At the Beginning

Establishing a Safety Ministry

This article is based on the Church Security Guide articles "Introduction to Church Safety and Security" and How to Start a Church Safety Ministry in 5 Simple Steps!, and the Expert Resources article "How to Start a Church Safety Program from Scratch: A Guide for Church Safety Pioneers."[1][2][3][4][5]

From the Bible

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (Psalm 127:1).

Introduction

If you see the need for safety and security in your church, how can you start a safety-security team? Sheepdog Church Security can help you do that.

In the News -

Memphis, Tennessee, before 1969 - The largest church in Memphis established a security and safety program in the 1960s or before. According to the security leader in 1969, members of the church recognized the growing threats to churches and other places of worship, not only elsewhere in the world, but also in America. An internationally known pastor with strong biblical views attracted a lot of hostility from those who objected to the message. In 1969, Bellevue Baptist Church had both professionals and volunteers safeguarding the large congregation. This included not only security guards and camera systems, but also medical emergency responders and procedures for protecting children.[6]

Ava, Missouri, July 2017 - A church in Ava started a security team after the pastor had received threats. These threats were related to a domestic dispute in the local community.[7]

Springfield, Illinois, February 2018 - A group of members of Westminster Presbyterian Church met to plan security for the morning worship service. This was two months after the November 2017 church massacre at Sutherland Springs. The security team began serving in June 2018, and its leader was a retired FBI agent.[8]

Columbus, Ohio, April 2015 - Cypress Church in Columbus, a megachurch with 6 satellite campuses plus online members, has a medical team. In April 2015, they published the Cypress Church Medical Team Welcome Packet. This can serve as a template and policy/procedure guide for local church medical response teams. Although this is for a large multi-campus congregation, it is based on principles that can be applied in moderately-sized churches.[9]

See the Need -

This first item is so obvious it is often not said. A church safety ministry is created because someone saw the need.

In Ava, Missouri, the pastor was receiving threats, so there was the need to protect the pastor and others from violence.
In Springfield, Illinois, an acute awareness that churches could face killers activated by domestic violence was aroused by the massacre at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.
Leaders at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis saw attacks on churches around the world and knew of violent crime in their own city.
In other places, concerns are raised

by fires,
by medical emergencies,
by child abuse or kidnapping, or
by burglaries, embezzlement, vandalism, and other property crimes.

What all these have in common is that someone saw a need and decided to do something to meet that need. As people share their concerns, some of the others will also see the need, but some may think "not here" or "not all that bad." Also, some people think our reliance on God means we shouldn't protect ourselves.

Share the Vision -

When you have the vision of a security team, a fire safety team, a child protection program, or a medical response team, then share the vision. Now this is beyond seeing a need and expressing it. It's more like, "Someone should do something about this," but is more constructive. The vision is of us doing something, namely banding together to meet the need. I remember Dad's advice, "If you want to be somebody, and you see something that somebody needs to do, then be the somebody who does it." Sharing the vision, then, is not, "Somebody ought to do this," but, "I'm in on this and want you to join me."

As you talk with others, you'll find that many will see other needs. Listen to them. Learn what needs are most-perceived by the congregation. For the next stage, this is where to start.

Begin Serving -

Select a safety project everyone can agree on, such as a First Aid class, having a nurse or medic set up a table and take people's blood pressure, planning a fire drill, or some other simple health and safety measure.

Here's one example: An easily understood and appreciated role of a safety team is medical response. This will include ushers and greeters, at least as spotters who can alert trained medical responders to a medical emergency. A greeter or an usher can be a trained responder, and may already be a physician, nurse, or EMT. An advantage of bringing them into a group is that the church will know who the trained responders are. Therefore, a project related to medical response is likely to have a positive reception.

Propose a Ministry -

Having a safety project planned will give you more of a footing. Meet with the pastor for approval of the project.

When this project is successful, you can suggest having safety team. This is to be the beginning of a new ministry. To form a new ministry within the congregation requires the consent and cooperation of church leaders. For one thing, the new safety ministry is to work with the church's other ministries. Meet with the pastor and the elders. The ministry will be the team, a group of volunteers focused on one goal, safety.

Organize -

Once church leadership approves and supports the team, it needs to be organized. It must be accountable, so there are three levels: oversight, direction, and action.

Oversight: The Safety Committee's members have different roles in the church, such as pastor, elder, teacher, etc. It sets policies and reviews the activities of the team and authorizes funding. The committee also selects the Safety Director.
Direction: the Safety Director recruits Safety Team members and manages the team. He or she schedules members, purchases equipment and supplies, and recruits and trains the team(s).
Action: Members of the Church Safety Team will be the watchers, will see that doors are locked, will be available for help, and will be ready to respond in an emergency.

