church security

A Comprehensive Guide to Planning for Easter

Planning an event takes time, teamwork, and lots of organization. Planning for Easter celebrations requires a bit of extra attention. Instead of surfing the web for various tools on how to plan for your Easter weekend, we thought it would be helpful to have one checklist to lead you through the entire planning process. We’ve gathered everything you need to know into one comprehensive guide to help you plan an incredible Easter for your church while also being able to pause and reflect on the season yourself. #1 — Plan Your Plan A part of planning for Easter includes creating the planning process. Follow these seven steps to pull off an amazing Easter service. Choose a Leader First things first, decide who will be in charge of coordinating Easter at your church. Make sure it’s someone who has event planning skills as well as time in their schedule. The Senior Pastor, for example, probably shouldn’t be the one handling Easter logistics, as crafting the sermon and approving the high-level plan is the SP’s focus. Whoever is in charge will need to coordinate between ministry departments — worship, children, youth, service, security, facilities, communications, etc. —  to keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same goals. Don’t forget to pull in the accounting, communications, and facilities departments. They tend to get overlooked but they can have a huge impact on the success of Easter services and events. Having one person coordinating tasks is also helpful in preventing several departments from doing repetitive work. Determine the Scope There are so many things to explore when it comes to planning for Easter celebrations. Once you’ve chosen your leader, get a group together to determine the scope of your church’s capabilities. Will you include outreach events the week before, host an Easter egg hunt, or offer a breakfast gathering before service begins? You may even be thinking of putting on an Easter play. Write this out and talk it over with your department leads before moving on to step three. Finalize a Budget Creating a budget is such a crucial step to a successful Easter that we dedicated an entire blog post about it. For now, here are a few highlights: Find out if your church has a budget for Easter. If not, discuss money allocation options with your church accountant or executive pastor. From equipment rentals to decor to food, determine what your congregation will need in order to meet your scope. Draft your budget, including estimates, and send it to department leads for review. Create a Step-by-Step Plan Now that we’re counting weeks instead of months until Easter, it’s helpful to assign each task to a specific week to make sure it’s accounted for. Here is a high-level list of tasks by week leading up to Easter: Week 1: Finalize the overall theme and scope of activities for Easter weekend. This includes the sermon title, color scheme, themed décor, communion, food items, etc. Gather a planning team. Create and finalize a budget. Walk through the church campus and make a list of any repairs, clean up, or beautification work needed Week 2: Submit Purchase Requests for supplies, rentals, print jobs, etc. Finalize color scheme for Easter graphics. Determine if the church will do any outreach events leading up to Easter. Week 3: Order supplies needed for décor, guest handouts/gifts, etc. Order rentals (tables, chairs, sound equipment) Hire additional security personnel if needed. Create graphics for sermon slides, church website, social media posts, handouts, etc. Plan outreach events (if applicable). Determine volunteer needs (how many you’ll need in each role for Easter weekend). Ask for volunteers to help with church repair, clean up, or beautification projects. Week 4: Create social media posts and start scheduling them. Create Facebook ads. Finalize worship set list. Schedule worship team rehearsals. Ask current volunteers to serve during Easter weekend. Week 5: Recruit additional volunteers as needed (contact people who have served at events but not on a regular basis). Prepare volunteer instructions and training materials. Purchase supplies needed for Easter Sunday. Promote Easter services via Facebook ads, social media posts, and mass email to the congregation. Decide how to follow up with Easter guests and set that system in place. You may need additional volunteers to help with data entry or other follow-up needs. Week 6: Complete church repair, clean up, or beautification projects. Finalize sermon slides. Send any final print jobs to the printer. Encourage the congregation to invite others to Easter services. Week 7: Double check that all supplies needed for Easter Sunday were purchased. Conduct a service run-through. Conduct worship team rehearsal. Host outreach event if applicable. Put guest follow-up process into place. Put the Plan into Place Now that you have your weekly plan, assign tasks to the appropriate team member, making sure to emphasize the deadlines for each. It’s also a good idea to send email reminders to your team in the days and weeks before their task is set to be complete. When volunteers are likely dealing with a number of obligations outside of church, this is a great way to keep your church activities relevant and on track. Enjoy an Impactful Easter! If you have followed this list until now, you are ready to reap the fruits of your labor. Now, enjoy an impactful Easter! Review and Reflect Hosting a successful Easter celebration for years to come is only possible with a review of what worked and, most importantly, what didn’t. Sit down with your planning team and members of your congregation to determine what didn’t go quite as smoothly as you’d hoped. Learn from these lessons and plan better for next year. #2 — Recruit Volunteers Without a doubt, you’re going to need extra hands for Easter. By putting these tips into practice, you can start filling those volunteer roles now while adding to your regular volunteer team later. For a full discussion on working with volunteers in your church, take a look at my

