Highlights
Sharing God’s love to those affected by natural and man-made disasters and crises in the region through prayer, relief aid and training
PRAYER is at the heart of Crisis relief work. This is an area that we have to intentionally practice to do as we hear and see on the news the many disasters happening around us and in the world. Our Wednesday Prayer Service (“WPS”) prayer items cover the many disasters happening in our world.
We encourage participation in the church WPS and also prayer for relief teams sent by the church to carry out relief work in affected communities in the region.
RELIEF AID can be given through the teams sent to affected communities or through financial aid sent to our approved ministry partners. We have just gone through the pandemic and realised many constraints and challenges in extending relief aid. We continue to find ways to help and learn new ways of doing ministry together to bring God’s love and hope to those affected by the disasters.
TRAINING by the CRW team has resumed overseas since the mid of last year when borders were opened. Locally, we also resumed our Crisis Relief Training Module 1 and 2. The church-based Crisis Relief Training equips our volunteers with the why, what and how of crisis relief.
CRW RELIEF RESPONSE:
Assam Relief Team
9-16 Sep 2022 in response to monsoon floods and landslides. Team purchased and installed water pump to one village and distributed food packs. In another village, the team purchased building materials and hired workers to help build the house for some families.
Cotabato Relief Team
5-11 Dec 2022 in response to Tropical Storm Nalgae. Team distributed food packs and children packs.
Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia
3-8 Jan 2023 (Team 1) in response to earthquake.They provided food, water tanks, and stationeries for children, tools for clearing debris and vegetable seed for the farmers. The team conducted art therapy to children, teens and mothers.
Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia
11-16 Mar 2023 (Team 2) in response to earthquake. The team did again trauma healing focusing on children, teens and mothers. Repairs & Rebuilding Relief for Reading Post + Books Procurement. Team also extended Financial Assistance for Livelihood Support Relief for Farmers and prayed for God’s providence for their livelihood and for the people.
CRW will continue to
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Connect with volunteers through Whats app on church latest updates and advisories, online worship service, prayer meetings and relief ministry matters.
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Provide church based CRT locally and overseas
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Recruit volunteers and send relief teams
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Network with relevant agencies and trusted partners in the region.
For more information, please email Koh Tengyu
- Relief Aid
- Crisis Relief Services and Training Berhad (CREST)
Malaysia Low Risk Covid+ Quarantine Centre
This is a low-risk quarantine Covid positive centre in Kuala Lumpur for the poor family. They take in poor patients who are required to be in quarantine for 10 days. The operating cost of the quarantine is fully supported by volunteers and funded by donations. WMC donated 25K on September 2021 - ElShaddai Berhad Centre (ECB) - Covid 19 Emergency Relief Fund
ECB responded to all kinds of call for help, distributing food, medicine, cash vouchers to support affected communities from all over Malaysia including Sabah. They also set up community centres/focal points to encourage people from the community to help their own people. WMC donated 10K on September 2021. - Hagar ( Singapore)
CRW established new relief partner working in Afghanistan. We connected with Hagar Singapore Ltd. A donation of 25K was given to Hagar to help in the relief aid in Afghanistan for families needing shelter, food and protection. - Relief in Communities affected by Typhoon Rai (locally know as Typhoon Odette) in Southern Leyte, Philippines in late December 2022.
This is the first relief where CRW form a virtual team based in Singapore on 23 December to work virtually with a local partner in affected community. The virtual team made purchases and online payment of relief aid for distribution to target affected community while the local partner manage the response plan, logistics and distribution. The approved budget is 25k. - Relief Trip in Baybay, Leyte to help affected community by Typhoon Agaton on 16-22 May 2022.
This trip marks the resumption of CRW Relief Trip overseas after our last trip in Feb 2020. Team has to follow the Safe Management Measures for travelers in Philippines like registered ART Test before flight, completed One Health Pass on line Health Declaration Card, Travel Insurance with Covid coverage, fully vaccinated status, observance of wearing mask and personal hygiene. The team worked with new local churches in the area and provided assistance in form of rice package (10 kgs per family), drinking water in 5 gallons container (5 containers per family) and cash (Pesos 700 per family). Team helped in 4 evacuation camps and one local church. Assistance was given to around 500+ families. After the trip, CRW received a request for Crisis Response Training for Pastors and Christian workers. - Relief Trip in Baybay, Leyte to help affected community by Typhoon Agaton on 24-30 July 2022
Assistance was rendered a second time to the evacuees sheltered in Baybay Senior High School and Baybay National Night School. The relief aid in form of cash, diapers (toddler and new born and bed ridden adults) and drinking water were given to the two evacuation camps. Evacuees heard the word of God preached by the local pastors. They were touched to know that they are not forgotten and help is extended to them again. We rejoiced with them as the government has identified and bought a land to relocate the evacuees. The team also extended assistance to the local church whose livelihood was affected too by the typhoon.
