Designing a Crisis Management Program
Compassion Ministry’s other programs relate in some manner to an individual’s physical or mental health. While Crisis Management may include health conditions, other crises have equal status. When Jesus asks what we did for Him in Matthew 25, He doesn’t limit His inquiry to medical needs. He asks if we provided clothing, visitation, and other forms of comfort to His brothers and sisters. It’s apparent from His question that He wants us to help His brothers and sisters who are suffering. He doesn’t care about the type of problem. He cares about how His followers alleviated the suffering of His family. A Crisis Management program focuses on answering that question.
How Could a Church Alleviate a Crisis?
“Alleviate” may conjure up the wrong image. God doesn’t ask individuals to solve problems independently. He’s always there to help. However, He wants us to carry our part of the workload. He created work for us to do because He saw it was good for us. He also noticed that providing for others was good for us. Therefore, He calls on us to reach out to help others both for their benefit and ours.
As a church working together to meet the needs of our church family, we can alleviate the pain and suffering of at least a few and maybe many. Furthermore, who knows if the seed we plant might lead someone to salvation along the way. Therefore, when Jesus asks us what we did for Him, what better way to show our commitment than creating a Compassion Ministry established to provide care for His brothers and sisters?
What is a Crisis?
What is a crisis for one person may not be for another, but the dictionary definition says it’s a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. I think that’s a fair definition. For the Ministry, I’m not considering losing a set of car keys to be a crisis, though it can be traumatic. While each church has the right to define crisis as they choose, my personal view includes the following key points:
- When something in a person’s life turns them in another direction,
- When a radical change occurs in a person’s life,
- When a situation has reached a critical phase or
- When the situation becomes dangerous or difficult.
What are Examples?
- Loss of family (death, divorce, deployment, abandonment)
- Loss of home (fire, bankruptcy, pending eviction, homelessness, natural disaster)
- Financial distress (debt exceeds income, can’t pay creditors, unemployed, gambling addiction, divorce, drug addiction)
- Severe depression, mental health crisis, high risk of suicide, prisoners/family, domestic violence, victim of abuse, victim of crime, individuals dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder,
- Auto accident (victim or driver), miscarriage, abortion, vehicular manslaughter,
- Loss, loss, loss…
How Can One Church Manage So Many Crises?
Sometimes, I think people misunderstand Compassion Ministries. The goal is not to fix the individual’s problem for them but to walk alongside them, helping them deal with their situation. How often does Jesus take away your problems? For me, rarely. Instead, He walks beside me, showing me how to deal with them and offering comfort to keep me from being alone.
In the United States, many people feel entitled to receive help. However, while Jesus does want us to care for one another, He wants more than that. I’ve noticed that Jesus incorporates personal development into many of His rescues. When looking at the exchanges He had with those healed, His primary focus was on teaching them life lessons, and the healing was a byproduct. Therefore, I believe He wants us to do the same. I think He would like us to show them how to move forward instead of just giving them handouts.
With that in mind, here’s the idea I have for a Crisis Management program.
- Pray for guidance from Jesus on the direction he wants the Ministry to take.
- Consider ministries already in place to prevent duplication
- Identify the types and number of potential cases within the congregation
- Research the potential needs of the surrounding community if considering expanding the program in the future
- Limit types to one category and add more over an extended time frame. Should the church be involved in the decision-making process, or should leadership have sole discretion? (Recommend involving the church, if possible, to build interest and enthusiasm for the Ministry)
- Narrow down the scope of the Ministry and determine what the volume might be.
- Conduct a survey? Or do an informal word of mouth?
- Ask people to register for potential needs. Ask social services or other charities for potential demographics.
- Conduct a public forum with the congregation to discuss their desired vision, willingness to participate, and commitment.
- Design
- Buddy Assignment – Have a campaign to collect both those who may need services and those who may want to volunteer services. Those who may need services may also want to volunteer as a way of paying back. Motivate everyone by highlighting how they serve God and fulfill His mission for them, thereby getting the energy flowing. The data collected here will be your foundation for providing services.
- Develop a Needs/Services database that can be cross-matched.
- Create a list of service options.
- Establish another list of Service providers. In the service provider list, include demographics, service information, contact details, costs, and whether they have volunteered hours. Keep a separate field for donations such as cash. Add them to a general fund for use as needed. Send personalized thank-you notes for all cash donations, which is a nice touch. Doing so sends a lovely message of appreciation and promotes a positive message for future contributions.
As requests for help emerge, use this database to match the need to a service provider. Not all services are free. Some may cost a small fee, while others may require full payment.
- Church-Sponsored Training: Offering to teach those who find themselves alone for the first time how to cook, change the oil in their car, complete a resume, and other basic skills can go a long way in helping individuals overcome their crisis. Additional essential topics include tips on interviewing, budgeting, and managing money. If the church offered a monthly speakers’ bureau for members of the church and the local community to attend, it would help strengthen those in need and develop new skills to support themselves. Offering a nursery, providing it online, or offering to pick them up are ways to get better attendance..
5. Offering support groups, both on-site and virtually, for a variety of issues. When people feel overwhelmed, they need to talk to someone who completely understands their situation and can empathize with their plight. Support groups do a great job with that. I recommend offering a variety of options, including both in-person and virtual sessions.
These are just a few suggestions to try. Others will come to mind as you see more areas. The program is yours, and you can design and implement it the way you want it to be. Simply think about who Jesus is and what he wants. I’m sure you will make the two pieces match.
