Leadership Opportunities

A critical component to Operation Noah Rebuild is the enlistment of Zone Managers to coordinate Operation Noah efforts within each of 27 zones. These individuals, who would serve through August 2008, would be linked to a state convention, association, church, or other Southern Baptist Convention entity.

Zone Managers are being asked to:

• Assist the Louisiana Baptist Convention, the association, and the local churches in the zone in strategically engaging resources that result in reaching people with the gospel, rebuilding lives, homes, and churches, and starting or restarting churches.  This responsibility will include recognizing existing partnerships.
• Engage volunteers in construction, evangelism, and church planting efforts.  This responsibility will include having contact with the community that builds "good will".
• Encourage functioning and nonfunctioning churches, i.e. pastors, staff, and congregations.  (The term "functioning" as used by Dr Bill Day, Leavell Center, NOBTS, in his study of churches impacted by Hurricane Katrina, means the church is meeting in some from or fashion.  Because his study is dated, the planners recognize that the designation of who is functioning and who nonfunctioning will change over time.)  This responsibility will include ongoing contact that facilitates revitalization of functioning churches. 
• Report on the activity of God to denominational public relations offices, the associational director of missions and local media.

Responsibilities of Zone Managers

State conventions, associations, churches, or other organizations and entities that become Zone Managers will:

1. Assess the needs in the area.
   • Visit the zone, meet the pastors, get to know the communities, and get a sense of the needs of the churches and the community itself.
   • Talk to state and association leadership.
   • Draw on the experiences and the opinions of SBC disaster relief leaders.
   • Learn from the experiences of people who have, or are currently volunteering in the New Orleans area.
   • Talk to people who understand the culture of South Louisiana.
2. Confirm your Commitment.
   • Celebrate the commitment by signing an Operation NOAH Rebuild commitment card.
3. Mobilize volunteer teams and volunteers.
   • Approach the project as a multidimensional effort.  Be ready to engage volunteer teams with construction, evangelism, and church planting skills.  You may want to assign an individual to each of the three areas or use one individual to oversee for the entire area.
   • Meet with the Association Project Coordinators (there will be one for the Construction component and one for the Church Planting and Evangelism component).  Develop a plan that allows you to carry out the four Calls To Action for Zone Managers: Assist, Engage, Encourage, and Report.
   • Work with the pastors and Association Project Manager to identify and schedule evangelism and church planting projects.  With the assistance of the Association Project Manager, schedule the projects on The Bridge.
   • Identify the resources available, including the enlisting of partners and volunteer teams.
   • Based on the needs in the zone, provide the appropriate evangelism and church planting training for the volunteers serving in your area.  This could include evangelism resources provided through NAMB or other tools.
   • Enlist partners in the effort.
   • Have an agreement with the churches, the association, and the state convention as to goals for construction/rebuild efforts, evangelism efforts, and church planting activity.
4. Evaluation
   • Work with local New Orleans area leadership to determine what measures the success of the project in their area.
5. Celebrate the activity of God with the New Orleans area churches.

Interested in becoming a zone manager?  E-mail noahECPL@namb.net.

The 27 zones identified for the management of Operation Noah Rebuild projects.