Courtesy of Rev. James Reinarz, 2022 Disaster Response Team (DRT) Moderator
Church Safety Training
We’ve all seen the news reports: An active shooter in church. A hostage situation in a house of worship. As with all potential disasters facing us, preparedness is critical. Grace Presbytery and the Disaster Response Team is excited to announce a new ministry: Church Safety Training.
We have trained three instructors and in the new year, three more will be trained! These instructors will be able to come to your church and provide training in church safety. This training will consist of assessing your church for potential issues, recognizing threats and dangerous situations, and responding appropriately to threats through active shooter training.
There is no fee to your church, through the calendar year of 2023, for this training. If you need more information or are interested in scheduling a training event, please email John Hill.
Seeking New DRT Members
The Disaster Response Team (DRT) is a sub-committee that oversees disaster preparedness and response in Grace Presbytery. The team meets monthly and through communication, training, resourcing, and advisement we encourage churches to form safety or disaster teams, prepare for disasters, and respond to disasters in the churches and the community.
We work to connect congregations with volunteer disaster response opportunities locally and across the nation. We build relationships within the presbytery and synod, and work closely with Presbyterian Disaster Response. If you have gifts and experience to share and are interested in becoming a DRT member, please complete the online application.
Questions about the application process can be sent to Jodi Haun.
Additional Volunteer Opportunities
For those researching or considering Spring Break or summer mission trip opportunities, the good news is that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has reopened a number of volunteer host sites.
Host sites include: Orange, TX; Oroville, CA; Omaha, NE; New Bern, NC; and Puerto Rico. In response to 2022 tornadoes, the most recently-opened site is in Calvert City, KY.
For more information visit the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance website or call 866.732.6121.