With your plan of action in place, you will be more qualified and able to minister to your community in a more effective way during a time of crisis. Possible suggestions for your organization of your church in disaster relief:

• Pray for God’s guidance and leading!
• Discuss the idea with the leadership.
• Complete the checklist for a Church’s Potential for Disaster Response.
• Consider financially how to proceed but don’t let this be your deciding factor. God will provide if you are led to serve in this nature.
• Locate who your leadership team will be that is willing to work and willing to enlist others to do so.
• Discuss ways the ministry might be used in the church‘s community, or how it will contribute to state and associational disaster relief.
• Contact your mission’s director for guidance.
• Make a list of possible services. Try to find out what other churches have done and give examples.
• Contact the local non profit organizations to see how you can work together but in different ways to coordinate relief.
• Use the checklist A Church’s Potential for Disaster Response to conduct a survey of what the church has that might be used in disaster response.
• Select one or more services to recommend to your church, or get input from other church members in deciding on a ministry.

A local church can be involved in one or more of the following ministries that use the church building or another location that may be available to the church:

• Feeding - church facilities or mobile unit
• Child care - church facilities or mobile unit
• Elder care - church or other facilities
• Information center in the church building
• Service center for American Red Cross
• Clothing bank
• Crisis closets (clothing, food, etc.)
• Collection station for supplies
• Distribution center for goods and supplies
• Storage
• Communication center - church facilities or mobile unit
• Shelter

The following could require a mobile unit:

• Feeding team
• Child care
• Emergency medical unit
• Transportation (use of church van, etc.)
• Communications center unit

The following would require special training or experience for team members:

• Crisis counseling
• Emergency medical
• Advocacy
• Cleanup and repair

The following would require acquisition, storage, and distribution of special equipment:

• Wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, et cetera.
• Cots, mattresses, bedding
• Oxygen tanks (if legal in the area)
• Chainsaw and tree removal equipment
• Cleaning and sanitation equipment and supplies