Disaster Ministry Handbook - by Jamie D Aten & David M Boan (Paperback)

About the Book

Is your church prepared to respond if natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community? Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide this practical guide for disaster preparedness, filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management plus best practices for local congregations.

Book Synopsis

FEMA Community Preparedness Award

When disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do--until the storm hits.

Don't get caught unprepared. If a natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community, your church can minister to the hurting. Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Disaster ministry is a critically important work of the church, preparing for the unthinkable, providing relief to survivors, caring for the vulnerable and helping communities recover. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book provides best practices for local congregations. By taking action in advance, your church can help prevent harm and save lives during a disaster.

The time to plan is now. Be prepared.

Review Quotes

"Churches are called to be the hands and feet of Christ, bringing aid and joy to a hurting world beset by difficulty and tragedy. In Disaster Ministry Handbook, Aten and Boan provide practical procedures for establishing disaster ministries in your church, healing the hearts of those in distress as well as helping those in need. Every pastor should prepare to lead, even in the most difficult circumstances; to that end this book is vital."

"Drs. Jamie Aten and David Boan provide an essential, preparatory wake-up call to the church in the Disaster Ministry Handbook. The research is clear--the church has not provided the right kind of assistance to older and disabled members and their caregivers before, during and after catastrophic events. Having led faith-based, post-Katrina and F4 tornado initiatives, I can say with confidence that lives will be saved when the guidelines of this critical book are implemented by churches and taught in seminaries."

"The Disaster Ministry Handbook is a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book will help your church prepare for the unthinkable, provide relief and care to those who need it, and help your community recover."

About the Author

David M. Boan (PhD, Biola University) is associate professor of psychology at Wheaton College and codirector of the college's Humanitarian Disaster Institute, where he leads basic and applied research on international relief efforts. He is the author of many peer-reviewed publications and lives with his wife, Andrea, and two children in Wheaton, Illinois.

Jamie D. Aten (PhD, Indiana State University) is the founder and codirector of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, and Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College (Illinois). Previously he served as the assistant director of the Katrina Research Center, and his research focuses on the psychology of religion and disasters, with an emphasis on equipping faith-based groups to prepare for and respond to disasters.