Begin Training -

Now that you have a team, it's time to train and equip them. Begin with an orientation which covers the most basic basics and an overview of safety team duties. Enroll the entire team in Safety Member Certification. The eight training modules (classes) cover a wide range of safety issues with more depth than the orientation. Completing and passing all classes will qualify the student to be a Certified Safety Member.[10]

Here are the training modules:

Safety Team Fundamentals
Active Shooter Response
Deescalating Disruptive Persons
Protecting Children from Abuse
Basic Use of Force Laws
Arson and Fire Safety
Storms and Disasters
Mass Trauma Emergencies

Not to be overlooked is reading material, such as Kris Moloney's books:

Like any service organization, a Church Safety Ministry needs to be equipped and supplied:

Team members need to be in communication with each other. This means two-way radios with earpieces.
Except for those who are incognito, team members should be identifiable. The first item for this is patches or name tags. For instance, a medical response team member could have a Red Cross patch on a sleeve. Identical or coordinated shirts, vests, or jackets are recommended.
There are other items for the team and for individual members. Several of these can be found on the Sheepdog Church Security's Amazon page "Recommended Equipment for Safety Ministries" and on Mountain Man Medical (a Sheepdog Church Security affiliate).[14][15]
Don't forget office items for the Safety Director, such as reports and forms.

Free Download -

We have a free download for you, Vision Sharing Guide: Start the Path to a Safer Congregation. Download the Vision Sharing Guide to learn how to inspire your congregation, foster collaboration, and build a safer church environment through meaningful conversation. Click *HERE* to get it.[16]

Conclusion -

Remember the opening line of the theme song to Love Story, "Where do I begin?" A Church Safety Ministry has to begin somewhere. Find that somewhere and begin to make your church a safer place.

References -

Kris Moloney, Church Security Guide, Security Articles, Sheepdog Church Security [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?c=church-security-guide].
Kris P. Moloney, "Introduction to Church Safety and Security," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, June 9, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=introduction-to-church-safety-and-security].
Kris P. Moloney, "How to Start a Church Safety Ministry in 5 Simple Steps," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, June 9, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=how-to-start-a-church-safety-ministry-in-5-simple-steps].
Kris P. Moloney, Expert Resources, Security Articles, Sheepdog Church Security, January 1. 2023 - March 1, 2024 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?c=expert-resources].
Kris P. Moloney, "How to Start a Church Safety Program from Scratch: A Guide for Church Safety Pioneers," Expert Resources, Sheepdog Church Security, December 1, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=how-to-start-a-church-safety-program-from-scratch-a-guide-for-church-safety-pioneers].
Chuck Holton, "Security Warning: Churches a Rising Target for Attack," CBN, December 31, 1969 [https://cbn.com/news/us/security-warning-churches-rising-target-attack].
Mary Pflum, "Guns and God: Growing number of churches want armed security," NBC News, January 27, 2019 [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/guns-god-growing-number-churches-want-armed-security-n963031].
Staff, "Safety Team," Westminster Presbyterian Church, no date [https://www.wpcspi.org/safety-team.html].
Maxey, "Cypress Church Medical Team Welcome Packet," Cypress Church [formerly Cypress Wesleyan Church], Created April 19, 2015, Modified April 22, 2015 [http://storage.cloversites.com/cypresswesleyanchurch/documents/Medical%20Team%20Welcome%20Packet.pdf].
Kris Moloney, Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, © 2020-2025 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/courses/safety-member-certification-2025].
Kris Moloney, "Defending the Flock: A Security Guide for Church Safety Directors (2nd Edition)," ISBN 9793397764636, Sheepdog Church Security, June 9, 2023 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8R5WXTF?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzsafetyeq-20&creativeASIN=B0C8R5WXTF&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1ERD68BB0JGWR&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin].
Kris Moloney, "Active Shooter Mitigation: A Training Guide for Houses of Worship," Sheepdog Church Security, December 19, 2018 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1791373488?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzsafetyeq-20&creativeASIN=1791373488&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1ERD68BB0JGWR&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin].
Kris Moloney, "Shepherding the Sheepdogs: A Self-Study Guide for Leading a Safety Ministry," Sheepdog Church Security, May 16, 2023 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C63W8HMV?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzsafetyeq-20&creativeASIN=B0C63W8HMV&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1ERD68BB0JGWR&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin].
Kris Moloney, "Recommended Equipment for Safety Ministries," Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/shop/instructor_moloney/list/1ERD68BB0JGWR?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d].
"The Highest Quality Medical Gear at the Lowest Prices," Mountain Man Medical [https://www.mountainmanmedical.com/?aid=18].
Kris Moloney, "Vision Sharing Guide: Start the Path to a Safer Congregation," Sheepdog Church Security, 2024 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/vision-sharing-guide-safer-congregation].