Five Things to Consider When Evaluating Your Church's Security Practices

It's always a good time to review/evaluate your church's security practices. Is your church ready for anything? Can you protect the senior pastor and everyone else should somebody decide to do something stupid?

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Be Intentional - The first step is to raise the staff and key volunteers' awareness of the threat. Everyone must understand it.

2. Preparation - As the story illustrates, literally anything can happen. But with thorough preparation, your church can be ready for any situation. Are you ready? As you probably know by now, I'm highly in favor of a volunteer security team.

3. Procedures - Your church should have a procedure for emergency evacuation and "lockdown and search" in case of a lost child. What is the step-by-step procedure for an intruder who intends harm to a person or the church?

4. Local Law Enforcement - Having a strong relationship with local law enforcement is crucial. They're a valuable resource and should know who you are and, in general, what's happening at your church.

5. Firearm Policy - Does your church have a firearm policy? Are off-duty police officers attending your church encouraged to carry while on campus? Are others authorized/encouraged to carry? Would an armed intruder be unpleasantly surprised?