Church Safety And Security

The church has always been regarded as a safe haven - a spiritual sanctuary where people can come to worship God free from worries about violence or unethical behavior by those involved in church ministry. But our culture is changing, and church leaders can no longer assume that "it won't happen in my church." Like the rest of society, churches need to ensure the safety and security of their facility, staff, and worshipers. This book provides a wealth of practical information on preparing for and responding to the challenges of a dangerous world. Robert Cirtin draws on more than two decades of law enforcement and investigative experience, and with his team of professionals outlines a "how-to" approach full of specific proactive steps churches can take to protect themselves and reduce the risk of costly lawsuits. Church Safety And Security is a must-have resource for anyone participating in or preparing for church leadership. Topics covered include: * Utilizing background screening to protect your congregation. * Safety and security issues for church-run preschool and day care programs. * Preparing for and responding to medical emergencies. * How to deal with issues pertaining to child abuse. * Legally mandated responsibilities of church staff members. * How to utilize security/surveillance cameras in the church facility. * Organizing a church security officer program. * Effectively coping with intruders. * Responding to violent acts when they occur. * How to conduct a thorough investigation. If you are a pastor, associate pastor, preschool director, church school principal, deacon, elder, vestryperson, or denominational leader - read this book, then read it again! Make it required reading for every leader in your church. Protect your congregation, your property, and your reputation in the community by doing all you can do to hire the right employees, to prevent physical and sexual misconduct for which your church may be liable, and to reduce the legal and financial impacts of such misconduct. This book will teach you what to look for, and how to take action today to protect the people God has given you to shepherd. Tim Duncan Associate Pastor, Anglican Church of the Resurrection St. Louis, Missouri Church Safety and Security: A Practical Guide is a valuable resource. Bob Cirtin has the unusual but important background mixture of service in full-time church ministry as well as being a certified officer of the law and an expert investigator. He has personal experience with every source of danger for the local church and has developed effective safeguards and defenses. His strategies are clear, simple, easy to implement, and will protect any congregation in the event of an unfortunate occurrence. This book is a must for every church office and library! Terry Raburn Superintendent, Peninsular Florida District Council Assemblies of God This is a book written for our changing times, when the security of our churches must become a priority. Written by professionals who have a strong Christian influence in their lives, this book is a great tool for the security program of your church. Jack L. Merritt Sheriff, Greene County, Missouri Retired Capt., Missouri State Highway Patrol Robert M. Cirtin is an assistant professor and director of the criminal justice program at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He is also the president of Robert Cirtin Investigations, a company providing investigative and consulting services to churches, businesses, and government agencies. A former police officer and Missouri state investigator who has also served in full-time ministry, Cirtin is a frequent guest lecturer on a variety of safety and security topics. He is a graduate of Central Bible College and Lincoln University.

On December 10, 2007, there was a horrific mass murder at a Colorado-based youth missions training center and the church that funded that center. On that fateful Sunday morning at Youth With a Mission and New Life Church, a man with a grudge set out to kill as many people as possible. In total, he succeeded in killing four people and wounding several. His rampage was only stopped by a volunteer at New Life Church who happened to be on the church's security team. Because she was armed, that security person was able to defend the church and stop a mass murderer. If she and her companions weren't there, the body count would likely have been higher in this 10,000+ member mega-church. There are many books about church security available. Those books contain great information about crimes in the church, and making the church more secure. With everything from parking lot lighting to safe selection, and groundskeeping to internal cameras, those books are designed to teach churches how to do corporate security. All of them include emergency planning and all of them treat the church as any other business when it comes to security. This is NOT one of those books. Instead, Bryan looks at church safety from a different perspective - as a ministry of the church. Bryan started the Safety Team Ministry at Frontline Community Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan from scratch. With only some published materials available and a background in corporate security and police work, Bryan created the typical church security team with typical struggles and issues. After much heartache and even more prayer, Bryan believed that church security was the wrong direction. Bryan realized that the missing ingredient was MINISTRY, and the culture of the corporate security practices and standards played a major role in the shortfall. This book is about the struggle and process of creating a church safety ministry. Instead of being rehashing corporate security concepts, this book focuses on what others don't tell you. Topics include: hiring for personality, working with the church board, working with other ministries, and having the right tools and mindset to be a ministry. The final chapter is a step-by-step guide to starting a church safety ministry in your own church. This book also includes links to valuable resources, including documentation for a church safety team, other websites for information, and other recommended books. This book is written for anyone who is interested in starting a safety ministry at their church, anyone who currently leads a safety ministry, and church staff and pastors who are interested in what church safety should be all about. This book is designed to open up a conversation about modern day church safety, and hopefully offer some insights to the process.

