People who experience a traumatic event can expect every part of their lives to be effected. Most people do not understand how powerful these events can be, nor do they realize how our bodies react to the stress.
Here is a document that you can download that explains how all this works. It also includes a chart to illustrate some of the symptoms that a person can experience. Click the link below.
Who Are You Following?
Everybody imitates somebody. When I was a kid, I had a friend who adapted the mannerisms and expressions of Colonel Hogan from the tv series Hogan’s Heroes.
After whom do you pattern your life?
Elisha patterned his after Elijah’s. Elisha did not just practice Elijah’s preaching style or memorize his best lines, but he walked the same roads Elijah walked, he slept in the same houses, ate the same fare, braved the same elements, confronted the same crowds. He stood behind him as the prophet spoke, carried water when he was thirsty, delivered messages when asked. Elisha was covered by the dust Elijah’s feet stirred up.
It worked. Elisha received what he asked for. A double-portion of Elijah’s anointing came upon him.
Admiring someone does not make you like them. Doing what they do is what changes you. You can’t act like Madonna and become Mother Teresa.
Who you admire is important, but who you imitate is critical, because they are what you are becoming.
Providing a safe environment for children is a never-ending task, and trouble often comes out of the blue – surprising even the most vigilant caregivers. Like those handy little detergent pods you bought so you wouldn’t have to bother with those leaky bottles and messy powders any more. But as you’ve noticed in the news the past few weeks, children are mistaking the colorful detergent pods for candy and are eating them. Nearly sixty children in the state of Texas alone were recently treated for sicknesses caused by ingesting these balls of soap.
With schools out for the summer, many parents depend on older siblings to keep an eye on their younger brothers and sisters while mom and dad are at work. These young people may be great babysitters, but may lack the experience to recognize the trouble items like these can cause. Parents cannot assume that teenagers will be perceptive and should, along with making sure cleansers and other harmful products are properly stored, coach their babysitters on spotting items that are potential hazards.
Churches could provide a service to their congregations and communities by offering babysitting and child-care classes. Many parents, especially those in single-parent homes, often feel overwhelmed with all that is demanded of them and would welcome the assistance. If no church in your area offers these courses, contact your local Red Cross office. Babysitting classes are among the many they offer.
How well do you handle change?
How good are you at motivating change?
There are two basic reasons why people do not change.
1. They don’t believe what they are being told or shown. Our decisions reflect what we believe. We say a whole lot of stuff, but most of it is just that – stuff. To really know what a person believes, you must watch what they do, not just listen to what they say. Actions identify beliefs. Nothing else does. People move toward what they actually believe.
2. They don’t change because they value what they presently possess more than what is being offered. What you present may be wonderful, but it must not only be better than what they currently have, but the gain promised must be significant enough to convince them to shatter their personal comfort zone and begin work on another. Two intangibles that rank near the top of every human’s list of things most valued: comfort and familiar.
Churches, by the very nature of their work, make themselves vulnerable to crisis and critical events. It is impossible to be the hands and feet of Jesus and live inside walls of red tape constructed by lawyers. Like firefighters running into the burning building everyone else is fleeing, our churches go looking for the troubled souls most other groups avoid.
Churches remain the heart and soul of America. Our government’s welfare system would melt from the overload if our churches suddenly stopped ministering to our neighbors in need. But our passion to help not only makes our churches vulnerable to accidents and other liabilities, but it makes them targets for those shady creatures who have learned to work the system to their advantage.
You cannot crisis proof your church and neither can you stop being the church. But you can do a few things to protect your church and your people.
First, make sure your church is incorporated. Let a lawyer who is familiar with churches create bylaws that sets governing and financial controls in place. You can’t always stop the thief, but you can sure make it more difficult for him.
Make sure that obvious hazards are eliminated. Fill in the holes in the sidewalk. Don’t store old refrigerators and other appliances where children can get inside them or play around them. Keep your property clean and hazard-free.
Make sure you have insurance to cover medical expenses if someone is injured while on your property or riding in one of your vehicles. There are several companies that specialize in providing insurance to churches. Brotherhood Mutual, Guide One, and Church Mutual are among the better known. You can find others by typing “church insurance” into any search engine.
Simple things are often overlooked. Do you leave money in plain sight or in unlocked desks? Do you leave keys in vehicles? Are your buildings left unlocked when no one is around? It is easy for experienced criminals to learn your habits and take advantage of your trust.
These are just a few things that you can do to make your church less attractive to those who would do you harm.
Please let us know if you have specific questions regarding limiting your liability and exposure to crisis.
