The Fundamentals of Security
This article is based on the Safety Member Certification training module "Safety Team Fundamentals."[1]
From the Bible
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments (Psalm 119:73).
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Introduction
September is Back-to-School Month in many places around the country. This week's featured training module, "Safety Team Fundamentals," is the first of eight in Sheepdog Church Security's Safety Member Certification program, the school for church safety teams.
In any job we might have, it is essential to know the basics, otherwise known as "the fundamentals." Our success depends on them. This is just as true for church safety and security as it is for a cook, a physician, or a corporate executive. This article is more of an outline of church safety fundamentals. Much more depth is gained in the training course.
On the Web
Boise, Idaho, June 24, 2024 - An article in The Idaho Statesman, Idaho's largest newspaper, focused on the increase of security teams in churches and synagogues in the Boise area. Its primary sources were Kris Moloney of Sheepdog Church Security and Keith Graves, the founder and leader of Christian Warrior Training, an Idaho-based church security website. It cites the FBI's findings of a rise in the number of attacks on places of worship, especially churches and synagogues as a reason for the rising concern with security.[2]
Texas Attorney General, Austin, Texas, February 2020 - This news release from the office of the Texas Attorney General describes how Texas laws apply to volunteer safety teams in houses of worship.[3]
The Lead Pastor, August 7, 2024 - "11 Step Church Security Checklist To Keep Your Church Safe," an article by Cody Perez on the website The Lead Pastor, is intended to help churches with safety and security. Step 5 is "Properly Train Everyone on Security Measures."[4]
ChurchLeaders (ChurchLeaders.com), September 3, 2019 - A ChurchLeaders article focuses on an increase from 2009 to 2019 of churches training volunteers to protect their congregations. This has been aided by "a thriving church-security industry."[5]
Risk Strategy Group - In "How to Build a Church Safety and Security Team: A Guide," Risk Strategy Group (RSG) founder/CEO Cody Martin stresses the "training and development" of safety team volunteers with "building the skills" needed for the job. Other RSG articles about training include "Church Safety Team: Regular Training for Optimal Security" and "Understanding the Importance of Church Security Training."[6]
An Outline of Safety & Security Fundamentals
It is no coincidence that the first of the eight Safety Member Certification training modules is "Safety Team Fundamentals." Both scholastic and professional sports training camps begin with the fundamentals of the sport. This is initial training for new team members and renewal for returning members. The same objectives apply to training for a Church Safety Team.
Rules of the Game
A consistent keystone of fundamentals training is the rules of the game. Any rule changes that have been made will be included. Church security is not a sport, but there may be rule changes to note, namely federal, state, and local laws, as well as relevant court decisions. Relevant changes are usually in one or more of four categories: building codes, fire safety codes, child protection laws, and use-of-force laws.
What a Safety Ministry Is
The Safety Ministry is to the church what sheepdogs are to a flock of sheep. Members of the ministry are like livestock guardian dogs (who are raised with the sheep), because they are members of the flock.[7] They are intelligent, observant, bonded to the congregants, and ready to defend the flock, especially the lambs.
There are three levels of a Church Safety Ministry:
- Safety Committee - the governing body of the ministry
- Safety Director - the manager, supervisor
- Safety Team - the ones who protect the congregation
Safety Team Qualifications
Not everyone is capable of being a safety team member. There are certain qualifications. Since they have a practical job in the church (other than teaching, preaching, counseling, governing), they are deacons. The first deacons were appointed to take over the distribution of assistance to widows and orphans. This freed the apostles and elders for prayer, studying, teaching, and preaching. There were qualifications for these deacons (Act 6:3), and Paul listed qualifications for deacons in his letters to Timothy (1 Tim. 3:1-13) and Titus (Tit. 1:6-9 and 2:6-8). Taken together, these are the qualifications:
- Good reputation
- Spirit-filled
- Wise
- Above reproach (blameless)
- Respectable
- Faithful to spouse
- Spiritual leader to children at home
- Sound-minded (sober and sane)
- Self-controlled, not prone to argue or fight
- Not wild or disobedient
- Not overbearing
In addition are Team Member Characteristics:
- Physically fit
- Even-tempered
- Team player
- Good communication skills
- Commands respect
Threats We Guard against
There are several kinds of threats to a church and its members. Many of these are considered in the previous article, "Turning Over Stones (Conducting Risk Assessments)."[8] Here's a summary:
- Crimes in the church, on its property, or at its events -
- Against persons
- Against property
- Against society
- Crimes of special concern are -
- Theft (especially burglary and embezzlement)
- Child abuse and kidnapping
- Domestic violence
- Deadly-force attacks
- Vandalism and arson
- Other safety concerns -
- Fire
- Severe weather
- Disruptive persons
- Medical emergencies
- Accidents
- Disasters
Safety Team Equipment
We see through the Bible that many kinds of tools, weapons, and other equipment were used (Exodus 27:3; 1 Samuel 13:19-22; Numbers 4:7; Psalm 74:6). This also included prescribed clothing for certain responsibilities, such as the priests' garments (Exodus 28:4) and a soldier's armor (Psalm 28:7; 35:2; and Ephesians 6:11-17).
