While pandemics and natural disasters capture the headlines, the vital work and pastoral ministry of healing trauma and offering financial recovery is long-term.
Growing Through Disaster is a much needed resource for every faith community. It offers a game plan for pastors and church leaders. Practical, helpful, hopeful, and concrete tools are provided for volunteers and victims. Some have already called this a roadmap for thoughtful and effective response by the faith community.
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Now is the time for church leaders to develop a Response Team so that planning can begin. Growing Through Disaster can help you take the steps to reach out to your community now. In the months and years following this pandemic this resource will especially be helpful for faith-based healing of loss and grief. It also provides an insightful financial recovery plan based of biblical insights. Local churches can impact their community by providing a Recovery Group Ministry. There are also six chapters that guide these recovery group leaders and participants.
The Appendix is a great resource, as well.
Begin planning now for your post-pandemic recovery. Your local church has a great opportunity to be a beacon of hope. This book was written by a pastor with decades of ministry and a financial planner who provides the latest financial recovery tools in the wake of disaster. They know how the church can impact the community!
Praise for the Book:
“Growing through Disaster teaches us how to ‘show up’ when we aren’t sure what to do. If your church wants to be ready to provide hope-filled care in the face of any type of disaster, get this book.”—Tina L. Harris, director of mission, Service & Justice Ministries, Missouri Annual Conference (UMC)
“Growing through Disaster is a much-needed guide through the emotional and financial ramifications of personal loss or natural disaster. A game-plan for healing—not just moving on, but growing stronger. Helpful, hopeful, concrete, and practical.”—Bill High, CEO, The Signatry: A Global Christian Foundation, based in Overland Park, KS
Read about Growing Through Disaster on Discipleship Ministries
Clayton L. Smith, now retired, served as the Executive Pastor of Stewardship and Generosity at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He served as a Senior Pastor in the United Methodist Church for more than 25 years and an Ordained Elder for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Lori, live in Stilwell, Kansas.
Matthew Schoenfeld has more than 30 years of ministry experience, and he has been teaching people biblical strategies for managing personal finances since 1995. Matt served as founder and executive director of the Abundant Living ministry from 2003 until 2015, and helped more than 20,000 people across the United States and abroad grow in financial discipleship and generosity through powerful workshops and one-on-one financial coaching ministry. He served numerous churches as a consultant for capital stewardship campaigns, stewardship ministry, estate giving, and general management. He was ordained as a chaplain through Chaplain Fellowship Ministries. Matt holds bachelor's degrees in religion and communications and a Master's of Business Administration.