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8 Resources for Church Security Planning

Unfortunately, churches and places of worship aren’t exempt from becoming victims of violent attacks. While our most important tool is prayer, there are several additional steps church leaders can take to protect their congregations.  Deciding when and which doors to lock, how to respond in the event of an emergency, how to collaborate with first responders on emergency response plans, and establishing safety teams are just a few examples. Unless you have a security expert on staff, you’ll need outside help to provide direction for your church. Below are several church security planning resources to consider: #1 – Insurance company Talk with your church’s insurance agent to see what resources they have available.  Some provide free eBooks and training; others may have a list of preferred vendors you could contact and more. Most will at least offer guidance on what they require as your insurer. #2 – Denomination Check with your denomination’s leadership to see if they provide resources regarding safety and security policies. They might have templates and examples of security policies and procedures you could use. Also, ask if they have a list of recommended security experts to contact. #3 – Kingswood Security Consulting Sometimes it’s best to get expert advice that’s tailored for your church’s unique situation. Founder of the Worship Security Association and Kingswood Security Consulting, Simon Osamoh has an extensive security background. This includes 14 years as a Detective in England, former Head of Counter-Terrorism at Mall of America, and serving as a security advisor for his home church in Minnesota. His company provides individualized church security consulting along with church security training options. #4 – The Church Safety Guys Another organization that offers church security training and advice is The Church Safety Guys. Comprised of individuals who serve in their local church’s security teams, this non-profit organization works to provide training, policy and equipment recommendations, print resources, a weekly broadcast, and more. #5 – The Church Network The Church Network offers online courses on church security. They also have resources such as a Safety and Security Manual, Emergency Preparedness Response Manual, and more (many are free). Also, contact your local chapter of The Church Network to see if they plan on addressing security during an upcoming meeting.  #6 – Church Law & Tax This part of the Christianity Today organization provides several articles and other resources related to church security. Search for “security” in their online store to find several eBooks to use as a starting point for your church security planning.  #7 – Local First Responders As your church develops or updates a security plan, ask local first responders to review the plan and provide input. They’ll be the ones you call on for help in an emergency, so their insights could be extremely valuable. #8 – The Church Operations Toolkit Within The Church Operations Toolkit, you can access “how-to” guides for different aspects of church security. This includes creating a children check-in process, running background checks on staff and volunteers, an introduction to risk management, preparing for natural disasters, and interviews with subject matter experts like Simon Osamoh. No one wants to think a violent attack could occur at their church. However, we’ve seen several instances in the news that prove it is possible, and that we need to be prepared. By leveraging these and other church security planning expert resources, you can create a plan and be prepared to protect your congregation. 

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Should Your Church Have a Security Team?

While most of us feel safe when we pull into the church parking lot on Sunday morning, safety isn’t something we should take for granted. Unfortunately, churches aren’t immune from harm. Child abductions, abuse, active shooters, theft, and medical emergencies are a few examples of what can happen within church walls. Thankfully, the news isn’t all bad. There are individuals and organizations rising up to share practical ways that church leaders can reduce the likelihood of something bad happening. Oftentimes, this occurs through the development of a church safety and security team. One group seeking to serve in this capacity is The Church Safety Guys. This non-profit organization leverages decades of experience to serve the church from a safety and security perspective. They offer a variety of resources through books, a weekly broadcast, The Church Security App, and even a Church Safety & Security program in partnership with Centurion Bible College. Safety & Security as Ministry In his book, “The Case for Church Safety & Security,” Church Safety Guys Executive Director James McGarvey presents a case for why having a safety and security team is biblical and how to get started with such a ministry. Note that James calls the safety and security initiative a ministry. That distinction represents his recommended approach to initiating, developing, and maintaining such a team. He provides numerous citations from Scripture to support the stance that this is part of the church’s overall ministry and that leaders should strive to protect their congregation. Additionally, James advocates for what sometimes are opposite viewpoints. Some pastors hesitate to create such a team. They think it represents a lack of faith, use of resources that are needed elsewhere, or as something that’s not necessary. On the other hand, a church member who’s passionate about having a safety and security team might push too hard on the issue or be too rigid in approach, This can quickly alienate the pastor. James provides both parties with wise counsel on how to approach this issue in a manner that respects the authority, leadership, and expertise of everyone involved. Where to Begin Additional resources The Church Safety Guys offer include an eBook for church plants, a 10-step workbook to help churches establish their safety and security ministry, and more. These resources are practical tools to assist leaders in their desire to protect their congregations through a robust safety and security ministry. If your church wants to create or enhance a safety and security ministry, The Church Safety Guys organization is a great resource to consider.   

