A multitude of resources for churches responding to COVID-19
Our team at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute feels, in a way, oddly prepared for this moment in history. We didn’t foresee the global pandemic coming our way, but for the past several years, we’ve built up our team, readied our curriculum, and driven the research that’s informing the multitude of resources we’ve created over the past several weeks to help the church respond to the coronavirus.
When we founded the HDI, we established a mission centered around Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (NIV). Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a prime opportunity to do just that.
We’ve acted quickly to create several tools for faith leaders, especially churches, facing this outbreak. We’re beating a loud drum to not forget the marginalized. Research shows us that churches will be looked to for physical, emotional and spiritual support.
Our hope is that the resources we’re developing will help churches prepare and care for our disaster-filled world:
Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A Step-by-Step, Research-Informed and Faith-Based Planning Manual
With biblical wisdom, research insights, and quick, actionable steps, this manual equips all traditions and denominations with a 6-step guide for addressing the coronavirus challenges. After downloading, you can edit and save directly in the manual as you prepare your plan.
English: http://bit.ly/HDI-COVID19-CHURCH
Spanish: http://bit.ly/HDISpanishCOVID19ChurchResources
Canadian churches: http://bit.ly/HDICOVID19CanadianResources
Friday Webinar Series
Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus – Every Friday at 12pm CT
This webinar series is presented by the HDI in partnership with the National Association of Evangelicals every Friday at 12pm CT. Alongside my colleague Kent Annan, M.Div., Director of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership at HDI, we are talking with leaders from all over the country about issues relevant to today’s church from doing virtual church, worshipping online, caring for the elderly in the church, self care, and more.
Register for the next webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-preparing-your-church-for-coronavirus-registration-98719792557
COVID-19 Church Online Summit
Thursday & Friday, March 26-27
In times of crisis, such as our current COVID-19 pandemic, people will turn to church leaders for help. Join HDI and the National Association of Evangelicals for a two-day digital summit on Thursday & Friday, March 26 & 27, 2020 (accessible at your own convenience) to learn from leaders around the world about how your church can respond to the coronavirus outbreak.
Register here: https://www.covid19churchsummit.com/
COVID-19 Church Resource Hub
In addition to these resources, we’ve created an Online Hub that contains several articles, tip sheets, podcasts and other credible, evidence-based resources for churches grappling with the coronavirus. https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/academic-centers/humanitarian-disaster-institute/covid-19/
Books to prepare you
We’ve written a handful of books that may help you during these times.
A Walking Disaster by Dr. Jamie Aten
Is there a meaning to our suffering? Is hope realistic when tragedy befalls us? Is a return to normalcy possible after our life is uprooted by catastrophe? These are the questions that disaster psychologist Dr. Jamie Aten wrestled with when he was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. In this gripping memoir, Aten shares the life-affirming and faith-renewing insights that he discovered during his tumultuous struggle against the disease.
Aten’s journey began in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck his community. After witnessing the devastation wrought by the storm, he dedicated his career to investigating how people respond to and recover from all manner of disasters. He studied disaster zones around the globe and founded the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College. His expertise, however, was little comfort when a fateful visit with his oncologist revealed advanced and aggressive cancer. “You’re in for your own personal disaster” was his doctor’s prognosis.
Thrust into a battle for his life, with cancer cells and chemotherapy ravaging his body, Aten found his professional interest taking on new meaning. His ordeal taught him firsthand how we can sustain ourselves when burdened with seemingly unbearable suffering. Some of his counterintuitive insights include: to find hope, be cautious of optimism; when you want help the least is when you need it most; and spiritual surrender, rather than a passive act, is instead an act of profound courage.
This last point speaks to the element of grace in Dr. Aten’s story. As he struggled to understand the significance of his suffering, he found himself examining his Christian faith down to its bedrock and learned to experience the redeeming presence of God in his life. Dr. Aten has a natural exuberance that shines through his writing. Infused with his compassionate voice and humanitarian concern.
A Walking Disaster is ultimately an inspirational story about the power of the human spirit to endure trauma with courage.
Disaster Ministry Handbook by Dr. Jamie Aten
When disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do—until the storm hits. Don’t get caught unprepared. If a natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community, your church can minister to the hurting. Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Disaster ministry is a critically important work of the church, preparing for the unthinkable, providing relief to survivors, caring for the vulnerable and helping communities recover. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book provides best practices for local congregations. By taking action in advance, your church can help prevent harm and save lives during a disaster. The time to plan is now. Be prepared.
Slow Kingdom Coming by Kent Annan
No one said pursuing justice would be easy. The road can be so challenging and the destination so distant that you may be discouraged by a lack of progress, compassion or commitment in your quest for justice. How do you stay committed to the journey when God’s kingdom can seem so slow in coming? Kent Annan understands the struggle of working for justice over the long haul. He confesses, “Over the past twenty years, I’ve succumbed to various failed shortcuts instead of living the freedom of faithful practices.” In this book, he shares practices he has learned that will encourage and help you to keep making a difference in the face of the world’s challenging issues. All Christians are called to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly in the world. Slow Kingdom Coming will guide and strengthen you on this journey to persevere until God’s kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.
Aftershock by Kent Annan
In the wake of a historic earthquake in the fragile country of Haiti, Kent Annan considers suffering–from the epic to the everyday–as a problem for faith. Less than two weeks after the release of Kent’s book about his work with Haiti Partners, he heard the news. Friends trapped under the rubble of buildings. Friends sprinting across the city looking for family. Churches–including one Kent often attended–turned to rubble. Suddenly Kent and his friends were part of an uncomfortable fellowship: people whose faith is shaken by crisis. Taking courage from the psalmists of old and the company of his grieving neighbors, Kent has found that there is solidarity in suffering. Others have followed life to the edge of meaning and have heard God even there, calling for honest faith. Are there questions or realities your faith can’t handle? Kent wrote After Shock to help you find out.
Engage with us digitally
Our team at HDI continues to rapidly release materials and information. Here’s how to keep up with everything we’re doing:
Follow Kent Annan, M.Div. on Twitter
Use #covid19church to share how your church is preparing, any questions you have about how to prepare, and to connect with other church leaders.
Respond well, church!
Contributors
Jamie Aten, Ph.D., is founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.
Follow on Twitter at @drjamieaten or visit jamieaten.com.
Kent Annan, M.Div., is director of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College.
Follow on Twitter at @kentannan or visit kentannan.com.
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