There are equipment and supplies we need for a church safety ministry. A sample list is -
- Flashlight
- Notepad and pen or pencil
- Camera
- Utility knife and/or multi-tool
- Two-way radio with earpiece
- Non-lethal defense spray
- IFAKs (Individual First Aid Kits)
- Medicine Cabinet
Some items of apparel for safety team work are -
- Matching shirts with name tags
- Ball cap
- Non-skid shoes
- Tool belt
- Coats for cold weather and rain
Safety Team Duties
The safety director, the team as a whole, or members specifically assigned are responsible for the equipment:
- Change batteries, charge radios, etc.
- Order consumable supplies (e.g., batteries, first aid supplies, etc.)
- Schedule and attend to maintenance of security systems and safety equipment
There are several safety & security items needing regular care:
- Fire extinguishers,
- AED machines,
- Burglar alarm systems,
- Fire alarm systems,
- Emergency lighting,
- Security gates,
- Security cameras,
- Electronic door locks,
- etc.
Safety team members have these duties (or duty categories):
- Patrols
- Situational awareness (Cooper's Colors)
- Public interactions
- Communications and reporting
- Responding to incidents (OODA Loop)
- Inspections
- Securing - access control
- Unattended outside doors locked (exit only)
- Unused rooms closed and locked
- Windows closed and locked
- Protect the Collection of Funds
The last item is very important. According to the training presentation,
"One of the Safety Team's most important tasks is to watch over and protect the funds that are collected during worship. Church members need to feel that money they put in the collection plate will actually end up in the church bank account and will not be pocketed by some thief."
These are the Safe Cash Procedures:
- Watch and observe for threats during collection
- Escort ushers to counting room
- Monitor counting procedure
- Observe locking of bag and putting it into the safe
- Be present wherever money is collected
Training: More than Classes
The most obvious mode of training is classes. Training also includes mentoring, coaching, practices, and drills, as well as additional studying through reading, podcasts, videos, etc. Some organizations promote the concept of "always in training." That sounds like a good attitude, since there is always something to learn.
Safety Member Certification
This is the primary training program of Sheepdog Church Security.[1] It consists of eight training modules (classes) with a certification test for each:
- 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
A student passing each training module will be certified as a safety member for two years. Certification can then be renewed for two more years. The advantages of recertification are twofold:
- What has been learned will be refreshed.
- New information, techniques, and equipment will be introduced.
All classes are online as self-paced individual study. Safety teams can also enroll in cohort programs when available. A cohort goes through ten weekly Zoom sessions. Cohort 24-03 is now in progress. The next cohort will be announced in the weekly newsletter when it has been scheduled and is open for enrollment.
Office Hours and Lessons Learned Sessions
The subtitle for this section under "Certification" is "Stay Connected and Get Support." These are Zoom meetings for safety team members and those who have completed the classes and are certified (students and Alumni).
Lessons Learned sessions are on Tuesday evenings. Real-life incidents are discussed with the goal of bringing out lessons to apply to our churches' security by improving our practices.
Office Hours are on Thursday mornings at 10:00 am Central Time. Participants can ask Kris questions about the training and have open discussions on house of worship safety.
One benefit of these sessions is interaction with the instructor and other students, something that's missing from individual study. This also offers support and continued learning.[1]
Books on Church Security
Quotes are from the Amazon descriptions of these books, which are meant to enable and enhance safety & security ministries in places of worship as well as other religious institutions. Three of these books are specifically intended to train the leaders. The links are to their postings on Amazon.
