The document addresses the role of the church in responding to crises and disasters, emphasizing the need for preparedness and community support. It highlights biblical references to calamities and encourages churches to become safe havens for those in need. Additionally, it outlines available training resources and collaborative efforts with disaster response organizations to effectively meet community needs.

1. When Your Life or Neighborhood
Looks Like This:
Who do you call?
Where do you go for help?
Are you ready?

2.  Jesus
told the disciples that the end times will include
earthquakes, famines and other calamities in:
a.
Matthew 24:4-14.
b.
Mark 13:5-11.
c.
Luke 21:5-19.
 Revelation describes the same kinds of events before the
2nd. Coming of Jesus.
 What should our response to these events look like?

3. 2 Kings 4:1-2: One day the widow of one of Elisha’s fellow
prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, “My husband who
served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now
a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what
do you have in the house?”
Matthew 25:37-40: “Then these righteous ones will reply,
„Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or
thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and
show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?‟
And the King will tell them, I assure you, when you did it to
one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were
doing it to me!”

4.  Everyday in our communities people are in
crisis – death of a family member, divorce, lost
jobs, medical diagnosis that is not favorable.
 Church should be the safest place to come and
be open and honest about the trials we face.
 Training to be better equipped is simple and can
expand to meet the needs of a community.
 Many programs already exist that a church can
use to meet the needs of the hurting.

5.  Post 9-11, President Bush signed HSPD #5
authorizing the development of the National
Incident Management System or NIMS.
 NIMS allows faith based organizations to serve
as long as volunteers are trained to respond.
 NIMS is continually modified and changed to
deal with issues that arise after a national
disaster and or a change in local, state and
federal governments.
 The Assemblies of God is currently developing
a national response plan through the
Chaplaincy Department.

6.  All national and state organizations, like the
Small Business Administration (SBA) or Convoy
of Hope have criteria that must be met before
they will deploy.
 Earthquake in Japan and the ensuing Nuclear
Reactor issues kept outside resources at bay for
many, many days.
 Some communities in the Mid-West set their own
criteria for volunteers that had to be met before
they were allowed to serve.

7.  Many counties are not willing to share their volunteers with
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other counties because of fiduciary responsibility.
More and more communities will not use spontaneous,
unaffiliated volunteers.
VOAD – Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster are
looking for churches to be a part of their response.
There are liability issues that each church must consider.
The following link from the State Office of Emergency
Services Website can tell you the risks your church is facing
regarding flooding, fire, earthquake or in low lying coastal
regions a tsunami http://myhazards.calema.ca.gov

8.  States Department of Emergency Services Home Page:
http://dem.nv.gov/Home/DEM_Home/
 Are You Prepared? Plan Ahead Nevada Emergnecy
Mitigation Guide:
http://dps.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpsnvgov/content/Citi
zen/evacuationguide_PAN.pdf
 State requires OSHA training for some skilled workers
and our District Assessment Team can provide the
proper training.

9.  Developed a Disaster Relief Task Force and an Assessment
Team that is ready to train and assist the local church.
 District Presbytery has approved the following as our
standard for response:
a. District Response Plan.
b. Training Matrix for all volunteers and leadership.
c. Risk Assessment for our District Affiliated Churches.
 We are members of Northern California VOAD at the State
Level.
 Can assist any of our churches to connect with their local
VOAD or if a local VOAD does not exist connect with your
local Office of Emergency Services.

10. Christ Centered Training Offered
• 4 Hour Introduction to Crisis &
Disaster Response.
• 1 Day – Piece by Peace:
Discovering God’s Plan for
Dealing with Death, Trauma,
Divorce and Other Losses in Our
Lives.
• 2 Day Training in Critical
Incident Stress Management.
• Church Planning and
Preparation.
• Assessment Team offers a day of
training that each section can
sponsor which includes the
Introduction to Crisis and
Disaster Response Seminar.

11. The Need Is Great

12. Will You Go?

13. The only Piece Missing is You