Ministry Resources to Serve Victims of Crime, Natural Disasters, School Violence, Pandemic, Other Types of Crisis
God might want to use you to bring comfort or relief to those experiencing grief or devastation due to disasters or tragedies that have affected them. These resources can assist you in the process of reaching out with His love and compassion to those affected by some sort of crisis whether that be the victims themselves or First Responders. You'll also find resources for the Church during the pandemic.
Click on a tab below to view a list of resources to help in these difficult situations.
Links to other sites will open in a new page to keep the list available to look at additional ministry resources. While seeking to choose sites and resources that are doctrinally sound, we make no claim to total endorsement of any listing. Where possible, we link to merchants with whom we have an affiliate relationship, such as being an Amazon Associate from whom we earn from qualifying purchases. These sites may use cookies to track your activity to ensure that Ministry Tools Resource Center gets commissions from any sales.
General
About Crisis Intervention
Articles:
- What Constitutes a Crisis?
- Precipitating events & resources to help
- Intensifying factors in a crisis
- How to help people in crisis
- What if the person is depressed or suicidal?
Books:
- Comforting Children in Crisis by Group Publishing
- Comforting Friends in Crisis (Adults) by Group Publishing
- Comforting Teens in Crisis by Group Publishing
- Comforting Women in Crisis by Group Publishing
- The Complete Guide to Crisis & Trauma Counseling: What to Do and Say When It Matters Most! by Dr. H. Norman Wright
Answering the Questions: Where is God? Why?
Articles:
- 10 Reasons to Believe in a God Who Allows Suffering
- Death and Suffering Questions and Answers
- Don't Just Survive, Thrive: Need for Perspective
- Good God - Bad World? How Can That Be?
- When Bad Things Happen
- When Tragedy Strikes: Finding Security In A Vulnerable World
- Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering?
Books:
- A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
- A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
- Disappointment with God by Philip Yance
- If God Is Good . . . Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn
- Looking Up When Life is Looking Down by Beth Moore
- Reaching for the Invisible God: What Can We Expect to Find? by Philip Yancey
- Second Guessing God: Hanging On When You Can't See His Plan by Brian Jones
- Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Path to Joy by Larry Crabb
- Where is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey
- Why? Trusting God When You Don't Understand by Anne Graham Lotz
- When Tragedy Strikes by Charles Stanley
Disasters
People affected by natural disasters need to know people care. Perhaps we can't all help by going to assist clean-up and rebuilding but certainly we can all help in at least one of the following ways.
Help by Being Prepared
Articles:
- 5 Tips to Prepare for a Natural Disaster
- 5 Things Churches Need To Do During Natural Disasters
- Building Your Church Emergency Plan
- How to Prepare Your Church for Disaster Response
- Leading Through Disaster
- Tips to Prepare for Facility Emergencies
- Tips to Prepare for Natural Disasters
Books:
- Disaster Ministry Handbook by Jamie D. Aten, David Boan
Help People Affected by Natural Disasters by Giving
Help By Praying
Articles:
Books:
- Certain Peace in Uncertain Times: Embracing Prayer in an Anxious Age by Shirley Dobson
Help By Serving
Articles:
- Comforting those grieving their loss (general)
- Providing practical assistance (general)
- Helping people process what has happened (general)
- Coming along side of those in crisis (general)
- Is Your Church Ready to be a First Responder?
Help With Preaching, Teaching, Devotionals
Articles:
Resources:
- Walk the Walk Even When It Hurts Devotional from Ministry Tools Resource Center
- God in the face of disaster, Psalm 66 - Sermon
Help Children & Youth Process Natural Disasters and the Trauma It Brings
Articles:
- 7 Ways to Bring your Children Peace After a Natural Disaster
- 8 Things You Should and Shouldn’t Say When Responding to Disaster
- Are You Disaster-Prepared?
- Do Your Teachers Know How to Help Students in Crisis?
- Helping Children Cope With Trauma: 8 Important Steps
- Talking to Children About Disaster - a disaster that happened somewhere else
- Talking to Children About Disaster - directly effected by a disaster
- Where is God? Children and Grief
Books:
- The Youth Worker's Guide for Helping Teenagers in Crisis by Rich Van Pelt, Jim Hancock
Training for Bible Teachers:
Miscellaneous Ideas About Helping
Articles:
- How Should Churches Respond to Hurricanes?
