What They Don T Tell You About Church Safety

Be inspired to pray boldly, pray powerfully, pray with passion, and trade ineffective prayers and lukewarm faith for raw, daring prayers that will transform your daily life. Do you ever wonder if God answers your prayers? Do you wish you could see the evidence that prayer changes lives? Do you long for more than playing it safe in your faith? Join New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel as he helps you discover the power of authentically communicating with God, breaking out of the restrictive spiritual safety bubble, and expanding your ideas about what's possible with God. The Bible tells us that prayer has the power to move God's heart, but some prayers move him more than others. He wants more for us than a tepid faith and half-hearted routines at the dinner table. God called you to a life of courage, not comfort. In Dangerous Prayers, Groeschel will show you how to pray the prayers that search your soul, break your habits, and send you out to pursue the calling God has for you. But be warned: If you're fine with settling for what's easy, or if you're okay with staying on the sidelines, this book isn't for you. You'll be challenged. You'll be tested. You'll be moved to take a long, hard look at your heart. But you'll be inspired, too. Dangerous Prayers will give you the encouragement and tools you need to: Transform the patterns around your daily prayer life Truly embrace and believe in the power of intentional prayer Start to pray daring, faith-filled, God-honoring, life-changing, world-transforming prayers You'll discover the secret to overcoming fears of loss, rejection, failure, and the unknown, and you'll welcome the blessings God has for you on the other side. But best of all, you'll gain the courage it takes to pray dangerous prayers.

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 to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life.

Every house of worship in America faces a growing constant threat of violent attacks from terrorists, social fanatics, violent anti-religions, the mentally ill, drug-ravaged, and others who crave the social media and news fame of a mass killer. In the last twenty years, there was an average of two deadly force incidents (DFI) at houses of worship in America each week. No state, county, city, or house of worship of any religion is exempt from these threats. Violence, unrest, and criminal attacks are increasing nationwide with no penalty, accountability, or restrictions. Violent criminals are released into society with no controls. Churches of all denominations are seen as soft targets, and they must address these threats and take actions to protect those who come to worship. Retired FBI Superintendent Ed Mireles says, “This book is a highly recommended, must read, for all Church Security Personnel.” This book gives the reader an extremely valuable program of strategies and tactics that can be immediately applied to provide protections against these violent threats, to limit the number of threats that occur and minimize the effects of those that happen. With years of direct experience and multiple sessions of very high-quality training, the author faces these threats head-on and then moves directly to provide counter methods. Hard-hitting, direct, and fast-paced, The Swords of Nehemiah is the essential How to playbook for church protection strategies that have proven successful and can be immediately implemented and consistently improved and enhanced. Retired Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Jeffrey P. Rush says it best, “This is the book every church, every security team needs. Read it, learn it, live it.”

Helping Christians put their faith into action and live for more than comfort, Piper teaches us to choose risk for the cause of Christ, the fulfillment of our joy, and the good of others.

“[A] fiercely honest memoir . . . [a] difficult story of healing to help others find the strength to tell their own stories and heal themselves.” —National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse American society is in the midst of a crisis, an epidemic of violence, secrets, and shame. The victims reside in every town, on every street. Finding it easier to remain in denial than to confront this reality, the public minimizes the emotional aftermath of sexual abuse of children and provides few programs to help heal those afflicted. Recounting the author’s journey through a minefield based on his own denial, Boys Don’t Tell takes a subjective look back at a life distorted by the effects of child sexual abuse and offers insight as to why victims find it so difficult to “just get over it and move on.” Through the eyes and emotions of the author, it reveals his abuse as a teenager by a trusted minister and mentor, then recounts years of therapy, a formal complaint to the Church, and a lawsuit settled in mediation. Boys Don’t Tell covers the nature of addictions, their impact, and the difficulty and reward in defeating them. Excruciatingly honest, it creates an openness that can facilitate healing in others. Boys Don’t Tell gives voice to an estimated 20 million male survivors, and offers loved ones, professionals, church and organizational leaders the opportunity to understand the impact of child sexual abuse. “Through his public speaking and advocacy work on behalf of survivors in Oregon and across the country, and through his book, Boys Don’t Tell, Randy embodies the transformation of childhood trauma.” —The Good Men Project

"I love Jesus but hate the church." We hear this kind of talk all the time, but what if it's profoundly mistaken? Rob Bentz challenges readers to rethink this popular—yet ultimately harmful—mentality. Drawing on his experience as a pastor, Bentz helps those disenchanted with the church to rediscover its importance for the Christian life by examining the biblical, theological, and historical reasons why Christ's followers should embrace gospel-centered community—even when it's hard. Honest yet hopeful, The Unfinished Church provides an encouraging look at God's ultimate building project: his church.