Disaster Response Relational Network 2026

Join church, and disaster response nonprofit leaders for practical training, relationship-building, and shared strategy to strengthen disaster response before, during, and after a crisis. At this event, you can expect hands-on workshops, real-world case studies, and curated peer roundtables designed to accelerate collaboration where it matters most—on the ground.

Who Should Attend: 

Pastors & church leaders, disaster response organizations. This event is not for the general public. No cost for admission thanks to our incredible sponsors!

Core Themes:

• Response process flow (monitoring, assessment, response, & long-term recovery)

• Church/Non-profit engagement in and outside of disaster

• Operations & incident coordination (ICS made practical)

• Volunteer management, spontaneous volunteer intake, & safety

• Donations, warehousing, & distribution best practices

• Housing recovery, muck-out & rebuild pipelines

• Data, mapping (ArcGIS), and information-sharing that actually scales

• Fundraising, partnerships, and long-term recovery models

Outcomes You’ll Leave With:

• Personal connections with like-minded leaders from across the nation

• Next steps to engage through Serve Source

• Clear playbooks you can deploy this year

• Templates, checklists, and action plans

• Lessons learned from recent U.S. & International disasters

Check out the video highlights from our last DRRN!

Schedule:

Monday, February 23: Welcome Dinner – 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Tuesday, February 24: Check-In at 8:30 AM - Lunch and dinner provided. Wednesday, February 25: Partner Connection at 8:30 AM, lunch provided, last session ends at 5PM.

(Full schedule will be published February 1st - both Church Leaders and Disaster Relief Organizations are encouraged to join all three days)

Location:

Church of the Highlands - Greystone Campus - Birmingham, AL

1701 Lee Branch Ln, Birmingham, AL 35242, USA

Hotels:

• Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham/280 East-Eagle Point - 6220 Farley Court, 35242 (8-14 minutes away)

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Inverness 280 by IHG - 156 Resource Center Pkwy, 35242 (10-20 minutes away)

• Best Western Plus Birmingham Inn & Suites - 800 Corporate Ridge Rd, 35242 (8-14 minutes away)

• More...

Values & Statement of Faith:

The Relational Roundtable is designed to build connections between like-minded Christian leaders. There are no denominational boundaries. We are Bible-based and believe Jesus Christ is the Hope of the world! All participants must agree to the core vision and values to register for this event.

1. We are Kingdom Focused

Disaster Response is an opportunity to serve those in need, creating an environment to share the gospel. It will always be our top agenda to be ministers of Hope who operate in excellence, sharing Christ and connecting those we serve to the local Church. We value a kingdom focus over our organizational or Church agendas in how we work together, relate, and operate. 

2. We believe in making the local Church the Hero

We recognize that The Church is God's plan for community and life transformation. Therefore, we aim to make the local Church the resource, catalyst, and centerpiece of community hope and healing. We follow the lead and promote each local Church as the hero by connecting resource partnerships to raise their influence and expand their capacity.   

3. We believe we are Better Together

We value the relationships the network brings to reach communities and share the love of Christ through the Local Church. Working together expands the impact as we draw from collective wisdom, resources, and strategies. Uniting in love, we pray, encourage, support, and elevate one another.

4. We Value Uniqueness

God has called us as individual organizations, churches, and people. Therefore, we do not seek to control, conform, or restrict any organization, Church, or person's call or vision. Instead, we believe in relational collaboration to share our gifts and strengths, seeking common ground to link arms and serve communities well.

Sponsors: