Safety awareness and how to prepare for God’s work amidst loss was the focus of a training session led by Laird Baldwin, chaplain for the Perry Township, Ohio, police department, and Mike Crawford, and Army National Guard chaplain.
Initial discussion focused on creating a Crisis Ministry Team and preparing people and property ahead of time. Simply locking windows and doors and ensuring church member contact lists are current are great first steps. Baldwin also encouraged church leaders to solicit assistance from members of the congregation who are current or retired police, fire, and EMT officials. He stressed the importance of knowing whom to contact in crisis moments and how to communicate with them.
Crawford continued training on the importance of churches maintaining a good inventory of all available life-support assets, making them easily accessible, and considering communication contingencies in the event that communication is disrupted. He also stressed the importance of testing contingency plans so adjustments can be made as needed.
“Crisis ministry doesn’t mean you have all the answers,” Baldwin says. “Sometime the most that can be done is to listen and pray with someone [in times of crisis]. The best you can do is to be there for people and love them.”
