7 Ways Your Church Can Respond to Tragedy

Tragedy is never easy to respond to. My gift and or talent on this earth is to speak to the world through influential vessels using a variety of online platforms. I’d like to confess, that there aren’t many situations and or breaking news stories, where I or my team are rendered speechless, idea-less, or campaign-less but in the recent senseless murders circulating on social media, my staff and I are left heart broken to say the least.

I ask that you think through your campaigns, and your social media postings until you understand fully where you stand on the matter. Emotions are high and seem to be escalating very quickly online. I do however, encourage you to use your social influence to educate and unify the people following your brand.

My team and I are here and available to mastermind ways you and your brand can be a voice of reason in lieu of the recent tragedies. Here are some suggestions that have worked in the past for similar situations.

7 Ways Your Church Can Offer Help In Wake of a Tragedy

1.  Provide a safe outlet for people to voice how they feel. This can be at an actual establishment or online live. (Periscope, YouTube Live, & of course Facebook Live)
2. Donate to the family that has experienced tragedy. (be sure to only donate to reputable organizations or organizers
3. Educate Young Men about the realities of being a black man in 2016 and what this means for them, if they should be pulled over by law enforcement.
4. Pull your community together through prayer vigils, & peaceful demonstrations (pick a side so others can choose to stand with you)
5. Create memorabilia with positive messaging (not memorials or hate speech) wristbands, t-shirts, hats, pens are ways to raise awareness
6. Look online for other organizations that have implemented a successful movement that aligns with your vision and core belief system. Support larger/smaller initiatives by joining forces with the.
7. Pray to God for an answer, and pray to God for a change in the judicial systems and the current state of our African American men.

Remember if you aren’t a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem. Your Silence may frustrate your audience, but not being careful with your words and your posts may offend some people and cause you to lose loyal and faithful followers.

RIP AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile

May God protect and direct each of you in all that you do.

In Prayer,
Portia
(mother to 4 African American Sons, wife to 1 African American man #ThereLivesMatter)