Lifestyle of Readiness | ABBA ? Connecting the Church with the ...

By Marcy Lytle

We can all lay dormant until tragedy strikes, then ?put on a vest and go,? but what if we lived a lifestyle that embraced readiness to attend to any need, at any given time, in the neighborhood and community in which we live?? How can we become more than just trained to volunteer in a crisis, but rather trained to shine in the darkness at all times?

Stephen Brewer, Associate Director of Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN), says that on June 15, 16 (9am-9pm)? the Lifestyle of Readiness Training Conference will be offered so that all who attend will be ready to be a constant stream of salt and light, after attending sessions on preparedness.? Instead of being consumed with our own needs, we will become a ready people to attend to the needs of our neighbors, as well, states Brewer.? It?s not a training session to eliminate fear in those who are afraid of pending disasters, but rather an event of training those who want to be obedient to bless their city in times of crisis.

Christ is glorified through the unity of the Church, says Brewer, and the fruit of that unity is preparedness.? When churches come together on mission and in outreach, when believers grow in spiritual and physical preparedness, the entire city of Austin will be blessed.? ADRN?s goal is not to pull people out of their churches to equip them, but rather to equip them to be more effective in the places where they already serve.

Topics at the conference include backyard food production, emergency preparedness, spiritual/emotional readiness, family disaster planning, survival first aid, and much more.? How can something like backyard food production be part of a lifestyle of salt and light?? Brewer says that growing sustainable gardens enables families to learn to not depend on a ?system,? in the event that the system fails ? and confusion runs rampant.? By learning a particular skill, learning to grow and sustain produce, this brings people in a community together to form close knit relationships.? Even outside times of disaster, we can be prepared and share with those around us.

When a neighbor suffers a personal loss, one that is not part of a large scale disaster, those who are spiritually and emotionally trained and ready can minister peace to an entire household.? Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) includes skills that we can use every day, on the job, at home, or down the street.? It?s always great to volunteer once or twice a year, but it?s even greater to be equipped to help our neighbors daily.

The purpose of the training conference is to encourage and train the entire family, whether it be a church family, or a flesh and blood family, to embrace a lifestyle of readiness. ?All have a role,? states Brewer.? For those unable to attend, prayer is greatly appreciated.? There are simple logistics in putting the conference together that need to fall into place, and there is a desire to see huge numbers of people ?take back to their own communities? what they have learned and then share, states Brewer.

Are you ready to be salt and light, ready to be equipped to bless your neighbors, and ready to bless? Austin?? Lifestyle of Readiness Training Conference invites the Church to be positioned, effective?and prepared.

For more information and to register for the ?Lifestyle of Readiness? Training Conference, visit http://www.adrntx.org/pages.asp?pageid=110599.? (ADRN is offering free tickets to youth ages 10-18 to ?encourage young adult family members to make readiness a part of their lifestyle.?) Full-time Pastors that are part of a church on the ADRN network can receive two free tickets. Watch the Training Conference video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydc-Z8kDjn0.

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