- How to Provide Spiritual and Emotional Care in the Wake of Natural Disasters
Christian Relief Agencies
First Responders
Let's not forget to show our appreciation to the First Responders who risk their lives during these tragedies to help others.
Articles:
Bibles:
- Answering the Call New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs - Help and Hope for Firefighters
- Emergency Medical Services Bible
- Firefighter's Bible, Red Simulated Leather (HCSB)
- Law Enforcement Officer's Bible
- The Peacemakers Police Officer New Testament, softcover NIV
Gifts:
- American Flag Lapel Pins
- First Responders Pin (with firefighter, police, and emt emblems)
- Gifts for Emergency First Responders
- Gifts for Firefighters
- Gifts for Medical Workers (nurses, doctors, medical staff)
- Gifts for Police Officers
- Gifts for Telecommunicator Dispatchers (911)
- Novelty Items: Blue Line for Police
- Novelty Items: Thin Red Line for Firefighters
Organizations:
Pandemic
Resources listed here primarily relate the Church during a pandemic.
General Info
- CDC: Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
- Communicating with Your Church About Covid-19
- Coronavirus and Christ
- How Should Christians Talk About the COVID-19 Pandemic?
- Responding to Pandemics: 4 Lessons from Church History
- Restrictions on Religious Freedom During the Coronavirus Crisis
- Stay Connected: Alternate Ways to Host a Church Service
- What Should Churches Do Now that Covid-19 is Spiking Again?
Children's Ministry in Light of the Pandemic
- 12 things to consider when reopening your children’s ministry
- 12 Tips for Kids Ministry When We're Social Distancing
- Answering Kids' Questions About Why God is Allowing the Coronavirus to Happen
- Children’s Ministry Prep: Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Think Creatively to Maximize Your Children’s Ministry Activities
- What does children's ministry look like going forward?
Leading During a Pandemic
- 5 Ways the Current Crisis is Accelerating the Arrival of the Future Church
- 8 Ways to Lead in the New Digital Default Church
- Communicating in a Time of Coronavirus
- Crisis Leadership: Christian Leadership and the Coronavirus Epidemic
- How to Lead Through Rapid Unexpected Change: Responding to Covid-19
Praying During a Pandemic
Reaching Out to Serve Others During a Pandemic
- 12 Ways to Love Your Community through Covid-19
- BLESS Method: Meeting Core Needs
- How to Encourage Someone Affected by COVID-19
Reopening our Churches
- 3 Principles for Guiding a Divided Church Through Re-Entry
- 4 Phases for an Orderly Return to Church
- 4 Theological Questions Your Church Has about Regathering
- 5 Steps to Bringing Back Your Volunteers
- 6 Needs to Anticipate When Your Church Begins to Gather Again
- 6 Ways to Respond When People Disagree with Your Church Reopening Plan
- 8 Questions Your Church Needs to Ask Before Reopening
- 12 Post-Pandemic Questions Every Worship Leader Should Be Asking
- 24 Questions Your Church Must Answer Before Welcoming People Back
- Before We Gather: Building Preparation – Deep Clean and Disinfect
- Before We Gather: Communication Reduces Fear and Increases Connection
- Before We Gather: Planning for Social Distancing
- Before We Gather: Taking the Touch Out of High-Touch Areas
- Guidelines for Reopening Your Church
- Key Takeaways from the CDC Guidelines for Church Reopenings
- The Ready to Open Church Checklist
- What Should Pastors Do About People Who Have Left the Church
Violence
Crime
- God and the Victim by Lisa Barnes Lampman, Editor
- Helping a Neighbor in Crises by Lisa Barnes Lampman, Editor
School Violence
Help children, youth, and parents process school violence and shootings.
Articles:
- Helping Children Process the School Shooting in ...
- How Could a Loving God ... ?
- How to Talk With Kids About Shootings
- How to Talk with Your Kids and Teenagers About School Shootings
- School Violence: Can You Keep Your Kids Safe?
- School Violence: How Can We Keep Our Children Safe?
- The Church's Response to Evil Acts
- The "missing link" to school violence?
Books:
- Protecting Your Child through Prayer by Karen Scalf Linamen
- No More Victims Booklet by Frank Peretti
Training for Bible Teachers:
May the God of all comfort work through His people to reach into lives with His love and grace in their time of great need.