Church Safety & Security: Propose and Persuade—Starting a Church Safety Team

“Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” (Proverbs 25:15)

Fall is approaching quickly!  That means attendance will go up in most churches. Is your church ready to protect its people?  The past couple of months I have been sharing how to start a safety and security ministry in your church.  Summer is a great time to start taking those steps!

If anyone wants something done about safety or security in your church, it is because they have at least one safety concern. A few of the more common concerns are fire, child safety, medical emergencies, burglary, disrupting behavior and armed attacks.  The ad hoc approach is to address a top safety or security concern before proposing an organized ministry.

For example: A church in a small Ohio city experienced two break-ins in less than a year, with several items of value taken. Not only did this raise concerns about stolen property, but it made those who cleaned the church during the week feel less secure. The congregation decided to harden the building for better access control. First they put gratings (with inside release for fire safety) over second story windows above a rear entry roof (where the burglars gained access). More secure doors were put on all entrances. Basement windows were replaced with impact-resistant glass blocks. Later, surveillance cameras were added. This was all done with the pastor and the Church Board acting like a Security Committee.

I would suggest first talking with the people who work in the church. Besides staff, children, adult, and nursery ministry leaders. Let them tell you of their concerns and experiences. Write these down and then let them know that their concerns are yours.  Plan the routes and procedures for fire evacuation.  

Clear fire hazards indoors and outdoors. Plan the routes and procedures for fire evacuation. Plan a fire drill.  After this, you can help the church address the next safety concern. If a serious injury and a heart attack happened during church activities and no one present knew what to do, church members would likely want someone trained to respond to medical emergencies.  Arrange for First Aid and CPR training for key people and for scheduling one of them for each event.  During this time you want to be gathering supporters.

Once on board with safety projects, these supporters will be partners in drawing up and proposing the blueprint for a Church Safety Ministry.  Some of them may end up being on the Safety Committee or the Medical Response Team.  Once the plan for the Church Safety Ministry is ready, it can be presented to the Church Board and the congregation. 

There should be both a written proposal and a live presentation.  

If you have any questions or you are interested in a consultation on safety & security for your church you can contact me at: integritysecconslt@mail.com