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How to Conduct a Church Security and Safety Risk Assessment

Church leaders have a responsibility to take appropriate measures to protect the congregation and the church. One tool you can use to accomplish this is a risk assessment. The practice of completing a risk assessment exercise will encourage leaders to think through risks and identify ways to mitigate them. A risk assessment should include the following: The following is an excerpt from my book, Protect the Vision: A Practical Guide to Church Risk Management. This excerpt covers a high-level risk assessment specifically regarding church safety and security. Other risks addressed in the book include: Risk definition This risk includes anything that could cause physical harm to someone while on church property or while participating in a church-led event (even off church property). This includes seemingly little things such as cracks in the sidewalk or unsecured wires in the sanctuary to the potential for an active shooter situation or natural disaster. The main thing to consider here is what measures you are taking to protect those who are participating in church activities. What could happen How to prevent this risk from occurring How to reduce the impact if this risk occurs Develop an emergency response plan to address the following: As you develop the plan, consider the following1: How to respond to injuries or medical emergencies: How to respond in the event of a natural disaster: How to respond in an active shooter situation1: As you finalize these documents: Risk Assessment Tools and Resources (1) Adapted from the 2014 WFX Conference Presentation, “Emergency Preparedness for Your Facility” by then Lieutenant Brad G. Fortune, Plano Police Department, Texas

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How to Improve Church Safety and Security

Once upon a time, pastors thought their churches were safe and secure places that even criminals would respect. Unfortuantely, that’s no longer the case (or perhaps, that always was a fairy tale). Regardless, part of your responsibility as a church leader is to take prudent measures to protect your congregation. As we’ve addressed previously, there are many actions you can take to accomplish that goal. However, a key first step is to assess what risks your church could face. From there, you can determine what to do that will improve church safety and security. What is a Risk Assessment? The assessment step is really a deep-dive look at potential risks to your church. It involves asking some uncomfortable questions such as: What event might occur that could take down the church? How would we respond if a tornado siren went off during a service? Have we provided staff and volunteers with training on how to react in an active shooter situation? What would our teams do if the fire alarm went off? Drop any of those questions at the next staff meeting and you’ll feel the tone of the room take a nose-dive. No one likes to talk about the bad things that could happen within or to our churches. Unfortunately, this is an important issue that we must seriously consider. We’ve all heard of the church or ministry damaged by scandal, fraud, natural disaster, or other difficult events. A trusted bookkeeper siphoned funds into his account, a former member files a lawsuit, or someone is hurt while at a church function. These situations really do happen, yet we tend to think that as a church we’re immune from these issues. That’s simply not the case. We have a responsibility to consider the risk events that could harm our congregations and take appropriate actions to improve church safety and security. A risk is simply the chance that something could go wrong. The fallout from that event could be minuscule or catastrophic, depending on the situation. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to prevent a risk from occurring and minimizing the impact if it does occur. The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risk is commonly referred to as a risk management program. I’ve managed that function for a large company and on individual projects. The following is an overview of the process and how to get started. Step #1: Identify the potential risks to church safety and security This step involves gathering your senior leadership team and asking that uncomfortable question, “What event(s) might occur that could take out our church?” Explain that the reason for this discussion is to ensure you’re doing everything needed to prevent these risks. Here are a few additional questions to use that can get the conversation going: Your list of potential risks may include the following: Step #2: Assess the likelihood and potential impact of each risk As you discuss each risk, talk through the scenario and what might happen. Assess each risk for how likely it is to occur and what the impact would be to your church if it did happen. For the risk of natural disasters: Are you in an area prone to tornados? If so, then the likelihood may be rather high. Should a tornado damage your building, that could lead to physical injuries if anyone is present at the time. Additionally, extensive damage to the building could mean you won’t be able to hold services there for several weeks (or more). While you can’t reduce the likelihood of a tornado, you can take steps to reduce the impact. Examples include purchasing insurance, proper building construction, developing and communicating safety procedures, and scouting temporary facilities before they’re needed. Step #4: Determine what processes are already in-place to prevent each risk Do you have policies and processes in-use to prevent the risk? For example: Do you require that at least two people count and sign-off on the offering total for each service? Is each volunteer working with children required to pass a criminal background check and attend training prior to serving? Do you have insurance coverage on your facilities and the contents? Have you documented these policies and do you communicate them to staff on a regular basis? You may want to seek out legal counsel regarding certain risks to confirm that you’re in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These are all steps that can reduce the likelihood and/or impact of various risks. Step #5: Identify gaps and take action to further mitigate risks If you determine that the mitigations in-place aren’t sufficiently reducing a particular risk, then you need to develop a plan to close that gap. This may include getting additional insurance coverage, implementing background checks, or developing a security threat response plan. The key to this step is to document the actions required and assign a single leader responsible for ensuring that the tasks are completed by a certain date. This leader should report back to you on a weekly basis until all tasks are complete. Step #6: Communicate the risks and mitigating actions Just having your senior leadership team aware of the risks isn’t sufficient. Discuss these risks with staff and volunteers who are directly responsible for carrying out the risk mitigation actions or who may be impacted by a risk event (such as an emergency evacuation). Summarize each risk into a sentence or two and review the list with your staff. Get their input on the list and ask if they have any ideas for how to prevent these risks. Discuss any existing policies or procedures that prevent each risk such as background checks or safety rules. Make sure they understand that you’ve put those policies in place for a purpose and what the consequences to the church could be if one is violated and the risk occurs. Communicate applicable risks while training volunteers and discuss which policy or procedure you’ve designed to prevent those risks. When people understand why they’re required to

