Christian Emergency Network

christianemergencynetwork.org

Christian Emergency Network unites Christian volunteers, community leaders and emergency professionals in equipping the Church to be aware and ready to respond in emergencies large and small.

The vision of Christian Emergency Network (CEN) is a locally and globally connected network of Christians - individuals, organizations, businesses and churches - ready to respond to any crisis or disaster.

Christian Emergency Network is a biblically-based readiness training ministry rallying Christians to be aware of God's purpose in uncertain times. As the body of Christ becomes ready spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically they will stand strong responding in any crisis. When courageous, mature Christ-followers are praying, caring and sharing effectively in emergencies God transforms the heart for all eternity. The network includes individual Christians, thousands of churches, local and national Christian ministries and organizations. CEN trains Christians to self-organize locally, to self-sustain church and citywide responses, and to mobilize the greatest biblical response to emergencies by assisting in:

• Personal Preparedness - Many Christians are not ready to take care of themselves, their families or their friends in an emergency. CEN equips them in applying the Biblical Readiness Standard to survive and give an answer for the eternal Hope of Christ when others are hopeless and helpless.

• Organizational Preparedness - While businesses, schools and public institutions are mandated to have a contingency plan in place and follow it, the Church has largely not focused upon its responsibility to prepare and be ready to minister when crisis comes that upset their usual programs or ministries. CEN equips organizations how to assess their level of readiness, how to develop a ministry continuity plan and how to respond with other churches and organizations.

• Motivation - The perception, even among Christians, is emergencies and especially disasters, are remote possibilities. Yet, every day people are caught in a crisis with nowhere to turn but the Church. CEN helps to break through the myth that 'a crisis will not come near me' so that as God desired, the Church would be intentional about ministering effectively and biblically to emergencies of all kinds.

• Structure - Everyone is working off of a different game plan and competing for the same dollars, same message and same volunteers. Government and non-government rules and regulations can be complex and contradictory. Figuring out who is in charge, who to partner with and what to prepare for is not always obvious. Each church or city may have varied risks or emergencies. The CEN structure provides a pathway to organize, keeping resources local and self-managed, all while connecting to the larger Christian community of believers worldwide.

• Resources - While the Church provides 89% of all volunteers to large disasters, there is a lack of resources that are specifically geared towards Christians and Christian organizations to respond. 50% of all churches today are non-denominational with little or no platform for disaster response, yet they have the heart of Christ to do so. Experts explain emergencies are best managed locally. God has provided an abundance of resources when Christians gather them in unity. Many desire the resources the Christian community may provide without the Gospel being shared. As biblical stewards Christians need to protect and strategically respond together. CEN provides a pathway to share resources locally, nationally and worldwide.

• Awareness - The scope of the problem is not clear, nor is the opportunity clear. What would happen if Christians had been ready for 9/11, or Katrina...or for that matter, the next disaster or crisis that comes our way? Being informed of the times we live in, the threats faced by our local communities and churches is our responsibility. Unless we choose to take the blinders off, however, we will miss many opportunities God has for our own good. CEN helps to bring a biblical awareness to emergencies large and small for believers to stand strong in any crisis.

• Faith - Do we believe we are needed to respond to emergencies? Do we see it as a biblical mandate to be ready? Will we take God at His word and show our trust by doing what He has asked us to do? CEN endeavors to inspire and increase faith that will stand strong in the midst of any storm.

CEN offers three core readiness trainings and numerous other services, products, expertise, as well as an online response network during emergencies to assist Christians worldwide:

• ReadyChristian equips individuals to support one another in becoming spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically ready to give an answer in word and action for the Hope we have in Christ in the midst of any emergency.

• ReadyChurch equips the staff, congregation and a church emergency team for the local church to be biblically ready to respond both inside and outside the church. ReadyChurch assists local churches to support each other in readiness and response.

• ReadyCity equips city leaders who have a passion to help their Christian community as a whole to be ready to respond together.

http://www.christianemergencynetwork.org/