Loss Control and Risk Management

We want to believe that nothing bad will happen in life, but we know that isn't the case. The truth is that bad things happen every day—even in the church environment. In fact, churches experience everything from weather-related incidents to medical emergencies.

But, it isn't just unintentional situations that churches face today. From theft and vandalism to more serious incidents, churches are not immune. As violence increases in the world, the potential for it to spill into the church environment also increases. Domestic violence is a prime example of a common issue that can overflow into the church building or parking lot. In recent years, some churches have even had to face violence in the form of shootings.

Given all of this, it's a good idea for churches to have a safety and security team. The presence of a team can help your church become a harder target and can prevent certain situations from ever happening. And since not all unwanted situations can be prevented, a trained team can also be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to a variety of situations—minimizing harm and damage.

Simply having congregation members who are willing to help out should the need arise is not enough, however. For a team to be effective you need to select members carefully, train them properly, and have policies and procedures in place to protect your ministry both physically and legally. Your safety and security team members should also be ministry minded, so they complement your approach not only to protection, but also to community outreach and ministering to those in need.