Disaster Relief Coordinator Resources
This DRC Tools page is built specifically to assist in equipping and empowering you to lead with excellence and support your pastors in and out of times of disaster! It is our desire to help every church plan and prepare to demonstrate the love of Christ by serving their communities in times of greatest need.
Welcome to the Team!
The Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) would like to thank you for accepting the leadership role of Disaster Relief Coordinator (DRC) for your church. Without you and hundreds of other incredible leaders in the greater Austin area, the ADRN plan would not be successful. Our team looks forward to the opportunity to partner with you and your church to offer hope in and out of times of disaster!
This DRC Tools page is built specifically to assist in equipping and empowering you to lead with excellence and support your pastors in and out of times of disaster! It is our desire to help every church plan and prepare to demonstrate the love of Christ by serving their communities in times of greatest need.
Getting Started
Core Team Modules
Zoom Training Recorded 7/2/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman
Welcome to your first DRC Guideline!
With the information below, our hope is to prepare leaders (like you) to the best of our ability! As you open this and each guideline, you will find information written specifically to you the DRC. Our intention is to prepare you for the topic we will be covering and offer insight designed to help you lead with excellence! You are now taking your first step to preparing your church!
#1- Honor your Pastors - Let's get started!
At ADRN we honor all Pastors who have paved the way for unity of the Body of Christ in our city! Taking time out to connect, encourage and pray with one another and for our cities is a huge step for “The Church” of the greater Austin area to make the greatest impact possible for Jesus! For you as the Disaster Relief Coordinator, one of the most important components of leading a strong Disaster Relief core team in your church is continually keeping the vision and mission of your Pastors on the forefront of everything that you do! Following the lead of your Pastors and keeping focus on the mission of your church will strengthen all aspects of disaster preparedness and reemphasize to church leadership and staff that you are in alignment serving as a leader in your church.
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law”. Prov 29:18
Goal of this Guideline:
Lead your core team to discuss the mission of your church and the importance of supporting the vision of your Pastors. Then, identify your mission as a disaster preparedness team and how it specifically aligns with your church. This is the first step to developing a sustainable church!
Print the Church Mission & Vision
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Vision and Mission Statements of your church (bring a copy – if available)
- Qualifications of a leader in your church.
- New member class required? Background check?
- Be prepared to discuss with your team and help them take next steps
- This is part of honoring your pastors!
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up
- Print your Vision/Mission Guideline (see link below)
- Print your DRC/Pastor’s Checklist (see link under Training & Tools on sidebar)
- Set time and location for next meeting and be ready to share
- As always, we encourage you to set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Zoom Training Recorded 7/9/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman
Welcome to your second DRC Guideline!
Hopefully your first team meeting went well and you are on your way to preparing for the next gathering! Keep in mind that it does take time to build a team but it is a necessary part of leading in your church. As you read through this guideline, remember you are not alone and one of the greatest sources of support is our ADRN Sector Leaders and other DRCs in your area!
Did you know that DRCs are meeting all over our cities and growing together? Contact your Sector Leader to find a group meeting near you! Contacts can be found in your DRC Training Manual.
#2 - Goals and Purpose - Why we do what we do!
The purpose and process of our DRC Guideline is to offer both a systematic and practical solution for churches like yours who seek to respond during events of disaster in their local communities. Each guideline will be another step for you and your core team to learn together, grow together and ultimately engage others in your church and community to prepare to lead in and out of times of disaster. This guideline speaks specifically to the WHY we do what we do!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Bear each others burdens and fulfill the laws of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Goal of this Guideline:
Lead your core team to discuss the WHY of disaster preparedness before the WHAT or even the HOW! This is WHY we do what we do.
Print Goals & Purpose
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Qualifications of a leader in your church.
- New member class required? Background check?
- Be prepared to discuss with your team and help them take the next steps
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up
- Print your Goals and Purpose Guideline (see link below)
- Set time and location for the next meeting and be ready to share.
- Connect with your sector leader or email Emily.guzman@adrntx.org to find an Area DRC group near you. Most are meeting monthly to discuss progress!
