1. What is?

2. Your Church deciding to: Prepare

3. Your Church deciding to: Connect

4. Your Church deciding to: Respond

5. A Georgia Department of Emergency Management preparation platform for churches

6. Why? Virginia has Shootings

7. Why? Virginia has Floods

8. Why? Virginia has Tornados

9. Why? Virginia has Hurricanes

10. Why? Virginia has Earthquakes

11. Why? Virginia has terror attacks

12. Why? Virginia has Massive Electrical Outages

13. Why? Virginia has Plane Crashes

14. Why? Virginia has Massive Vehicle Crashes

15. Why? Virginia has Industrial Accidents

16. Why? Virginia has trees

17. Why? Virginia has Fires

18. Why? Virginia has PEOPLE

19. Why? Virginia needs Christ

20. Most churches and organizations fail to prepare for any kind of disaster and miss ministry opportunities

21. Titus 3:1b - “…to be ready for every good work.” Titus 3: 14 – “And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works for cases of urgent need, so that they may not be unfruitful.”

22. WHY NOT JUST DR? At least 80% of those trained never respond Empowering the local church to respond, multiplies the impact All responses are local in nature God has called the church to minister to their neighbors

23. Faces of Ready Church “GO” teams meet the crisis needs in their Jerusalem under the authority of the local church. Ready Church “GO” teams are well versed in Disaster Relief protocols and procedures.

24. Faces of Ready Church A Ready Church responds outside their Jerusalem under the direction of their State Disaster Relief Leader. They meet the full requirements set forward by the fellowship’s National Disaster Relief Leadership.

25. Faces of Ready Church A Ready Church responds to international needs under the direction of fellowship’s foreign mission board. Meeting all the requirements set forward by the board.

26. Faces of Ready Church A Ready Church responds to meet the construction needs of other churches, families and other entities under the direction of the local church, state convention/association or other parthers.

27. Faces of Ready Church A Ready Church participates in the long term rebuilding efforts after a disaster under the direction of the church’s fellowship or the impacted State Convention.

28. Benchmarks of excellence Evangelism Safety Spiritual First Aid Structure (ICS) Feeding Committed to Respond Debris clean-up Construction/Rebuild

29. Prepare A Strategic Plan “GO” teams Get: Trained Connected to respond Develop:

30. Connect To the people in your community that can help you respond To the people in your community that may need your assistance To your connecting national fellowship that can enable you to be prepared

31. Respond The church develops strategy for response to the needs of the local community The church establishes protocol to come to the church’s facilities when disaster occurs

32. Ready Church Plan Should assess the most likely disaster threats Should be flexible and adaptable Should consider the needs of individuals and families Should include specific ministries and target strategic areas where the church can have real impact Should remember, “ministry is the act of serving” Should include training for members in ministering to those caught in crisis

33. Organizing for Disaster Response Develop a “Go” team Contact local emergency management to assess hazards Talk to other churches and disaster organizations to assess needs and identify gaps of ministry Identify ministry points of contact Develop ministries that fit the giftedness of the church body Train team to enable effective response

34. “Go” Team Response Leader or IC Logistics Coordinator (Officer) Operations Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Evangelism Coordinator Administrative or Planning Coordinator

35. Church facilities: Bulk distribution center: (food, clothing, supplies) Child-care center Communication center Command center Feeding site Information center Shelter for victims Shelter for volunteers Staging area

36. Ready Church Response  Identify and train volunteers to care for children, the elderly, sick or disabled  Identify bilingual interpreters to assist those who speak another language  Participate in ministries such as receiving and organizing donated goods, bedding, bulk food, clean-up, and household supplies  Provide logistical support to trained disaster relief volunteers such as housing and meals  Cooperate with community disaster agencies  Develop and organize clean-up or repair crews, such as chainsaw, debris clean-up, flood relief, and roof tarp teams  Organize and participate in re-build efforts

37. Ready Church Response  Contact and minister to church shut-ins, elderly, disabled, and single mothers following disasters by developing a vulnerable phone list pre-disaster.  Offer your church as a resource center for helping agencies to assist affected victims.  Train Chaplains to provide spiritual care to those affected by disaster and those serving as responders. KY Baptist Disaster Relief offers training for Disaster Relief Chaplains.  Connect to a local school and train to be prepared for school crises, such as school shootings, suicides, accidents, pregnancy counseling, etc.  Consider making your church available as an American Red Cross shelter.  Collect and distribute blankets, clothing vouchers, or furniture to fire victims, or teddy bears and children’s blankets to affected families

38. The “Go” Team should plan and lead in 3-4 events yearly to:  Increase response effectiveness  Maintain strategy focus  Grow team unity  Develop community relationships

39. “Go” Team Ideas Conduct a Block Party Appreciation meal for policeman or fireman Build playground for school or park Home repairs for single mothers Yard and gutter clean-up for widows Plan and conduct Wild game banquet Distribute water or lemonade at a community event Assist with school backpack program Volunteer or prepare a meal for homeless ministry Participate in disaster relief response exercises

40. Ready Church Provides a tremendous opportunity to share the help, healing and hope of Christ

41. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

42. www.sbcv.org/ready-church