Disciple: It's Not All About You
Preparedness planning is as much about being ready to reach out as it is protecting what's yours
By Christine McTaggart
Emergency. Accident. Disaster. Tragedy.
These are all scary things to contemplate and, as much as we all know we should make a plan to be ready should they occur, we also have a tendency to put off the assembly of such a plan. Sometimes it’s because there are genuinely pressing matters that need our immediate attention, and sometimes it’s because we believe there’s always time to do it before we might have to deal with a problem. Sometimes the concept of developing a plan is overwhelming, and most often, it’s just uncomfortable and depressing to think about it all.
Unless we approach it from a different angle.
Instead of thinking of a preparedness plan as protection in the event disaster befalls us, let’s think of it in terms of an opportunity for ministry.
When we do, we realize that in gathering information about assets we may have to guard or replace in the event of a problem, we’re really building a list of gifts to share with our community.
ASSETS ABOUND
It’s surprising how much a church can realize about itself in the development of a preparedness plan. At first glance, you might think you don’t have a whole lot to offer because your congregation size may not be large, or you might not be as financially well-resourced as other churches. But if you look at what your church has in terms of how it might help others, you might just be surprised at how rich you are.
For example:
- Ministries. What ministries do you have currently in place that might be able to respond to a neighbor in need? Shelter space? A food pantry? A soup kitchen? A community garden?
- Church space. What spaces might you have that could be opened to neighbors? Perhaps a parish hall could serve as a shelter, a community meal space or even a storage space for donations coming in and awaiting distribution. Maybe you have a parking lot that would serve as a rally point to collect donations.
- Parishioner gifts. Every church is brought to life by those who attend it. What gifts do your parishioners have to offer? Are there carpenters, electricians, cooks, nurses or simply outstanding organizers in your pews?
- Relationships. Don’t think in terms of having to do everything yourself. Welcome the opportunity to add your gifts to those of others. Who are those others? What relationships are already established that might become partnerships in helping others?
It’s not unusual when a church realizes it has even more to offer than it thought to put some of its resources into action, thereby expanding its outreach into its community every single day.
Makes you want to get started, doesn’t it?
ALL IN HOW YOU THINK ABOUT IT
Of course, the good a preparedness plan can do does not extend only to neighbors; it should not be overlooked or forgotten that a plan’s first opportunity to do good is for the very parishioners it is meant to serve. By having a plan in place, a church has a much better chance of protecting valuables and crucial information that will help it to resume its pastoral role in the event of an emergency. By planning ahead on how to respond to its own congregation, a church’s membership can know they are caring for each other as well as their community neighbors.
At the end of the day, a response plan might be predicated on the need to be ready to respond in the event of an emergency, but if approached in a mindset of being ready to help others, preparedness planning can prove to be an excellent way to re-establish and newly discover all the gifts your congregation has to give.
FIRST STEPS
In the coming months, the Diocese will be developing and sharing resources and engaging in conversation as we walk along with you, reviewing and strengthening our own preparedness plan as we encourage you to develop yours.
The process can feel overwhelming, so we’ll take it one step at a time. The first one? Decide who in your congregation will take on the task of putting the plan together. This person or persons will need to work with church leadership and parishioners to think through church assets, write up the plan, share it with others and perhaps even reach out to establish additional relationships within your community.
We’ll make resources available for organizations and individuals so that both your church and each parishioner can have a plan in place.
The first of those resources are already in place at episdionc.org. Look for “Preparedness Planning” in the Quick Links box on the homepage. Resources available include checklists to put a basic plan in place as the deeper development process progresses.
GET ON THE MAP
The Episcopal Asset Map is one of the greatest ways you can reach out to your local community both in times of emergency and everyday. Is your church sharing all it has to offer? Check at episcopalassetmap.org.
