-day way of life. Jesus said…”Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” You are the light of the world, he would teach, shine in the darkness. You are the salt of the earth, he declared, make a difference. By exhibiting, through everyday humanity, his life and love to the world, Jesus expected the church to supernaturally attract all men to God. 5

PREPARED FOR WHAT?? EFFECTIVE PREPARATION OF ANY KIND REQUIRES A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOALS WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE. IN THE CASE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF A CRISIS—WHETHER IT’S A HOUSE FIRE, PANDEMIC, EARTHQUAKE, FLOOD OR LOSS OF A FAMILY MEMBER OR CHERISHED PET... Dr. Arthur Bradley

BRIDGES OF LOVE MINISTRY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE” FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE C O M U N I T Y BRIDGES OF LOVE MINISTRY “FAITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE” HOW PREPARED ARE YOU? FEPI - AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET “PLUGGED” INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND BE PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY ‘Bridges of Love’ is about taking ACTION. And that action is LOVE. God is love and for the watching world to see Christ in us, we must show ‘living proof of a loving God’. God has given me a vision, dream and passion to ignite a spark of love across our nation. It is not, what can one person do? But am I willing to be the one person God uses to make a difference in our world? We have opportunities today as never before to practice what we believe. We can allow circumstances to silence us, or we can see the shaking of the nations as the opening of doors so that followers of Christ can make a difference for God’s Kingdom. Please join God as we enter a journey of ‘divine purpose’. A purpose that will not only transform our churches into ‘Guiding lights’ but will link God’s purpose for the church with the real needs of our community.   7