Top Ten Reasons to Do Disaster Response Ministry

Hurricane Katrina is where I cut my teeth in Disaster Response Ministry. I helped the Indiana District of our national church body, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, plan its response to that disaster.

Over my years since Katrina I have learned a lot about disasters. I have been LERT (Lutheran Early Response Team) trained and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) trained. I've learned about Incident Command and Disaster Preparedness. All of that training has been valuable and I've been able to share much of what I've learned with others.

I've also learned what I'm good at in a disaster. For example, I don't handle a chainsaw. I generally handle a Comfort Dog and spend time with the victims of disaster. I've learned that I'm better with people than with power tools.

I've especially learned that there's a lot that I still need to learn.

Nevertheless, I have come up with a list of the Top Ten Reasons to Do Disaster Response Ministry.

10. You travel to new places. Granted, you may not see these places at their best, but every deployment gives the opportunity to visit a part of the country that may be new to you. Even in driving from one shelter to another, you see the sights along the way. I've enjoyed beignets in the French Quarter, seen from afar the Statue of Liberty, felt the damp chill of New England in December, and paid my respects at the memorial to the victims of the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City.

9. You meet great everyday heroes: police officers and firefighters, EMS crews and 911 dispatchers, ER nurses, volunteers from across the nation, and local residents who all pitch in to help in the crisis.

8. You hear powerful stories of faith and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. These stories will inspire when you hear them and will inspire others when you share them.

7. You are privileged to work side by side with others whose hearts overflow with compassion for the hurting. Friendships are forged in the course of serving in a disaster. You are part of a team and you grow close to your teammates as you rely on each other during the deployment.

6. At the end of each day, your heart is filled with gratitude for the blessings that God has bestowed on you. Caring for the hurting, the grieving, the confused, and the frightened puts your life in perspective and keeps you from taking God's goodness for granted.

5. In my case, I get to partner with the Comfort Dogs from Lutheran Church Charities. These highly trained and skilled golden retrievers serve as the bridge for Disaster Response Ministry. The comfort that they provide to the victims of disaster has to be seen to be understood. With their unconditional love and the gift of hope they inspire, these dogs bring healing to hurting spirits.

4. You marvel at the "God Moments" that occur each day of the deployment. The day may begin with "Why are we spending time at this location?" The day will end with "That's why God had us go there."

3. Caring for people in disaster increases your capacity to notice and care for the people in need that you encounter each and every day. That neighbor or co-worker or friend may be in their own personal crisis. It won't make the headlines, and they may not bring it up to you, but you will learn to recognize the look in the eye or the body language that cries out, "Help me!"

2. You hone your Christian caregiving skills. Phrases like "How can I help you in prayer?" become natural. So does using your ears more than your mouth. You discover the healing power of a hug or a hand on a shoulder. You find your "go to" Bible passages that speak hope to the hurting. (Mine is Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd ... ")

And the Number 1 Reason to Do Disaster Response Ministry is: You receive the blessing of being the vessel that brings the Compassion, Mercy, Presence, and Proclamation of Christ to those who are hurting. You make a difference in the name of Jesus. What more could you want at the end of the day?