Church Security + Safety- Over 90% of Church fail to do this

In our experience we meet with several dozens of Churches each year. Throughout the initial conversation, we discuss everything from vision, mission, ministries, operations, and current security efforts. Now, we have NEVER visited a Church that had fully well-rounded approach to security. They were usually “prepared” for an intruder but have not necessarily thought through the other components. For instance, Churches should be considering medical emergencies, child areas, offering procedures, special events, ministries after hours, background checks and much more. However, 90% + Churches fail to have any system of recording or documenting events. As incidents occur and are resolved, most congregations count that as a victory and move forward. Therefore, there is no record of the event taking place for future reference. Consider this actual scenario our team assisted another Church with:

On Sunday evening an elderly member was walking to her car through the parking lot. One of the greeters saw the individual fall, missing a step down. They rushed quickly to their side and evaluated the situation. Upon meeting them, they had already attempted to get up. The team member insisted they sit for a while to ensure there were no serious injuries even offering to call the medical team or the ambulance. They quickly declined (multiple times) and asked for assistance before getting in their vehicle. The Greeter then documented the incident and continued the Sunday Morning duties. A couple of weeks later the Church receives a claim from an insurance company, stating a member had fallen and sustained injuries that required some medical attention. The cost was for $1,200.00. The Church reviewed the claim and provided the documentation to the insurance company at which point the Church had liability in the matter. Without the documentation (signed and dated by a staff member and the greeter), the Church would likely have to fight it more directly.

We always recommend documenting each incident no matter the situation. Whether a child was injured at the playground, had an allergic reaction, or there was a domestic dispute record the incident to help the Church protect themselves from unnecessary liability.

We would truly love to be able to partner with you and walk through the security journey. Our team will start off with an on-site assessment and lead you through developing this ministry further. Check out this blog for more information.