Growing Through Disaster: Tools for Financial and Trauma Recovery in Your Faith Community

Communities suffer from many types of traumas and disasters: hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, and other natural or human-made disasters. These come with associated aftermath: business closings, loss of local industry, recession, high unemployment, etc. There are also personal disasters: divorce, death of a spouse, job loss, etc. Growing Though Disaster can assist communities and individuals in recovery from any of these disasters. After first-responders leave, Growing Through Disaster continues to assist faith communities and their leaders in the real recovery process. This resource is ultimately focused on helping the entire community, both individually and collectively, gain/re-gain financial strength. Recovery is achieved by individuals working together through this resource’s content in small support groups. Leaders will gather people in their community to participate in the process authors Clayton Smith and Matt Schoenfeld provide, a process developed through their significant experience in assisting communities recover from disaster and trauma. The process leads to spiritually-rooted recovery for the people and their community.“Growing through Disaster teaches us how to ‘show up’ when we aren’t sure what to do. If your church wants to be ready to provide hope-filled care in the face of any type of disaster, get this book.”—Tina L. Harris, director of mission, Service & Justice Ministries, Missouri Annual Conference (UMC)“Growing through Disaster is a much-needed guide through the emotional and financial ramifications of personal loss or natural disaster. A game-plan for healing—not just moving on, but growing stronger. Helpful, hopeful, concrete, and practical.”—Bill High, CEO, The Signatry: A Global Christian Foundation, based in Overland Park, KS

Clayton L. Smith, now retired, served as the Executive Pastor of Stewardship and Generosity at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He served as a Senior Pastor in the United Methodist Church for more than 25 years and an Ordained Elder for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Lori, live in Stilwell, Kansas.

Matthew Schoenfeld has more than 30 years of ministry experience, and he has been teaching people biblical strategies for managing personal finances since 1995. Matt served as founder and executive director of the Abundant Living ministry from 2003 until 2015, and helped more than 20,000 people across the United States and abroad grow in financial discipleship and generosity through powerful workshops and one-on-one financial coaching ministry. He served numerous churches as a consultant for capital stewardship campaigns, stewardship ministry, estate giving, and general management. Since 2015, Matt has served as an award-winning Financial Advisor with VALIC Financial Advisors based in Houston, Texas. He was ordained as a chaplain through Chaplain Fellowship Ministries. Matt hold bachelor degrees in religion and communications and a Masters of Business Administration.