Creating Shared Resilience

Creating Shared Resilience is a book of reality, addressing critical issues for communities in need and clearly showing the reality from different perspectives by presenting living and tangible interventions from around the globe. This book takes us beyond what we read in reports and documents to where we can touch the truth.

Rev Christo Greyling
Faith and External Engagement, World Vision International

In Creating Shared Resilience Boan and Ayers bring exceptional clarity to the central role of local faith communities in the midst of suffering. The authors point us to a first principle we often fail to remember, namely that “structures are vulnerable because people are vulnerable.” It is the task of local faith communities to create those structures of resilience that will transform societies before, during, and after disasters.

George Kalantzis, PhD
Wheaton College, Illinois, USA

A book that is as timely as it is necessary, David Boan and Josh Ayers present a well-supported and thoughtful look at how the Local Faith Community can meet the needs of a hurting world while continuing to retain their identity in Christ. By focusing on spiritual growth, in addition to physical and psychological well-being, Boan and Ayers present a holistic model of resilience that is unique and easily adaptable to the many and diverse needs of a broken world.

Elizabeth List, PsyD
Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho, USA

David Boan and Josh Ayers both have extensive on-the-ground experience in disaster risk reduction and response, which makes them well suited to tackle the topic of shared resilience. By the very worlds they span, they achieve their goal of bringing the often divergent worlds of theology, ecclesiology and humanitarian aid and development together.

Andre Van Eymeren
Managing Director, Centre for Building Better Community

The faith community will have to be responsible and respectful of others as we engage in a servant leader manner in the community God has called us to serve. We can be part of the whole process of restoration and healing by sharing spaces with all other stakeholders in the community. May a continued conversation happen within the local faith communities who are involved in the serious calling of making life easy especially for the needy and the marginalized.

Junel Chavez
Department of Social Welfare and Development Area Based Standard Network

This excellent book bridges between theology and ecclesiology, and humanitarian relief and development, examining the question of whether and how churches can be agents of long-term change for justice and compassion by strengthening their local community systems and building resilience. Grounded in the theology of integral mission, the book is both a guide for churches about community transformation but also a guide for transformation within the church itself.

Jean Duff, MPH
Joint Learning Initiative for Faith and Local Communities

Living in a context where climate change, poor governance, and conflicts are slowly defining the destiny of people living in poverty, I find the resilience model that this book is proposing very helpful to faith leaders who are working hard to build resilient communities. This book shows that change happens when communities work together to build collaborative relationships that seek to build community resilience. 

Martin Kapenda
Micah, Zambia

This reflection on shared resilience is incredibly timely as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to expand worldwide. In the face of this and other challenges that our world faces, the authors call on Christians in every country to rethink our priorities and the ways each of us can work to strengthen our communities. Boan and Ayers challenge us to think theologically and missiologically about the kingdom of God and the potential of local faith communities to help and support those in need.

Nelson Morales Fredes, PhD
Seminario Teologica Centro-Americano (SETECA), Guatemala City, Guatemala

1. Foreword
2. Preface by David M. Boan
3. Preface by Josh Ayers
4. Introduction
5. What Is Resilience?
6. Theological Models
7. Shared Resilience
8. Application
9. Stories of Shared Resilience
10. Conclusions
11. Appendix A: Creation Care and the Gospel: Jamaica Call to Action
12. Appendix B: Conservation of Resource Theory – List of Resources
13. Appendix C: Disaster Ministry and Risk Reduction Resources
14. Bibliography
15. Index