Does Your Church Need a Security Team?

While church is a place of worship and community, every congregation should be prepared for the worst. Your community should feel safe at all times within the church, and a security team may be exactly what gives them that extra sense of security.

We’ve listed quite a few reasons why your church would benefit from a security team:

Churches Are a Vulnerable Place

Most churches have an open-door policy inviting all to come. While this is a wonderful part of the church community, it does leave the door open for criminal actions to take place. Whether it’s a threat to the safety of your congregation or the threat of a thief, churches and their parking lots are more susceptible to crime.

Your Church Members Will Feel Safer

All it takes is one incident for your congregation to feel uneasy on Sunday mornings. A security operations team will allow your church members to feel safe, whether their in Sunday school, sending their kids to the kids center, or enjoying the service. A safe environment for your members means a stronger community.

Your Pastor Will Feel Safer

Your pastor is the leader of the congregation, so if he or she feels unsafe then your church members will too. While she’s preaching and leading the worship each week, you want her to do so with confidence so that the whole community hears and receives the sermon.

Emergencies Happen Everywhere

Unfortunately, no place is free from emergencies, and your church will need to be prepared. Whether its a heart attack, severe weather, or some kind of injury, a security operation team who has a plan in place already will make for a smoother reaction to the emergency.

You Already Have Qualified Members in Your Congregation

A security team doesn’t have to be a team from an outside security source. Instead, we recommend gathering volunteers from your own congregation who would be interested in joining the security team. Your church may need to provide extra training, insurance, or team building to clarify your expectations of the volunteer security team, but it could be exactly what keeps your church members safe.

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If you do decide to put together a church security team, you’ll want to ensure that those members are insured with your church’s insurance company. At Sanford Insurance, our specialty is providing all the comprehensive coverage that churches require. For more information or to receive a quick quote contact us today.

You can never be too safe when it comes to your community, and if your church is debating on creating a security team, we hope this article helped you with your planning.