THE VISION
·
Hundreds or
thousands of Christians in the streets ministering to the
needs of people
IMMEDIATELY
after any disaster! …being the hands and feet of Jesus!
…seeking out the needy and vulnerable!
- Thousands of meals, thousands of bags
of groceries, …
- Prayer teams across the county
- The elderly, the disabled, the
children, the single mothers, and your neighbors cared for!
- Changing the image of the Church in
our culture
- No people being found a week after the
hurricane, no people with no place to turn, no people
wondering if anyone cares…
- Setting a model for other counties
- The Church filling the gap so the
WHOLE county can be cared for
MISSION
1. TO CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS
THROUGHOUT A COUNTY
It is difficult for many
of us to think in terms of neighborhood ministry. We
immediately start thinking of specialization (e.g. “Our church
will do this and the next church will do the other”). In
times of disaster, communication is difficult and sometimes
virtually non-existent and people don’t know where the help
is. Many people no longer have cars; people wait for
hours in a line for ice and water… The idea of people
going to one site for ice and water and another site for
another kind of help is extremely frustrating and sometimes
almost impossible for people who are already hot, confused,
distraught, and may not have the transportation.
Hence, we move into a neighborhood
concept. People come to the *church (or their chosen
facility) where they are helped in whatever way is needed and
in whatever ways the church is prepared. They get a meal, get
some groceries, get answers to questions about FEMA or where
they can find help for their baby who needs special formula.
They get prayer, an encouraging word, and find that there are
people who are interested in THEM as individuals, not just as
a number or one in a line of 4000 people.
2. TO CREATE A NETWORK OF CHURCHES
Network of Hope coordinates and
facilitates the mobilization of the churches within a county.
-
We provide a network so the churches
know each other, train together, dialogue with each other,
and work together in their response after a disaster.
-
We provide a network between the
churches and the local Emergency Management, County Agencies
and officials, and provide a voice for the Christian
Community in the County Government.
-
NOH establishes relationships
and coordination with other organizations in disaster
relief/response.
3. TO EDUCATE, TRAIN, CONSULT, AND
PROVIDE RESOURCES
We work with individual churches to
facilitate the development of a comprehensive plan to minister
to their neighborhood or to a **neighborhood or their choice.
We provide training and support for the Church Disaster
Response Coordinator, the Team Leaders, and the Team
Members/Responders through local trainng workshops, seminars,
and round table discussions. (link here to “Trainings” page)
* In some neighborhoods where there are
several small churches, they may choose to create a joint
“Neighborhood Center”
** In this century where the
congregations of a local church often come from a wide
geographical area, some churches will choose a different
neighborhood as their focal point for response. This might be
a high-risk neighborhood or a depressed neighborhood without
adequate resources.
4. TO PROMOTE PERSONAL CHRISTIAN
RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FACE OF DISASTER
We cannot properly respond to the
community if we are not prepared for disaster both personally
and as a church. We facilitate the education of congregations
on their personal Christian responsibilities in the face of
disaster.
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