When church leaders fail to provide for the well-being and protection of everyone involved in congregational programs, they are derelict in their duty to shepherd and protect the flock. A conscientious and well run safety program gives a sense of security and comfort to those who attend and helps provide an atmosphere where worship, fellowship, edification and service can take place without incident. Keeping Your Church Safe is a practical blueprint for churches covering all aspects of church security and safety for staff, premises and members. It's a well-outlined, easy-to-follow guide in establishing an effective security program for congregations of all sizes. "Given the uncertain times in which we live and increasing threats to our churches, Ron has written a practical, thorough, easy-to-read book that should be a textbook for any church. More importantly, he loves the Lord and His church and has dedicated his life to making sure Christ is exalted in the best and safest way possible." Bob Russell (retired) Senior Minister Southeast Christian Church Louisville, Kentucky "Addressing topics rarely discussed but realistic, this book is an excellent guide for church administrators, security managers, board chairpersons, volunteers or anyone serious about protecting our places of worship. It has been written as a result of years invested in "front line" experience. It contains the insight of a safety manager, site security chief, dignitary protection administrator and a special event commander, all in one." Major Bill Weedman (retired) Commander of Special Operations and Event Management Louisville Metro Police Department Ron Aguiar has been at Southeast Christian Church for 10 years as Director of Safety & Security, with an additional 10 years spent in public law enforcement and private security. Ron is a sought-after speaker, consultant to churches, para-church organizations and public law enforcement agencies. Contact Information: [email protected]

Whether you have a safety or security ministry for your church or place of worship, or you are looking to create a new ministry for your church- this is the right book for you! Church ministry and operations can only be successful through applying Biblical principles. In this brand new book, bestselling author James McGarvey and fellow Church Safety Guy- Mike Scully, talk about the four main components necessary to having a successful safety or security ministry within your church. They walk through, in simple easy to understand terms, how there are four main components to having a Godly, Biblically based safety ministry that can impact church operations in a positive way. Join them on the path of understanding how your team or ministry can be successful and accomplish amazing things in your community. Critical ingredients to a successful team include having the following focus and attitude: Ministry First Focus Engaged Leaders Organizational Excellence Always Training McGarvey and Scully go through the four pillars and expertly craft guidance for you and your church to understand where everything fits into the place of having a successful team. With a Biblical focus on discipleship and ministry values, the safety or security team in your church can be successful in following the Biblical mission of supporting your church in the community. To compliment your church or place of worship ministry- connect with us! Visit our website for more details at: ChurchSafetyGuys.com

This Church Safety and Security Ministry Guide is intended to help Safety Directors of small to medium size churches with training their volunteer teams. This guide was developed by painstakingly researching nationally recognized publications and by consulting with experts in church security, crime prevention, emergency medical response, fire safety, pastoral protection, security, and a number of other fields of study. It contains chapters on everything from Active Shooter Neutralization to Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse.

A 31 day devotional for those serving on Church Safety and Security Teams. A day by day devotional that looks at what matters most and how to stay encouraged in, at times, a stressful ministry! Written by the Church Safety Guys, this book touches on some key components in the Church/Place of Worship Safety & Security Ministry. Meant to encourage you or your team, this is the 1st book in the devotional series specifically for individuals volunteering in this ministry. For more information, about the non-profit group- Church Safety Guys, visit: www.churchsafetyguys.com. Our mission is to train, equip, and disciple, churches in safety and security ministries!

Have you ever wondered if there is a Biblical reason to have a church security or safety ministry? Do you have a hard time convincing your church leadership that it is a crucial ministry in our day and age? Are you a pastor that has a hard time believing a "security" ministry is critical? Look no further! Written by one of the Church Safety Guys, "The Case for Church Safety and Security" is a book that dives into the Biblical foundation for a modern ministry in your church. With Biblical references, this book takes a look at the following topics: Old Testament References on Protecting and Caring for Your Church Members, New Testament References on Being Prepared, Picking Your Battles, Being Prepared and Ready, and Discipleship and Growth. This book takes a solid look at some of the regular mental blocks and hesitation that many church leaders find themselves in before starting a safety or security team. It offers Biblical guidance on the ministry and the importance of every church having one! It also gives both church leadership and ministry leaders the opportunity to learn how to disciple their team and be successful with a healthy, functional, ministry! For other great resources for your church safety and security team, visit: Churchsafetyguys.com

Securing Church Operations is a seven-step plan for ministry and safety leaders. If you are just starting a safety program or have had one established for many years, the seven steps will encourage and engage you to look deeper into the governance and accountability of your church operations, no matter the size of your church. Factors such as culture, environment, beliefs, and denial are some of the things that are challenging to govern in security ministry. The seven steps provide the answer in how to maintain an open and welcoming environment but secure your church operations. The topics covered in this book include security culture, forming a safety committee, protecting your perimeter, conducting a security assessment, writing policy and procedures, training staff and volunteers, and implementing a safety team.The Author, Simon Osamoh was overseeing counterterrorism at Mall of America in Minnesota in 2012 when a local church asked for his help building a safety program. As a 20-year security practitioner and a Christian, helping this church created a passion to go on to help hundreds of churches across America to build safety programs. In Securing Church Operations he shares his years of best practice teaching safety and security methodology from a biblical perspective. Foreword by Carl Chinn the Founder of the Faith Based Security Network