Does the church really need the following?<\/p>\n
![\"Safety](\"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/safety-sm.jpg\")
background checks – screening, check-in and out, incident reports, lockdown plans, evacuation plans, transportation safety policies, financial safeguards,\u00a0classroom policies, emergency preparedness, first aid procedures,\u00a0rest room policies, liability insurance, etc.<\/p>\n
Don’t all these safety precautions display a lack of trust in God’s ability to protect?<\/p>\n
Commonsense tells us that if we take precautions in our homes, workplaces, and vehicles that we should also secure the house of worship.\u00a0 It doesn’t make sense to park our brain at the door when we enter the church building.<\/p>\n
But, let’s not rely on commonsense.\u00a0 Let’s look to God’s Word.\u00a0 Isn’t it possible, and even biblical, to trust God and<\/em> take precautions?\u00a0 Before you make a judgment, consider verses like Proverbs 3:5-6<\/span>.<\/p>\n Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.<\/em><\/p>\n “ALL your ways” would include seeking after Him in both proactive and reactive measures to safety.\u00a0 Taking safety precautions does not have to mean we are leaving God out of the issue.<\/p>\n Here are some questions to take into consideration:<\/p>\n We have an accountability to God to not only faithfully use what God has given us to His glory but also in how we treat one another.\u00a0 (1 Pet. 5:1-4; Titus 1:7)<\/span><\/p>\n When Jesus sent His disciples out into ministry He said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd (wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).\u00a0 Naivety and Christianity are not synonymous.<\/span><\/p>\n Matthew 4 records Satan suggesting that it was okay for Jesus to put Himself in physical jeopardy because God would protect Him.\u00a0 Jesus replies, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”<\/p>\n One of the\u00a0responsibilities of a shepherd<\/a> is to protect or guard the flock.\u00a0 (Acts 20:28-30; 2 Tim. 1:14)<\/span><\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 5:22 commands us to “avoid every kind of evil.”<\/span><\/p>\n According to 1 Corinthians 13:7, love “always protects.”<\/span><\/p>\n In the church we must not only look out for physical safety but also spiritual safety “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12-13). <\/span>If we were to look at all the body life and one another passages<\/a> of Scripture, as well as verses pertaining to how we are made in the image of God, we would also have to conclude that safety must extend to the emotional, mental, and social realms as well as spiritual and physical safety.<\/p>\n The Classroom Safety Issues Worksheet<\/a> helps teachers take a holistic approach to safety.<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, trust in the Lord to protect but also do all of the above.\u00a0 We must follow the whole of Scripture.<\/p>\n Also Read:<\/strong> Tips about Classroom Safety<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Does the church really need the following? background checks – screening, check-in and out, incident reports, lockdown plans, . . . Don’t all these safety precautions display a lack of trust in God’s ability to protect? Continue reading Safety Measures in the Church: Trust God or Take Precautions?<\/span>Issues Regarding Church Safety<\/h2>\n
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