Defending the Flock: A Security Guide for Church Safety Directors (2nd Edition) - This is the second edition of Kris Moloney's first book. As the subtitle says, the intended audience is church safety directors. Its purpose is to help them organize and train their teams. "This book is designed to be a reference guide that gives you a solid foundation of training and a means to develop safety programs."[11]
Shepherding the Sheepdogs: A Self-Study Guide for Leading a Safety Ministry - "Shepherding" is Kris's latest book. Like the first, it targets church safety directors. "This book is a companion book for Defending the Flock. As a leader, your responsibilities are different than your Safety Team." Just as the sheep need a shepherd, so do the sheepdogs, and training is a key area of shepherding the guardian stock.[12]
Active Shooter Mitigation: A Training Guide for Houses of Worship - This is Kris's second book. The focus is a specific security concern for houses of worship, active shooter events. "We live in troubled times - the rise in gun-related violence, particularly violence directed against churches and their congregations across the nation, is proof of this." The intent of this publication is "To ensure that you are prepared for any eventuality and able to curb violent acts."[13]
Securing Church Operations: A Seven Step Plan for Ministry and Safety Leaders - The author of this book, Simon Osamoh, is a security expert with a proven track record. His work in counter-terrorism took him from Great Britain to the Mall of America in Minnesota. He is the founder and CEO of Worship Security Academy (a Sheepdog Church Security affiliate) and the Security Connections editor for Worship Facility. "The seven steps provide the answer in how to maintain an open and welcoming church environment but secure your operations."[14]
Conclusion
Better than "Back to the basics" is "Begin with the basics and stay with the basics." Church safety training starts with the fundamentals, and we should never neglect the fundamentals.
References
- Kris Moloney, "Safety Team Fundamentals," Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, © 2020 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/].
- Sarah Cutler, "‘Like becoming a cop': Boise-area houses of worship arm volunteers as threats rise," Idaho Statesman, Updated June 24, 2024 [https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article289260950.html].
- Ken Paxton (Attorney General), "Volunteer Security in Houses of Worship," Office of the Attorney General of Texas, February 2020 [https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/volunteer-security-houses-worship].
- Cody Perez, "11 Step Church Security Checklist To Keep Your Church Safe," The Lead Pastor, Last updated on August 7, 2024 [https://theleadpastor.com/article/church-security-checklist/].
- Stephanie Martin, "Churches Train Members to Protect the Flock," Church Leaders (ChurchLeaders.com), September 3, 2019 [https://churchleaders.com/news/358320-churches-train-members-to-protect-the-flock.html].
- Cody Martin, "How to Build a Church Safety and Security Team: A Guide," Risk Strategy Group, no date [https://riskstrategygroup.com/how-to-build-a-church-safety-and-security-team-a-guide/].
- Wikipedia contributors, "Livestock guardian dog," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, August 22, 2024 [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Livestock_guardian_dog&oldid=1241693789] (accessed August 31, 2024); Reference No. 2: Elizabeth Barnes "Working like a dog". Mother Earth News, No. 168. p. 30, (1998).
- WGV, "Turning Over Stones: Conducting Risk Assessments," Team Briefing, Sheepdog Church Security, September 3, 2024, [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=turning-over-stones and https://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/articles/turning-over-stones/].
- Kris P. Moloney, "Church Safety Team Basics," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, © 2018 [https://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/safety-team-academy].
- Kris P. Moloney, "Safety Team | Mastering the Basics," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, posted June 9, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=church-safety-team-basics].
- Kris Moloney, "Defending the Flock: A Security Guide for Church Safety Directors (2nd Edition)," ISBN-13 : 979-8397764636, 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_ofs_mixed_d_asin].
- Kris Moloney, "Shepherding the Sheepdogs: A Self-Study Guide for Leading a Safety Ministry," ISBN-13 : 979-8394900297, 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_ofs_mixed_d_asin].
- Kris P. Moloney, "Active Shooter Mitigation: A Training Guide for Houses of Worship," ISBN-13 : 978-1791373481, 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_ofs_mixed_d_asin].
- Simon C. Osamoh, "Securing Church Operations: A Seven Step Plan for Ministry and Safety Leaders," ISBN-13 : 979-8669676704, Worship Security Academy, August 20, 2020 [https://www.amazon.com/Securing-Church-Operations-Ministry-Leaders/dp/B08GBCWWYL/ref=m_crc_dp_lf_d_t1_d_sccl_2_3/145-4391166-9357314?pd_rd_w=k00Jn&content-id=amzn1.sym.a5144f00-3d78-40a4-aa84-7ff51eea31f7&pf_rd_p=a5144f00-3d78-40a4-aa84-7ff51eea31f7&pf_rd_r=6C84CREYYKFR821G94Y0&pd_rd_wg=ma859&pd_rd_r=35ee5c6f-dd9f-4017-bc06-8b6639b9bce8&pd_rd_i=B08GBCWWYL&psc=1].