After recent storms in Portugal, ADRA Portugal and ADRA Europe trained local church representatives to prepare, respond, and share Christ’s love with communities in crisis.
When a storm comes, people need more than shelter. They need safety, food, care, clear information, and someone willing to stand beside them.
This is where the local church can make a life-changing difference.
In mid-May, 33 representatives from ADRA Portugal’s local delegations gathered in Lisbon for a two-day emergency response training. The workshop was part of the Disaster Ready Churches program, supported by ADRA Europe and led by Gabriel Villarreal, ADRA Europe Emergency Response Coordinator.
The training came at an important time. Across Europe, communities are increasingly facing floods, wildfires, storms, heatwaves, displacement, and growing social vulnerability. In Portugal, several storms in January and February disrupted daily life by damaging roofs, cutting electricity, closing schools, and halting rail services.
For many communities, these events were a clear reminder: preparation cannot begin once a crisis has already arrived. It must begin beforehand.
For ADRA and Seventh-day Adventist churches, disaster preparedness is a practical expression of the call to serve the whole person physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally with compassion, dignity, and no strings attached.
What Is a Disaster Ready Church?
A Disaster Ready Church is a local church that prepares in advance to serve its community when disaster strikes.
The program, initiated by ADRA in the South Pacific and Asia regions, helps churches follow four simple steps:
- My Church: The church identifies the resources it already has. This may include volunteers, rooms, kitchens, vehicles, supplies, equipment, or other assets.
- My Community: The church studies the risks in its area by asking questions such as: What disasters have happened here before? Who is most at risk? Which local groups, authorities, or organizations could we partner with?
- My Team: The church forms an Emergency Response Team. Volunteers may help with planning, communication, logistics, finance, safeguarding, emotional care, and practical support.
- My Response: The church creates a response plan. This may include hot meals, hygiene kits, food parcels, cash vouchers, shelter, volunteer assistance, and emotional and spiritual support.
These steps are simple, but they can save time, reduce fear, and help churches respond wisely when people are in need.
Learning Together in Lisbon
During the Lisbon training, participants learned how to assess local church resources, understand community needs, form an Emergency Response Team, and prepare for possible emergency scenarios.
On Sunday morning, the group stood together in a circle and reflected on what they had learned. For many, one message stood out clearly: churches need to build relationships before disaster happens. They need to know their communities, connect with local partners, and prepare their teams early.
One participant from Albufeira shared:
“I would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in the training. It was a unique and great learning moment.”
The response also revealed a strong desire for continued preparation. Participants asked ADRA Portugal to continue the Disaster Ready Churches training in local regions.
Why Churches Matter in a Crisis
Local churches are often close to the people most affected. They know the streets, the families, the elderly, the children, and the individuals who may otherwise be forgotten.
A church building can become a shelter. A church kitchen can provide hot meals. Church members can offer a listening ear, comfort, prayer, and practical support. Volunteers can assist with communication, logistics, planning, and distribution.
Preparedness is no longer only the responsibility of emergency professionals. It is also a ministry opportunity for churches that want to love their neighbors well.
ADRA national offices bring technical knowledge, emergency response experience, safeguarding standards, and connections to the wider ADRA network. Local churches bring people, facilities, trust, and deep knowledge of their communities. Together, they can serve with both compassion and skill.
In every response, the church’s contribution must remain practical, humble, and unconditional: serving people because they are loved by God, never as a condition for religious interest or participation.
Villarreal hopes this model will continue growing across Europe, especially in countries that face repeated disasters year after year. Another training is already being prepared for ADRA volunteers in France.
“I want to motivate other countries in Europe to start implementing the Disaster Ready Churches program,” he said. “If we are better prepared, we could make a huge difference in the lives of people affected by emergencies. I have no doubts that this is a meaningful way to show the love of Christ to people when they need it most.”
Love That Prepares
Disaster preparedness is not fear. It is love in advance.
It is the church saying to its community: “We are here. We are ready. We care.”
As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbors not only when crisis arrives, but before it arrives through wisdom, planning, partnership, and service. A prepared church can become a place of safety, dignity, hope, and practical compassion.
Through Disaster Ready Churches, ADRA Europe invites local churches, pastors, church boards, and volunteers to take the next step. Start with what you have. Learn about your community. Form a team. Make a plan.
Because when disaster strikes, love must already be ready to move.
Author: ADRA Europe
The original article was published on the ADRA Europe website.
Photos shared by ADRA Portugal.