When disaster strikes, will you be ready?

Last Saturday, my wife and I attended the annual banquet/fundraiser for the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN). A wonderful event, I was told by an attendee from last year's banquet the crowd appeared to be about three times the size of last year's event. Nearly 500 people were in attendance.

The ADRN team - Chaplains and those trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) - had recently been deployed to the West, Texas disaster where we debriefed and ministered to over 600 traumatized people and gave away $35,000 in Gift Cards to help them get back on their feet. We also wrote up 237 "Sponsor a Family" forms for distribution to area churches, including hose in nearby Waco who had already adopted over 150 families, last I heard. Toward the end of our mission, a group of Waco Church Leaders gathered and met with the ADRN Executive Director, Daniel Geraci. By early the next week, 167 people were involved in ADRN training. By now, even more churches and more individuals have joined their ranks. The Waco Disaster Relief Network (WDRN) is officially underway.

At the banquet, the keynote address was made by Dr. Paul Williams. His impressive background includes serving in disasters in 100 countries. During his speech, he applauded the excellence with which the ADRN has served during the disasters in which we've served and how he believes we will become the international model for other such groups. He also made mention that the ADRN should prepare to expand its influence and he mentioned what was happening in Waco as a result of the West, Texas incident.

Early in the month of April, because of my years of experience as a Workplace Chaplain, I was invited to address the core group of ADRN Chaplains. During that presentation, I mentioned how the ADRN should ready to become the USDRN and how they should prepare to go beyond the Austin area. I mentioned how the West Point class of 1861 graduated two classes in an effort to supply soldiers to both armies during the Civil War and how, likewise, the ADRN would be churning out trained Volunteers and Chaplains in the days ahead. Now, I don't claim to be a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but, in just 12 days, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas would press the ADRN into action.

Could your community use a trained disaster team? In Austin, last I heard, there were 115 churches involved with the ADRN, amounting to well over 3,000 individuals. I believe, in these days where a blind man can tell disasters are on the rise, it is critical that Christians avail themselves of the training being made available to them. On a personal level, my own desire is to be able to serve my own community with food and water and communication capability during a disaster. Though my efforts to date fall far short of where I want to be, my goal for disaster readiness remains the same: me and my wife, my family and friends, my neighborhood, and my community, in that order. I contend that, if every Follower of Christ would purposefully engage in Disaster Readiness on any level greater than what they are currently doing, should a disaster come, we will be the light shining in the darkness, the calming effect on a world gone crazy, and we will win souls - the minds, will and emotions - of disaster Survivors. I saw this firsthand when I ministered in West. Frankly, I witness this all the time as a Workplace Chaplain when individual disasters might range from a cheating spouse to a bad doctor's report to a teen suicide or an unwanted pregnancy. Disaster runs the gamut and is no respecter of persons.

Last night, no more than 40 minutes from my home, a 1-mile wide tornado struck Granbury, Texas. Not only did I once live there, but my parents reside there now as do some friends. My parents have participated with Habitat for Humanity there and, from what I hear, some of those homes were destroyed. Already today, several people have asked me if the ADRN is going to be deployed to Granbury. So far, I haven't heard.

If you desire training in HAM radio, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) CISM, or more, ADRN's training is second to none. If you want to be certified as a Chaplain, I recommend ADRN's course because you'll receive training very applicable to today's "last days" environment. I've been endorsed by several organizations and none of them offered much training at all that would apply to a catastrophe. Don't allow distance to discourage you! I'm nearly 3 hours away and have come to enjoy the lovely country drive to the capital. If you wish to sow your finances into a fruit-producing inter-denominational ministry, prayerfully consider ADRN (website: ADRNTX.ORG). They're great stewards!

Jesus said there'd be days like this. Isn't that enough to motivate us to stop merely GOING to church and start BEING The Church? When the end of the world as they know it comes knocking, those Survivors need to meet Christ in you, the Hope of Glory... even if that Survivor is right there next to you in the workplace.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work