risk

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