With twenty-four-hour news coverage and real-time social media notifications, we hear about disasters with increasing frequency and even witness them as they occur. Earthquake Apps can alert our smart phones with magnitude, depth, and the GPS location of an earthquake within seconds of its occurrence. During the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the world watched live helicopter video of the tsunami waves moving buildings and debris across the landscape and later the dramatic explosion of the Fukushima nuclear reactors. With twenty-four-hour news coverage of events around the globe, it certainly feels like disasters are on the rise, but is this actually the case, or is it merely a perception of increased frequency? What are the types of disasters and what causes them? Why are disasters increasing in frequency and intensity in recent decades? How can people and communities prepare and respond to disasters? What is the role of the church body in the face of disasters? How should the church respond to people who are displace and homeless as the result of a disaster? What are lessons learned from church based response to previous disasters? Can we reduce the devastation of disasters through better planning and preparation?
Section: Conference & Forum Material
