At Church Mutual, we know your ministry is about more than just worship. It’s about community, support and serving the greater good. That’s why, as the nation’s leading insurer of religious organizations, our mission is to provide the services, expertise and strategic connections your congregation needs to accomplish just that.

One growing issue these days is crime. It seems no one is immune to violence — faith-based organizations included.     Creating a security team at your place of worship can go a long way toward ensuring the safety of your employees, members and guests.

“As a society, we protect businesses, schools, banks and other institutions. Now, more than ever, that same level of protection needs to be extended to churches and faith-based organizations.”
— Jeff Hawkins, Executive Director,
Christian Security Network

Below, 10 tips for creating your security team, putting a plan of action in place and setting standards for its operations:

  1. Put staff members, volunteers and congregants on your security team.
  2. Identify potential crisis events.
  3. Establish a written security and violent response plan.
  4. Train greeters and ushers as a first line of defense to detect potential threats involving suspicious people, packages and vehicles.
  5. Establish procedures for patrolling exterior and interior areas before, after and during services, as well as regular business hours.
  6. Conduct a security sweep of the entire building before locking all doors and windows for the day.
  7. Ask members to help keep an eye on the property during off hours and report unusual activities to law enforcement.
  8. Conduct periodic safety surveys of all buildings and grounds and keep written records of conditions and corrective actions.
  9. Call police if a suspicious person is on your property and let the police investigate the situation.
  10. Establish a position on on-site armed protection.

Learn more about protecting your organization at www.churchmutual.com/security.

For more information on how Church Mutual can help, visit www.churchmutual.com or call (800)554-2642 to request a quote today.

Share this content with your peers!