Church Safety & Security

  Co-Authors: Susan Schneider, Office of Security Programs, Infrastructure Security Division, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Mark Silveira, FEMA Grants Program Directorate, Senior Advisor & Branch Chief Marcus Coleman, Director, DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Whether you are preparing for disasters or keeping your church and related facilities safe from acts of violence,

  By Will Biggerman Keeping your church or religious institution safe is of the utmost importance. You want to protect your staff, congregation, youth, and childcare division while anyone is on the property. Designing a church security camera system can be hugely beneficial to your community’s safety, but it comes with its own challenges and

  By Jason Murphy Fifteen years ago, it would seem as though a security team had no place in a church, except for directing traffic. Nowadays, you will have a hard time finding many churches that do not have a security team. The No. 1 tool for those security teams is radios and earpieces. Without

  By Carolyn H. Bluhm and Rudy Bluhm Imagine having a force of thousands of trained Christian Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) members that are ready to help with your community emergency response efforts. Think it’s not possible? Think again! By following God’s lead, training and actively building partnerships, it can be done one congregation at

  It’s the morning of your service. Church members are entering the building and finding their seats. Families are catching up with one another in the parking lot, the lobby and along the aisles. You never know when something could happen at your church. Places of worship are often perceived as safe, comfortable spaces for

  As churches have reopened, there are a lot of people that want some “face time” with the pastor. Some of them are happy the church has re-opened – others are angry that it was ever closed. Many have prayer requests or needs for family, jobs or health. Others want to challenge your pastor on

  By Michael Wilson If you look closely, you’ll see a curtain coming down in a theater near you. It’s closing on the last performance of the play Hygiene Theater. Most of us, including church administrators, know about this show. Many of us have even seen it. In Hygiene Theater, all of the characters are cleaning professionals,

  Communities of faith are often seen as safe sanctuaries for people to turn to for spiritual guidance, a sense of belonging, and a helping hand in times of need. Following the surge of COVID-19, churches have taken a hard hit on their attendance as public safety is pulled into question. With airborne risks at

  By Alex Clay Church is place of community, and families and children are the vibrant heart of any congregation. Offering safe and easy childcare can attract new families and encourage parents to get more involved at church while their kids celebrate in their own space. A great way to ensure kids are safe is

  Church cleaning has never been more important. After all, these confined spaces can be filled with hundreds of people singing, praying, and breathing the same air. Alongside other preventative measures, thorough cleaning is an essential way for religious leaders to eradicate germs from communal areas and keep everybody safe in the process. And hiring