The storm is coming. Storms always come. In times of crisis, church leaders play a unique role in providing for the needs of their congregations and the broader community. The needs aren’t just spiritual, they are material and emotional as well.
Every individual must take the critical action necessary to prepare in order to protect their families, their neighbors, and themselves.
Listed below is a checklist of activities specific to the unique role church leaders must undertake to prepare for the event of a crisis.
- Principles for Church Leaders
- Be a Visible and Calm Presence: During times of crisis, a congregation looks to their leaders for guidance. Remain a visible, calming presence; offer hope and reassure through your words and actions.
- Ground the Community in Faith: Keep the church grounded in faith, continually pointing people to God’s presence and provision in every situation. Promote the Biblical values of resilience, perseverance, and divine protection.
- Promote Unity and Generosity: Encourage the church community to come together, sharing resources, time, and support. Teach on the importance of generosity, both materially and spiritually; and the role of the church as a light to the world in dark times.
- By prepared well in advance, planning how the church will help meet the material, emotional, and spiritual needs of the community. Church leaders have a special responsibility to help their congregations navigate crises with strength, faith, and compassion. We must also plan ways we can help our neighbors and the less fortunate in our midst.
- Organize Engaged Christians
- Get Oriented. Call a meeting of elders to brief the coming economic reset, what it means, and how the church should respond.
- Recruit a business owner or owners to head the effort to organize business owners and key individuals in the congregation.
- Set up a zoom call with participating church leaders, the business point person(s), and the In Trust Network. On the call, Marc or another In Trust leader will brief participants.
- Host an organizational meeting or luncheon of business owners, elected officials, and engaged individuals who will participate in discussing how the church can be involved in serving the community in times of hardship.
- Coordinate with Other Churches and Community Groups: Partner with other churches, community organizations, and nonprofits to be part of the planning in order to amplify relief efforts. This collaboration can help share resources, avoid duplication, and expand the impact on the community.
- Establish a regular schedule meetings or lunches in order to hear from guest speakers on current events, threats to the community, economic data, etc… These meetings should also be used to facilitate planning, recruitment, and review the status of benchmarks and goals.
- Prepare in Advance
- Develop a Church Emergency Plan: During organizational meetings, prepare a comprehensive emergency plan that details means and methods of communications in the event phone or cell service is interrupted. Designate roles for staff and volunteers. Account for different disaster scenarios (natural, economic, or social).
- Stockpile Essential Supplies: Create a reserve of essential supplies such as food, water, blankets, first aid kits, hygiene items, batteries, and other necessities that can be distributed to the congregation and the community in an emergency.
- Build a Communication Network: Establish a system to keep in contact with church members during a crisis, such as phone trees, email lists, or text alerts. Ensure all members, especially the elderly and vulnerable, are part of this network.
- Train Church Leaders and Volunteers: Provide disaster response training to pastors, staff, and key volunteers. This includes CPR/first aid training, crisis counseling, and logistical coordination for relief efforts.
- Collaborate with Local Authorities: Build relationships with local emergency services, government officials, and relief organizations, invite them to the regularly schedule planning meetings to provide input, and integrate the church into broader community response efforts.
- Prepare the Church Building: Ensure that the church facilities are equipped to serve as a shelter or distribution point if needed. This may involve securing generators, reinforcing structures, or ensuring access to emergency medical supplies.
- Provide Material Support for the Community
- Distribute Resources: Detail ways your church, or others in your network, can serve as hubs for distributing essential items like food, water, clothing, and shelter. Work with local food banks, shelters, and community organizations to stock and distribute these resources.
- Offer Shelter: In the plan discussed above, designate those churches able to serve as temporary shelters for people displaced by natural disasters or economic hardship. Consider the need for adequate sleeping arrangements, kitchen access, and basic medical care.
- Financial Assistance: Create or expand a benevolence fund to provide financial assistance to struggling families. This could include covering rent, medical bills, or other emergency expenses.
- Counseling Services: Recruit experienced members of the congregation to offer financial counseling as appropriate. Teach budgeting, saving, and debt management strategies through workshops or one-on-one support.
- Organize Community Efforts: Coordinate with members and volunteers to organize meal services, clothing drives, or group assistance projects like home repairs for those affected by disasters.
- Equip Members with Spiritual Resilience
- Teach Faith-Based Crisis Preparedness: Prepare in advance a teaching or two about the importance of faith in times of crisis, using scripture to highlight themes of resilience, perseverance, and trust in God. Encourage members to ground their responses in prayer and spiritual practices.
- Organize Prayer Groups and Support Circles: Create opportunities for members to pray together and support one another. These groups can offer emotional and spiritual encouragement, helping members stay connected and focused on their faith.
- Offer Spiritual Disciplines for Crisis Management: Encourage members to practice daily spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, meditation, and fasting. These habits can provide strength and peace when external circumstances become overwhelming.
- Promote Mental and Emotional Health: Equip church members with the knowledge and resources to maintain mental and emotional health. Provide teachings on coping mechanisms, dealing with anxiety, and finding peace through faith in trying times.
- Encourage Family and Personal Preparedness: Create a “task force” of members with knowledge about preparedness to meet with families and prepare them for what may lie ahead. Ground teachings on faith and trust in God’s providence.
- Serve Local Communities in Need
- Mobilize Volunteers: Organize teams within the church to help those in the surrounding community who are most in need, such as the elderly, disabled, or economically disadvantaged. These teams can deliver food, provide transportation, and assist with home repairs.
- Offer Free or Low-Cost Services: Where possible, provide free or subsidized services such as child care, tutoring, job training, or counseling to the local community.
- Host Community Events: Create events such as free community meals, health clinics, or resource fairs to bring people together, reduce isolation, and provide needed services.
- Advocate for the Vulnerable: Speak up for those hardest hit by economic crisis or natural disaster, making sure church members and the wider community understand the importance of neighbor-loving-neighbor.
- Provide Ongoing Spiritual Support
- Hold Regular Worship Services: Even during crises, continue to offer worship services to provide spiritual nourishment, guidance, and hope. Messages should focus on God’s faithfulness, hope in adversity, and The Gospel.
- Offer Counseling: Many will experience emotional and spiritual distress in times of crisis. Offer one-on-one or group counseling sessions with trained pastors or lay leaders, providing prayer, guidance, and comfort rooted in scripture.
- Create a Small Group: Small groups where Christians can walk together will help those who are alienated know they are not alone.
- Encourage Community Prayer and Reflection: Lead communal prayer efforts, encouraging members to pray for one another and the broader community. Organized prayer events, such as vigils, can bring people together in times of uncertainty.
- Foster Long-Term Healing: Once the immediate crisis has passed, focus on long-term healing by offering programs for grief recovery, rebuilding community bonds, and addressing the emotional toll of the crisis. Spiritual support should be ongoing, addressing the deeper emotional and relational effects of hardship.