- As always, set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Key Point: Whether you are developing a warehouse space to assemble food boxes or sending out a serve team… you will need a leader and a support team to manage with excellence. These documents will help your leaders understand the WHY, HOW and WHAT of ICS. This is important because we as THE CHURCH must understand the systems of local government and emergency services… This is their language! Let’s be a church community that will continually earn the trust of and support our local authorities. Remember to ask… HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU? Then SERVE with excellence!!
Who's Who!?
Developing your mission as a core team, learning about the purpose of disaster preparedness and understanding the true meaning of a ‘Jesus way’ of leadership has been our focus in the first three guidelines! Moving forward, it is our prayer that you are building a core team full of gifted leaders ready to take on the next phase of developing a sustainable plan for your church. As we continue to grow and learn together through these guidelines, your team will obtain the tools necessary to develop a step by step ‘Small Group’ guideline specific to you church that can easily be shared with your congregation! Remember… Together we are better and numbers do matter when it’s time to mobilize and support your community in times of disaster.
#4 Roles & Responsibilities - Developing your team!
The Disaster Relief Coordinator role can be both challenging and rewarding! As you lead, the importance of keeping your mission in the forefront is one of the most important things you can do. Consistently reminding yourself and your team WHY you serve in this capacity and WHO you are serving will keep you engaged and encouraged! It is also important to never forget, you cannot do this alone.
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:19-20
CORE TEAM = 2 or 3 gathered in His name!
Through this guideline you will lead conversations directly related to the topics of identifying leaders, team building, giving away leadership and setting realistic expectations. Remember it is our mission at ADRN to Equip and Empower you and your church to respond in and out of times of disaster. God is glorified when we all succeed at growing together. Let’s build a team with purpose!
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law”. Prov 29:18
Goal of this Guideline:
It’s time to dive a little deeper! In this guideline we will discuss the importance of understanding and developing a simple Incident Command System (ICS) and identify the roles of a Ready Church Core Team. Remember… Keep it simple and it’s going to be great!
Print the Roles & Responsibilities
Additional Resources
Free FEMA ICS training can be found by clicking the links below
Zoom Training Recorded 7/30/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman
Guideline Five to stay alive!!
Congratulations! You made it through the first 4 guidelines and you are just getting into the fun stuff! Hopefully by now you understand the opportunities you have serving under the vision of your pastors, the impact your church can make through the 3 goals of disaster preparedness, how relational authority is the backbone of all leadership and the importance of utilizing an Incident Command System that can help you and your team organize and stay productive. It’s now time to put your core team to practice because there is no time like the present to begin engaging people with the love of Jesus!
Did you know that DRCs are meeting all over our cities and growing together? Contact your Sector Leader to find a group meeting near you! Contacts can be found in your DRC Training Manual.
#5 - Serve with Purpose!
Serving your Church, Congregation and Community outside of times of disaster is as, if not more important to the success of serving those affected by an actual catastrophic event than we can ever imagine! It is through our Love for Christ that He gives us a mandate to Love and Serve people. In return, we believe He is equipping us to develop trust, clarity and relational authority while demonstrating and declaring His goodness in our church and communities. When it comes down to it, all we have to do is LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE!
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
Goal of this Guideline:
Lead your core team to develop simple plans emphasizing the importance of building a culture of serving your Church, Congregation and Community. While discovering how serving outside of disaster helps your church develop a strong foundation of communication, leadership development and serve teams!
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Contact church pastoral care/outreach departments
- Identify existing opportunities to serve
- Congregational needs? Single moms, Widows, elderly?
- Opportunities to serve on campus to help facilities? Paint/clean?
- Identify existing relationship with local non-profits we work with or support
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up
- Print your ‘Serve Outside of Disaster’ Guideline (see link below)
- Set time and location for next meeting and be ready to share
- As always, we encourage you to set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Zoom Training Recorded 8/6/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman
Communication is Key!
