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

A Comprehensive Guide to Planning for Easter Read More »

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. 

8 Resources for Church Security Planning Read More »

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.

How to Initiate a Practical Risk Management Strategy for Your Church Read More »

5 Ways to Prevent Child Abuse in the Church

As a church leader, you want children and their parents, to feel safe at church.  This includes supporting parents as they work to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.  That’s why I’m sure news stories regarding churches within the Southern Baptist Convention, what happened at NewSpring, and incidents within the Catholic Church must have hit your heart and served as painful wake-up calls that we have work to do to prevent child abuse within our churches. It’s tempting to think “that could never happen at my church”.  However, these tragic crimes have occurred in churches of various sizes, denominations, and in a variety of locations.  Predators don’t care about the people they hurt or about the impact on your church – they only care about themselves. We must, as we read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Fortunately, there are several practical steps you can take to prevent child abuse in your church. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and do not attempt to provide legal advice. Please speak with church legal counsel to ensure your church’s policies adhere to applicable laws and regulations.   #1: Conduct Background Checks If you’re already doing background checks on potential staff and volunteers, excellent.  Please continue to do so and re-run those checks on a regular basis. However, remember that a clear background check simply indicates an individual hasn’t been caught.  It doesn’t prove they have never or would never abuse a child. In addition, not all background checks are created equal. Some vendors search more databases than others. Some jurisdictions are better about recording issues than others.   If you haven’t started performing background checks yet, look here for vendors to consider. Bottom line: A background check is the minimum you should do to screen a potential employee or volunteer.  It’s an excellent place to start, but it isn’t the finish line. #2: Complete an Extensive Interview Process As you look to hire new employees, you probably already go beyond a single interview and reading through the candidate’s resume.  After all, you’re about to bring someone onto your staff who will have influence over the spiritual growth of others. You certainly don’t want to bring someone on-board who is a “sheep in wolves clothing.”  People will look at them as spiritual leaders. In addition, this potential staff member may have direct contact with young people at your church.  This means you’ll want to conduct in-depth interviews and contact the candidate’s references including previous ministry employers.    Take time to get your own impression of the candidate’s character.  This may require several interviews and having elders or other staff members talk with the candidate as well.   Check out this list of interview questions from the Vanderblomen Search Group to spark ideas for what to ask candidates.   In this article, Richard R. Hammar of Church Law & Tax provides several recommendations for preventing child abuse.   #3: Carefully Screen Volunteers We all know getting enough volunteers can be a challenge.  If we put additional requirements in-place, that can make it even more difficult to fill all the needed volunteer positions.   However, the potential consequences of NOT properly vetting a volunteer vastly outweigh the inconvenience of a more rigorous process.  You don’t want to tell a heartbroken parent that you didn’t screen the offending volunteer more closely because it was “too hard.” This more in-depth process should at least apply to any volunteer who would serve around minors. What should be involved in screening potential volunteers? #4: Establish (and strictly enforce) Protective Policies To make sure all staff and volunteers are aware of your church’s policies regarding children, you’ll need to document those policies and require training.   In addition to initial training, constantly reenforce these policies: The idea here is to keep these policies in front of staff and volunteers on a consistent basis. If someone does not follow the policies, you need to enforce consequences.  This could mean reassigning a volunteer, removing them from volunteering, or even firing an employee who fails to follow the policy.   Everyone needs to understand that you will not tolerate breaking these rules as they exist to protect all parties involved. Adopting a zero-tolerance stance isn’t easy, but you may only have to do that once to get the point across. Here are several policy points to consider: #5: Incident Response If someone reports abuse by church staff or volunteer, immediately report this to the applicable authorities.  When appropriate, gather church leaders together and prepare to respond to questions from the media and from the congregation. In addition, your church’s insurance company may require that you notify them in the event of an allegation of abuse. Talk with your church’s legal counsel about your legal obligations regarding receiving reports of alleged abuse against a minor.  Include those requirements in your church’s policies and procedures, then train all staff and volunteers on how to adhere to them. On a Personal Note… I’ve tried to approach this topic from a standpoint of providing practical tips.  However, the reason I felt compelled to write this piece is how I felt after reading news stories and thinking about my children.  Like most parents, I am fiercely protective of them. The thought of how they and our family would be affected should they be abused at church is unfathomable.  I would much rather have a staff member tell me that childcare isn’t available because they didn’t have enough qualified volunteers than have something awful happen. There are likely parents in your community who are wary of bringing their children to church after hearing these news stories.  Please invest the effort now to review and tighten up your church’s policies and procedures. Then educate your congregation on the steps you’ve taken to protect

5 Ways to Prevent Child Abuse in the Church Read More »

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:

Getting Started with Church Security Read More »

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top