Building a Community for Crises
Brian and Jeleta Eckheart, CCCC International Workers serving with Frontiers
March-EckNews Excerpt: Brian writes ...
Facing a crisis – such as the death, capture, or imprisonment of a loved one – in a place far from home can be a heart-rending, life-bending event. Walking alongside people who face these kinds of hardships can also be a lonely, heavy task. That’s one of the jobs I have, as the field security and crisis manager for the Frontiers International Office. And that’s why, in 2014, a Frontiers colleague and I invited a number of other mission crisis managers across Europe to come together to form the Risk and Crisis Management Network-Europe.
- As for the previous five meetings, I’ve helped to organize this year’s gathering, which is set to take place from March 19-23 in northern England. I’m expecting 22 other crisis managers from about a dozen European mission organizations to come for these few days together. We’ll discuss these sorts of questions:
- How does your organization manage crises?
- What kind of team do you have in place to respond if the crisis stretches into a long-term situation?
- How do you manage questions from media, home churches, family members?
In a teleconference call, we’ll also hear from a US-based analyst who will alert us to hot spots around the world.
I’ve found this group to be extremely supportive and helpful. Like me, these men and women have been on the other end of the phone when someone calls from abroad to say they need help. So they understand the emotional impact – as well as the practical tools that can help us respond well for the sake of our colleagues.
A look back at our own crisis
One of the reasons I feel called to help our Frontiers colleagues face crises is because the Lord allowed us to go through a crisis of our own. ... That experience sadly meant that we had to leave the [place where we were serving], but the Lord deepened each of us through the ordeal. He continues to use our experience, as it enables us to come alongside others who face similar difficulties.
Please pray for the Risk and Crisis Management Network-Europe:
- That we continue to provide good emotional support for one another.
- That we will share advice with each other that will be truly helpful.
- That we will be well-equipped to serve God’s people worldwide when he allows them to go through crises.
In September, I’ll be attending the US Risk Management Network meetings in Colorado.