ReadyTN Faith
When disaster strikes, Tennessee’s faith communities are often among the first to respond — offering care, comfort, and leadership when it’s needed most. ReadyTN Faith is a statewide initiative of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) designed to help houses of worship of all denominations prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Our mission is simple: empower faith-based organizations to be ready, resilient, and responsive in times of crisis. Whether your congregation serves a few dozen members or several thousand, your house of worship can play a critical role in protecting lives and strengthening community recovery.
Why Faith Communities Matter in Emergencies
Houses of Worship are cornerstones of Tennessee’s resilience. They provide essential support before, during, and after disasters by:
- Offering shelter, food, and emotional support to affected individuals
- Serving as trusted communication hubs for their communities
- Mobilizing volunteers and resources in times of crisis
- Partnering with local emergency management and response agencies
By preparing now, faith leaders can ensure their congregations are ready to respond safely and effectively when emergencies occur.
Get Started on your ReadyTN Faith Journey
Connect with TEMA by filling out the ReadyTN Faith form. By completing this form, your house of worship will receive regular email communications featuring preparedness tips, planning resources, success stories, and important alerts—helping your faith community stay informed and ready for whatever comes next.
Resource:
Begin your planning journey with the Emergency Plan Self-Assessments that help evaluate your current readiness. These tools identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in areas such as facility safety, financial resilience, communication, and insurance coverage.
Resources:
A. Introduction (pdf – not fillable)
B. Facility Assessment (pdf fillable)
C. Online Security (pdf fillable)
D. Financial Resilience (pdf fillable)
E. Facility & Member Snapshot (pdf fillable)
F. Communications (pdf fillable)
G. Insurance (pdf fillable)
These assessments will help your house of worship evaluate your currrent preparedness efforts and identify areas of improvement.
Use the free, fillable Emergency Operations Plan template to build or update your emergency plan. Complete it in full or section by section—whichever fits your congregation best. Once you have completed this, keep this in a safe place. This document if for your records only, you do not need to submit this.
Resource:
Fillable Emergency Operations Plan Template: A ready-to-use framework to create or update your house of worship’s emergency plan.
After completing the self-assessments and your EOP, your house of worship can complete the Partner Checklist to be recognized as a ReadyTN Faith Partner. Partners may request an in-person presentation and share documentation with insurance carriers to demonstrate proactive preparedness.
Resource:
Partner Checklist: The final step in the ReadyTN Faith journey with a step-by-step guide to help faith organizations prepare to serve their congregations and communities before disaster strikes.
If you have questions, need assistance, or are ready to get started on your ReadyTN Faith journey, please contact TEMA.ExternalAffairs@tn.gov.