This past June, two congregations in Tres Rios Presbytery participated in a pilot initiative to increase Church Safety & Crisis Response within their congregations. In a matter of months, these two congregations have:
Formed a Church Safety Team
Drafted a comprehensive Church Safety Plan
Established contacts with local Police and Fire Departments
Received training for CPR, AED, Stop the Bleed, NARCAN, and Basic First Aid
Made commitments to integrate safety planning into their annual leadership training
And best of all: The leaders and members of these congregations have enjoyed focusing their energies, talents, and time on this particular aspect of their shared lives as a church! (Not to mention: the cost of these efforts was minimal. Just some postage stamps and cookies!)
Connie Chapman and Jeanie Holbrook are two members from the Tres Rios Presbytery Vision & Outreach team who led their churches through this initiative. Connie and Jeanie shared their experiences with me in our latest Sunspots Podcast episode. In this episode, they will walk you through how they approached their Session with a proposal, detail events in the life of the church that spoke to this need, how they supported one another through sharing resources and safety plans from other churches, the ease of connecting with local emergency responders, and their excitement over future possibilities for their churches.
“It was truly a blessing because it enabled our church members to get the training that they need.” – Connie Chapman, Grace Presbyterian Church, El Paso, TX
“The Fire & Rescue Training thing, to me, has been the most productive of everything. They were so good, and we were just glued to every word they said.” - Jeanie Holbrook, First Presbyterian Church, Odessa, TX.
Here are some of the resources Connie and Jeanie mentioned in the podcast:
The reality is that a bodily accident, fall, or cardiac arrest is more likely to occur in a church building than a natural disaster, especially for the churches in Tres Rios presbytery. The American Red Cross estimates that the average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes. The odds of survival after a cardiac arrest or heavy loss of blood may be significantly increased with a few lifesaving tools and techniques.
In the same way congregations are invited to prepare for weather events and to anticipate major catastrophes, congregations also have the opportunity to be empowered by their preparation and training for responding to medical emergencies and local crises. Talk to your Session about the church’s safety plan for your members. Reach out to your local fire department for training. This can not only save lives, but also strengthen your resolve to love and care for one another as members of the Body of Christ.
Yorumlar