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How to Initiate a Practical Risk Management Strategy for Your Church

We’ve all heard about or read the news stories of congregations who’ve dealt with the aftermath of a risk that came to pass. These incidents, whether natural or man-made disasters, can significantly damage those involved along with the church as a whole. The church’s reputation within the community, its witness for Christ, harm caused to individuals, plus potential financial costs can last for a long time. Thankfully, a simple risk management strategy can help you reduce the likelihood that these risks will occur. Here are a handful of examples of what could happen: While the specific circumstances change throughout the decades, risks aren’t new to those serving God and seeking to help His children. Back in Old Testament times, Nehemiah found himself in the middle of his own dangerous scenario when the Jews had returned from exile. Upon hearing the reports of Jerusalem’s destruction, Nehemiah immediately felt compelled to lead his countrymen in rebuilding. He traveled to Jerusalem and rallied the people to rebuild the wall. “Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.” – Nehemiah 4:17-18 Not everyone in the surrounding area was pleased with this development, so they threatened to attack the workers. Nehemiah heard of these threats and stationed guards to protect the workers and their families. He also ordered the workers to carry a weapon in one hand and build with the other. Although I doubt he called it such, Nehemiah had put into place a risk management strategy. He identified the potential risk (threats against his team of builders) and then mitigated that risk (assigned guards and armed the workers). Nehemiah had a vision of the walls rebuilt and the Jewish remnant returning to their homeland. He was determined to make that vision a reality and worked diligently to make it happen – despite many obstacles. Church leaders today face a variety of risks and challenges as you seek to propel the ministry vision of your church. From running background checks on volunteers, to enforcing safety procedures, and more, you’re working to prevent bad things from happening to those in your care. It’s not an easy task and the stakes are high. The whole concept of risk management can become overwhelming. Do we need a policy for this?  How can we possibly monitor all that with the few staff and volunteers available?   While you can’t prevent every possible bad scenario (no one can), there are simple and practical steps you can take to protect your congregation. I’ve created a concise, free resource to help with your risk management efforts. It includes ten top risks to churches along with a few tips on how to prevent each. You can read it in less than 15 minutes and start taking action right away to protect your church. Get your free copy of “10 Risks Church Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore” by filling out the form below.

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Getting Started with Church Security

Church security is a topic we’d all prefer was unnecessary to address. Unfortunately, an online search of security incidents occurring within churches pulls up quite a few examples. Thankfully, qualified professionals with a heart for ministry are using their skills to serve churches in this area. One such professional is Simon Osamoh, founder of Kingswood Security Consulting and the Worship Security Association. Simon worked as a Detective in England, then handled security for the Mall of America. He is well-versed in dealing with organized crime and terrorism threats. Simon uses this expertise to serve the faith community and now helps church leaders navigate the complex waters of welcoming broken people into their churches while still keeping their congregations safe. I recently interviewed Simon for The Church Operations Toolkit membership. He had several practical tips to share with our members. Here are a few highlights from that conversation: Tip #1: Identify your church’s security culture What is the leadership of the church comfortable with when it comes to security measures? Would the congregation accept having an armed security team on-campus or not? Tip #2: Determine what policies and procedures the church needs List every program or service that occurs throughout the week on church property. Consider what element(s) of risk you may encounter with each event. Tip #3: Discuss how best to manage those risks These steps will become the documented policies and procedures for your church’s security plan. Tip #4: Keep documentation simple Document security policies and procedures in short, simple terms. This makes it easier for training purposes. It’s also hard to recall a long, detailed emergency response plan when you’re faced with the adrenaline rush of an emergency. Tip #5: Train staff and volunteers on church security Once you’ve developed the security policies and procedures, provide training to staff and volunteers. For more insights from Simon Osamoh on church security, check out his book, Securing Church Operations: A Seven-Step Plan for Ministry and Safety Leaders (affiliate link). You can also learn more at Kingswoodsc.com or worshipsecurity.org. Interested in becoming a member and getting full access to church operations templates, interviews, and how-to guides? Fill out the form below to learn more:

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