If you struggle with the idea of having safety policies and perhaps even a security team in the church, think about this:
“love protects” (1 Cor. 13:7)
Safety measures let people know you love them enough to protect them.
An Acrostic Describing What Happens When We Intentionally Put Church Safety Measures in Place
When we intentionally plan for church security we do the following to protect the Body:
P – Prevent problems
The policies themselves can deter some people. Knowing, however, that people stand alert to the risks and keep their eyes open to potential harmful situations, provides an extra layer for people who would do harm.
R – Risk assessment & management
We prevent problems when we take a proactive approach. We see potential problem areas and work to minimize danger or hazards.
O – Open dialogue
When people know we’re there for them, they’re more likely to bring concerns to us if something doesn’t seem right. Having policies says it’s okay to talk about it.
T – Trained observers
Proper training helps people stay more alert to potential danger. When greeters, ushers, teachers, and those specifically assigned to a security team recognize potential danger, much can be prevented, or the consequences lessened, as they move into action.
E – Emergency readiness
The unthinkable can happen in a church. Perhaps a member has a heart attack or other medical issue in the middle of the service. Churches have faced someone opening gun fire, child abduction, a fire, or natural disaster of some sort. When ready to respond, we can avert some of the collateral damage.
C – Cut costs
Taking care of issues after the damage is done can be very costly financially, but also for people’s well-being, healthy relationships, and the reputation of church. We could be looking at people seeking compensation, liability suits, increased insurance premiums, and more. Some will complain that we can’t afford a safety program. The real question might be if we can afford not to take these measures.
T – Trust Builds
The Bible warns about wolves in sheep’s clothing. We can’t always prevent problems. But, when people know we’re doing what we can, they tend to feel more secure and put the focus where it should be while attending church. For example, screening workers lets parents know we take the welfare of their children seriously. That along with other measures we take, can lessen their worry about leaving their children and going to their own classes or service.
Don’t take safety measures merely to follow the ways of the world or do what other churches do. Loving people means that we do what we can to keep them safe — because LOVE PROTECTS.
Suggestion, just lump it all into a category of “First Responders” within the church fellowship and leadership team. But, do not forget the Biblical example (Two key New Testament passages (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1:5-9) provide us with the essential qualifications that such men must demonstrate in order to be qualified to serve the local church) of the distinct roles of church authority and leadership. As a lay minister and church leader, there have been unique examples of fast response team actions. In one large mega-church the “red flag” of an existing problem maker was for the signal of “taping the top of our head” to others in the response team: elders, deacons, ushers/greeters, etc.) and we went into action. In another smaller fellowship the pastor asked me personally to wear my concealed carry weapon during church as a security backup person. Then there’s the burden of performing a sincere and gut wrenching personal background check on anyone dealing with children in the church. I was in one church, and subsequently left it because of weaknesses in the church, because there was a man who admitted to having been accused of inappropriate behavior with his own niece and he had an ongoing addiction to pornography. And he was involved in the children’s ministry too! Such sloppy oversight by church leaders is an abomination and leaving themselves open to legal problems if/when the man became a pedophile aggressor in the church.
Thanks, Winston, for providing examples. Part of a “shepherd’s” duty is to protect the sheep which sometimes requires making some difficult decisions but the welfare of all the sheep must be of utmost concern.