Church Safety & Security: Children’s Ministry Safety Plan

Did you know that any place people gather such as churches, sporting events, concerts, etc. are regarded as soft targets for attackers and terrorists?  It is crucial that church security is stepped up, especially in the children’s area.  To the person visiting or attending your church, a simple instance of kids leaving classrooms and walking around outdoors, unauthorized adults in the children’s area and children being allowed to leave with people other than those who bring them to the event can be viewed as a huge security risk.  For that reason it is important that every church have a church security children’s ministry safety plan.

Listed are a few considerations to include in your plan:  

1) Background checks

Every volunteer who joins the children’s ministry should go through a background check. If there are any areas of doubt, these should be discussed with the individual.  If, after talking to the ministry leader and the areas of concern cannot be resolved, encourage the person to join another ministry.

2) Check-in and out policies

Every church, as part of their children’s ministry should have a safety plan which should include an official check in and out policy for the children’s area.  As the children come in, they should be logged in and given an ID sticker.  The parent or guardian should be given a similar sticker that they will use when they return to pick up the child.  Note that the person who drops off the child should sign in when doing so, and should be the same person who returns to pick the child up.

3) Procedures

Make sure you have a plan for security breaches as well as for prevention of serious security issues.  The plan should have easy to follow steps in the event that something happens, and clear prevention strategies.  This set of procedures should be posted where the entire children’s ministry team can see them.

4) Training

Well-trained volunteers are an asset to the children’s ministry.  Because they understand their roles and responsibilities better, they are bound to stay active and involved for longer periods.  Every church must train its volunteers on its procedures for keeping the children safe, so that each one of them is clear about the safety measures, procedures, and church safety policies.

5) Oversight

Another important part of the children’s ministry safety plan is external oversight, i.e. people who are not directly involved in the children’s ministry should also keep a watchful eye on what goes on in there.  The church leadership should develop a team of individuals who can help identify the weak spots in the children’s ministry security plan, including keeping tabs on who is in the children’s area and what they are doing there.  Ideally, there should be CCTV within the children’s church, as well as strategically placed alarm buttons.

6) Updates

Lastly, the church security team should constantly stay updated on any new developments in the area of security. Upgrades and improvements to the current security system should be done often.  In addition, the church can consider getting an independent security expert to do a periodic assessment on the safety of the children’s area.

Making a children’s ministry safety plan is of paramount importance for any church because nothing is more important than safeguarding the children that God has entrusted to you!

Be safe!

Russ Sharrock

 

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

Integrity Security Consulting

Russ Sharrock

405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com