Earthquakes in Haiti, Chili, and China. Floods in Tennessee. War in Sudan. As the world has suffered from a brutal string of disasters in the past year, U. S. churches have recognized the need to send humanitarian aid in the name of Christ. Yet most congregations are not equipped to provide a meaningful response to suffering on a massive scale. How can American Christians get involved in bringing hope to victims of disasters?

Kevin J. Turner is president of Strategic World Impact (SWI), a missions agency that works exclusively in disaster areas, war zones, and places where Christians are persecuted. He's personally spent 20 years ministering in some of the most ravaged—and dangerous—places on earth, and he has the scars to prove it. His organization provides direct relief aid like food, water, and medical assistance. SWI workers also proclaim the gospel through interpersonal relationships and by showing the Jesus film.

We asked Kevin to help us understand ways that U. S. churches ...