CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 6 – Nearly a year ago, chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) responded to Uvalde, Texas, after 19 children and two teachers were shot and killed at an elementary school. The gunman not only murdered or wounded an unfathomable number of people, leaving physical scars that will last a lifetime, he also left emotional and spiritual scarring in the community that isn’t as easy to see.
From catastrophes on a massive scale such as the Uvalde school shooting to personal tragedies like health issues, broken relationships, suicide and financial difficulties, many Christians may feel unprepared to offer comfort to the weary and hope to those in despair.
On April 15, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team – a nationwide network of crisis-trained chaplains ready to deploy whenever disaster strikes – will hold a regionaltraining in Uvalde, to train Christians to be able to appropriately respond with the love and hope of Jesus Christ in times of crisis.
“We immediately had BG-RRT chaplains on the ground after the Ulvade school shooting. Several crisis-trained chaplains even helped local law enforcement personnel with death notifications. Our chaplains stayed to comfort and pray with those who were hurting and mourning, but eventually we had to end our time in Uvalde,” said Josh Holland, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. “We realize and understand this can be a very long process. It’s our goal to help equip local churches and believers to minister to the ongoing emotional and spiritual needs of those who have been impacted by this tragedy, as well as the day-to-day tragedies that are all around us, such as the death of a family member, job loss or a divorce.”
The training, titled “Sharing Hope in Crisis,” will take place at First Baptist Church, 220 N. High St. in Uvalde, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. The event is free and lunch will be provided. For more information and to register online, visit Sharing Hope in Crisis Uvalde. Topics this training will cover include “A Biblical view of suffering,” “Effects of trauma,” “Places of grief,” “Listening skills,” “A ministry of hope,” and “What to say and what not to say.”
Media Opportunities
- Josh Holland, international director, BG-RRT
- Ken Dunlap, deployment and peer support manager, BG-RRT
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 700 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes. For more information on the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/RRTchaplains
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Media Contact:
Christine Batchelder
cbatchelder@bgea.org