2. PW PDA Congregational Preparedness Program
Suzanne Malloy
PDA National Response Team
For years PDA has been asked to offer congregational preparedness talks to first one congregation or presbytery, then another. It was expensive to pay for a National Response Team member to go make one presentation and then return home. In 2014 Kathy Reeves from the Louisville PW office and Rick Turner from PDA got to talking: Why don’t we collaborate? PW’s are everywhere—and they are organized–and they have good connections! Why doesn’t PDA train PW’s to do the training? PDA will foot the bill for the training and the resources for training—and PW will provide the person power. What a great idea!
So in April 2015 PDA National Response Team members, known as instructors, began training interested Presbyterian Women to train people about preparing congregations – and mid councils -- for disaster. At the conclusion of the PW Disaster preparedness Trainer Training, PDA presented each new trainer who successfully completed the training with a certificate and a co-branded scarf. The PDA instructors commissioned the new trainers for a three-year commitment to train others.

3. Disaster preparedness happens when you decide to reduce the suffering that disaster can cause to you and others.
Who are the trainees? They are Presbyterian Women who have realized that they – perhaps you – are willing to help reduce the suffering that disaster can cause – for yourself and for others.

4. Disaster preparedness = a form of pastoral care
….the trainees are Presbyterian women who realize that disaster preparedness is a powerful way to offer pastoral care, something that Presbyterian women already like to do.
I encourage you to discern whether you might be called to help congregations prepare—before the storm, the earthquake, or the fire. If you discern a call, here’s some information that you can use to follow your calling.

5. Care for your people Your Congregation
Disaster preparedness is pastoral care at its best – because preparedness helps protect your people, our people….

6. Care for your property
And helps protect your property, our property. By preparing, you and others may be able to keep an emergency from ever becoming a disaster.
I encourage you to discern whether you might be called to help congregations prepare—before the storm, the earthquake, or the fire. If you discern a call, here’s some information that you can use to follow your calling.

7. PW Disaster preparedness Trainer Requirements:
Be a Presbyterian woman
Interest in disaster preparedness
3-year commitment to do training
Presentation experience
Comfortable using and PowerPoint presentations
PW and PDA are looking for 2 to 6 Presbyterian Women per presbytery who have these qualifications:
An interest and a calling to the ministry of disaster preparedness
Willingness to make a 3-year commitment to do training
Presentation experience and comfort with and PowerPoint
When there is critical mass, 20 successful applicants or more, in a synod, PDA will schedule a train-the-trainer event in the synod. The time and place are worked out by Beth Snyder, in the PDA office, in collaboration with representatives from the synod PW.
Comfort in using both and PowerPoint

8. Your Commitment: 3 X 3 Serve three years Do three trainings per year
By applying for and accepting training by PDA, you are committing to:
A three-year commitment to actively seek, set up, and conduct at least three disaster preparedness trainings per year in congregations, clusters, and/or presbytery/presbyteries—or wherever you can get people to invite you. You can speak at committee meetings, session meetings, fellowship suppers, or youth meetings. (Youth do a great job with such tasks as creating video inventory of church property, so get yourself invited to talk to youth whenever possible.) You can speak wherever you can get people to sit down and listen to you! Your imagination and relationships within the presbytery provide the structure for living out your commitment.

9. Send references and application to Beth.Snyder@pcusa.org:
PWP or PWS Moderator
Pastor or clerk of session
One who has heard you present
Send references and application to
You can see the procedure on the screen.

10. For more information, contact beth.snyder@pcusa.org
Further Information
Applications and reference forms are available online at
click on ACT then Volunteer.
For more information, contact
For further information, contact Beth at
Questions?