Welcome to guideline #6! I pray that you are feeling more equipped and empowered to mobilize your church as you have been going through the DRC guidelines. I also want to encourage you today. As a leader who is passionate about helping your church prepare for potential disaster scenarios, we know there can be many challenges, road blocks, diversions, events, and priorities to take precedence over your plan… you get the idea. Church leaders are very busy and although you may feel that disaster preparedness is the most important thing your church can do, it’s not always the priority for your church leaders. Remember, you are here to support them!
Did you know that DRCs are meeting all over our cities and growing together? Contact your Sector Leader to find a group meeting near you! Contacts can be found in your DRC Training Manual.
Guideline #6
Now that you have some tools in your toolbox, it’s time to press into some simple details to help you and your team understand the importance of communication! This week we are going to discuss the importance of clear communication and communicating with confidence in all circumstances.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)
Goal of this Guideline:
Lead your core team to Identify simple solutions to help your Church Leaders, Congregation and Community communicate clearly in and out of times of disaster.
Print Communication
Additional Resources
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Qualifications of a leader in your church.
- New member class required? Background check?
- Be prepared to discuss with your team and help them take next steps
- This is part of honoring your pastors!
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up
- Print your Goals and Purpose Guideline (see link below)
- Set time and location for next meeting and be ready to share
- As always, we encourage you to set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Zoom Training Recorded 8/19/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman
Time to put plans to work!
Welcome to week 7 of the DRC Guidelines! By this time, it is our hope that you have a clear understanding of the WHY behind preparing your church for disasters and HOW you can begin practicing through serving your church leaders, congregation and community outside of disaster. In this guideline, it is our goal to share some of the most basic principles of mobilizing teams in the event of an actual disaster.
Bringing awareness, setting expectations and developing plans are all key components to church development and disaster preparations. However, when a disaster strikes and there is an opportunity for your church to mobilize, what will you do and how will you do it? As disaster relief coordinators, assisting our church leadership in making educated decisions and identifying real needs is going to be an important function when it comes to taking action.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters… let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16, 18
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Goal of this Guideline:
Lead your core team to discuss the purpose of mobilizing your church in the event of a disaster and discover steps you can take to make preparations for deploying teams from your church.
Print Deploying Teams
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Qualifications of a leader in your church.
- New member class required? Background check?
- Be prepared to discuss with your team and help them take next steps
- This is part of honoring your pastors!
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up
- Print your Goals and Purpose Guideline (see link below)
- Set time and location for next meeting and be ready to share
- As always, we encourage you to set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Zoom Training Recorded 10/29/2020 – Led by Derick Zwerneman & Tammy Manning
"It's all gone."
As we move in to week 8 of our DRC Guidelines, it is time to introduce you and your core team to what we believe is the most important thing that you can help your church prepare to do – Shepherd Families in their greatest time of need!
Here is the scenario: Neighbors you never met have lost everything in a recent house fire. You’ve discovered they have a low income, no family or community, and no idea how they’re going to make it through this catastrophic event. You have a heart to help; you have a church with resources along with members who want to reach their community for Jesus. And… You serve a Mighty God! What’s the next step?
Think: What could happen… if you connect?
The purpose of having Disaster Relief Shepherds ready in every church is for disaster survivors to know that they are not alone. God has given us (The Church) the opportunity to mobilize to be the hands and feet of Jesus! All we have to do is say YES.
“I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15
Goal of this Guideline:
Discover the importance of walking with survivors and how your core team can help initiate a Shepherd program in your church!
Print Shepherding Guideline
Make Shepherd Training a Priority!
As shared in the Shepherding Guideline, we believe Shepherding is one of the most important things that every DRC and Core Team should be familiar with and lead others too! Click the link below to schedule your group in person or online training.
Ready...Go!
Prepare for your team meeting
- Be prepared to share about church news or events coming up – check your church calendar!
- Print your Shepherding Guideline (see link below)
- Get familiar with this guideline and prepare to share!
- See the next steps below and offer a date to gather (in person or online) a group from your church for Shepherd Training – link below.
- Set time and location for your next meeting – Personal Preparedness Guideline! Be ready to share.
- As always, we encourage you to set aside time to pray and prepare before meeting with your team!
Information to come soon!
Information coming soon!
