{"id":5042,"date":"2019-11-26T17:42:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T22:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/blog\/?p=5042"},"modified":"2026-03-09T14:24:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T18:24:49","slug":"when-what-if-becomes-what-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/when-what-if-becomes-what-now\/","title":{"rendered":"When \u2018What If\u2019 Becomes \u2018What Now\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>No matter where you live, the threat of natural disaster is a real possibility. One that most of us don\u2019t want to think about. But such \u2018acts of God\u2019 impact churches every year and, more often than not, it\u2019s not the disaster but the lack of preparedness that holds up God\u2019s work. The time for planning what to do if the worst happens is <em>now<\/em>. For the good of your congregation and your community.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4916\" style=\"width: 230px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4916\" class=\"wp-image-4916 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Tupelo-4-220x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Tupelo-4-220x300.jpg 220w, https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Tupelo-4.jpg 704w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4916\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">First Christian Church in Tupelo, MS after a tornado<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to Jamie D. Aten, founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI) at Wheaton College (Illinois), major disasters present unique challenges to pastors and their churches. His 2017 research study, conducted among 27 pastors from South Mississippi and New Orleans whose churches were damaged by Hurricane Katrina, tells the tale. And, though most of us don\u2019t live in hurricane-threatened coastal areas, we can still benefit from the lessons learned for the natural disasters we could face, including fire, flood, tornado, winter storm and earthquake.<\/p>\n<p>The majority of churches in Aten\u2019s study were not prepared for disaster. Of the pastors surveyed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>59 percent reported their churches did not have a formal disaster preparedness plan in place prior to Hurricane Katrina.<\/li>\n<li>24 percent had only \u201cbare necessity\u201d plans in place that consisted of attempting to protect physical property <em>the day before<\/em> Hurricane Katrina made landfall.<\/li>\n<li>And, 24 percent described having comprehensive preparedness plans in place focused on protecting church property (e.g., church records and data, sacraments) and church member communication (e.g., phone \u2018tree,\u2019 evacuation recommendations).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The pastors also reported many obstacles to preparedness. Among the findings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>55 percent discussed communication challenges and difficulties collecting information (e.g., emergency contact information, evacuation plans) from their congregants as the storm approached.<\/li>\n<li>53 percent noted they had underestimated the potential threat of Hurricane Katrina.<\/li>\n<li>And, 47 percent said they felt rushed and disorganized trying to help their churches prepare.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5043\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5043\" class=\"wp-image-5043 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-510x382.jpg 510w, https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Lake-Jackson-Sanctuary-before-1080x810.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5043\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">First Christian Church in Lake Jackson, TX after a fire<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In good times or bad, <a href=\"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/a> (DCEF) offers congregations a variety of facility-related services through its Building and Capital Service Advisors, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/plan\/building-evaluation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Building Evaluation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/plan\/building-planning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Building Planning<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/fundraise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Capital Fundraising<\/a>,\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/plan\/relocation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Relocation Services<\/a>. But when the worst happens, immediate facilities help is available through DCEF\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disciplescef.org\/plan\/disaster-response\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Building Disaster Response Service<\/a>. This service is designed to assist church leaders in securing their damaged buildings, navigating the worlds of insurance and construction, addressing legal concerns, and more <em>at no cost to the church<\/em>. Should a natural disaster affect your facility, call 800.274.1883 to see how DCEF can help.<\/p>\n<p>You could also turn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weekofcompassion.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Week of Compassion<\/a> for disaster preparedness and response information. Through Week of Compassion and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discipleshomemissions.org\/missions-advocacy\/disciples-volunteering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Disciples Volunteering<\/a>, Disciples churches and Regions can host congregational disaster preparedness workshops, in person or via video conferencing. Following disasters, Week of Compassion can provide information, connections, and solidarity grants to help your congregation and community respond. One hundred percent of designated gifts to Week of Compassion go to assist affected communities.<\/p>\n<p>Visit the Week of Compassion Preparedness Page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weekofcompassion.org\/how-to-prepare-for-a-disaster.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Download the Week of Compassion Preparedness Guide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weekofcompassion.org\/uploads\/1\/2\/4\/7\/124757032\/congregational_guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few other planning aids to jump-start your church\u2019s preparedness before, during and after disaster strikes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Seven tips to prepare your church <a href=\"https:\/\/factsandtrends.net\/2017\/09\/06\/bracing-impact-prepare-church-natural-disaster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">before<\/a> a natural disaster strikes<\/li>\n<li>Five things churches need to do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/5-things-churches-need-to-do-during-natural-disasters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">during<\/a> natural disasters<\/li>\n<li>Top four worst and best ways to help <a href=\"https:\/\/cdnsc.umc.org\/-\/media\/umc-media\/2014\/04\/28\/16\/02\/disasters-best-worst-ways-to-help.ashx?la=en&amp;hash=F697AC00162336E6D477A271ADE04D86816192A0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">after<\/a> a disaster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It all comes down to planning ahead and these two resources can help: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.capterra.com\/building-your-church-emergency-plan-a-step-by-step-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Building your Church Emergency Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/em><\/a> from Church Management and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uccfiles.com\/pdf\/A-Disaster-Preparedness-Manual-for-Churches.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>A Disaster Preparedness Manual for Churches<\/em><\/a>, a joint resource from United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries and the Insurance Board.<\/p>\n<p>For more insights on church preparedness, read:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/factsandtrends.net\/2017\/07\/26\/stronger-together-10-lessons-learned-leading-church-natural-disaster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stronger Together: 10 Lessons I Learned Leading My Church Through a Natural Disaster<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/factsandtrends.net\/2016\/01\/13\/securing-the-faithful-how-churches-can-best-prepare-for-the-worst-tragedies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Securing the Faithful: How Churches Can Best Prepare for the Worst Tragedies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter where you live, the threat of natural disaster is a real possibility. One that most of us don\u2019t want to think about. But such \u2018acts of God\u2019 impact churches every year and, more often than not, it\u2019s not the disaster but the lack of preparedness that holds up God\u2019s work. The time for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2],"tags":[85,25],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When \u2018What If\u2019 Becomes \u2018What Now\u2019 - Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Natural disasters impact churches every year and, more often than not, it\u2019s not the disaster but the lack of preparedness that causes damage.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/when-what-if-becomes-what-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When \u2018What If\u2019 Becomes \u2018What Now\u2019 - 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