The name Out of Rubble comes from when I was reading the book of Nehemiah while deployed in support of the 2010 Earthquake that struck Haiti. During my time there and throughout my career I have repeatedly seen the christian community caught completely unprepared to continue the great commission during crisis in their community.
In Nehemiah 4:2 the world was mocking the people that were doing the work God had set before them in rebuilding the destroyed walls of Jerusalem. The mockers said, “...Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”. The response of God’s people in verse 4:6 is paramount to why Out of Rubble was started, “So we built the wall … for the people had a mind to work.” This story reflects a group of independent families who previously had not worked well together and lived exposed to the elements. It tells of their unifying desire to act as one body with many parts to do a great work of God and rebuild a destroyed wall around a city in a miraculous 52 days.
Throughout my career I've seen failures and successes hinge on the simple factor of whether or not an organization or community is willing to partner with those around them and build back stronger. Out of Rubble is intended to foster and be a unifying force to help prepare, equip, and organize the many fellowships of believers collaboratively, but independently, toward the great work of being able to demonstrate God’s love to a broken and hurting community during times of crisis and disaster.
The Body of Christ’s role in a disaster is clear in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.’’
The model upon which Restoration Coalitions was formed is based on Proverbs 27: 10 “Do not forsake your own friend or father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.“ Our hope is that the local churches, ministries, and businesses who follow Jesus would choose to coordinate together, support each other, and provide a unified front to demonstrate God’s love to the surrounding community during those vital times in the midst of disaster and crisis.
So Out of Rubble is a picture of Jesus’ church being firmly planted on a solid rock foundation, and actively working together to rebuild the houses and lives of the community from the rubble.