- Crisis Relief Services and Training Berhad (CREST)
- Crisis Response Training
- Local CRT
It has not resume yet. - Overseas CRT
Crisis Response Training and Relief Trip in Baybay, Leyte on 24-30 July 2022
CRW resumed the Crisis Response Training overseas in response to a request to equip local pastors in church crisis response. The committee also decided to do a second round of relief aid assistance to the evacuation camps affected by Typhoon Agaton in Baybay. This is the first time for CRW to do both training and relief at the same trip. A 6-member team was formed and conducted the CRT in one of the training hall inside the Visayas State University. We have around 59 participants from United Evangelical Pastors Association, Baptist Churches and young people from Christ Faith Community Church in Maasin, Southern Leyte. It is heartwarming to see the Pastors from Baptist churches joining the training with other denominations. The training went well. The participants claimed that they are equipped and prepared to respond. The task of the team to train and provided relief was completed well.
- Local CRT
Beginning
How Crisis Relief Wesley Started
A personal perspective from Rosalia Rivera Mahendran, Pastoral Team Member (Crisis Relief Wesley).
When I joined WMC in April 1999, there was no crisis relief ministry then. I remembered being just a barely 3 months’ old staff when the Lord impressed upon me these three words – Emergency Response Plan. I have no idea about it as emergencies from natural disasters in Singapore are rather rare if not non-existent. After all, Singapore is known to be a peaceful, secure and prosperous country with no incidence of natural disasters.
Incidentally, God had also spoken to our then Pastor-in-Charge, Rev Melvin Huang and to some other Wesleyans as well, to respond to this call. Though we did not fully comprehend the need for such a ministry but in obedience to God, the ministry was setup in the year 2000. God has been our guide and director and He had been faithfully leading us gently, lovingly and patiently throughout the years.
CRW provides disaster relief work and training local churches in emergency response, across the region, including Singapore, because of the increasing frequency of natural disasters, rising terror threats and other emergency situations.
I believe that churches that are prepared to response, are also prepared to care and to make known our God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, forgiving our wickedness, rebellion and sin and who will not let the guilty go unpunished. (Exo 35)
May we be faithful and courageous to continue His work in Singapore and in other nations.
God Bless.
Calling
Vision:
- CRW seeks to demonstrate God's love to those affected by disasters through relief work, with the aim to be operationally ready locally and abroad.
Missions:
- To train and mobilize our congregation to do relief work primarily in Australasia, preferably air travel within 8 hours.
- To raise awareness, train, build up, and assist communities-at-risk in disaster preparedness and response.
- To engage in the survival and re-construction phases of relief work, generally up to 18 months post-disaster: children ministry, medical relief, distribution of essentials goods, and any other relief-related aid towards assisting the rehabilitation of the affected communities.
Core Values
- We are Christians (prayer, Bible-centred, kingdom advance, reconciliation, uphold Christian principles, intercessions, integrity, humility, personal testimony) who seek to assist affected communities irrespective of religion, creed or race;
- Commitment to poor and needy and suffering regardless of background (race, language, religion);
- Responsiveness and Readiness;
- Flexibility & Adaptability;
- Exercise cultural sensitivity and acknowledge the intrinsic value and uniqueness of all peoples;
- Excellence of Service;
- Teamwork and Unity;
- Good stewardship; and
- Partnering with like-minded churches and NGOs, non-religious relief organizations (eg. World Vision, CREST, CRS, Red Cross, TRAC, CAC).
Scope
CRW responds to events of both natural and man-made disasters. Geographically, we conduct relief work primarily in Australasia, preferably air travel time within 8 hours. We provide food, shelters, materials, tools of trade, man-power and counselling where needed.
Our strategy is to work with local partners who will be our first line of support and eyes on the ground. They will provide feedback and information regarding the needs of the people in the aftermath of a disaster. The relief is distributed through the local team as they are able to provide a longer support in the affected area.
CRW also provide trainings to equip local partners and leaders in handling disasters to the extend of empowering them to mobilize their own relief team. Other support includes praying for the people and the land affected by the disaster and volunteers coordination.
Local partnerships can include the Evangelical Christians, non-religious, governmental or non-governmental organizations engaged in relief work.
History
This ministry was birthed in January 2000 under the name of Wesley Disaster Relief Ministry which was subsequently changed to Crisis Relief Wesley in the year 2005.
Since then, we have provided relief support to the following countries:
- India
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- Japan
- Sri Lanka
- Vietnam
- East Timor
- Maldives
- Laos
We have also conducted Crisis Relief Training (CRT) in the following countries:
- Singapore
- Philippines
- Myanmar
- India
- Nepal
