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Turning Over Stones

Conducting Risk Assessments

Rish venn diagram with threat, asset, and vulnerability.

Based on the Church Security Guide article, "How to Conduct a Risk Assessment," this article is related to the following Safety Member Certification[1] training modules:

From the Bible

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun ... (Ecclesiastes 4:1a).

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished (Proverbs 22:3).

Introduction

The saying "Leave no stone unturned," has its origin in the Persian invasion of Greece in 477 B.C. The defeated Persians left their shoreline camp in haste, and Greeks believed that the commanding general had left a fortune behind under his tent. Fortune seekers asked the Oracle of Delphi where to find it. He told them to turn over every stone where the camp had been.

The Oracle's advice has come to mean, "Do everything possible to achieve a goal or find something." It is used to describe a thorough and exhaustive effort.[2]

For church safety & security, this can be applied to assessing risks and threats. The intention of a Church Risk Assessment is not to say, "Oh my!" and cringe in fear of what might happen, but to evaluate the level of risk (likelihood and probable impact) so we can plan and prepare to prevent, lessen, or effectively respond to these risks and threats. This is not a strictly one-time assessment, though that is where we begin, but an ongoing process.

On the Web

There is advice from insurance providers and others about risk assessments. Several of these resources tend to focus more on certain areas of concern.

Brotherhood Mutual - Since Brotherhood Mutual (B.M.), a major provider of insurance for churches, pays insurance claims, they have a mutual interest in helping churches to reduce risk (a process called "risk abatement"). They have a video to guide churches in assessing risks, "Use Risk Assessments to Improve Church Safety & Church Security."[3]

B.M. offers The Big Book of Checklists: Risk Management Checklists for Ministries. Billed as "practical" and "easy-to-use," the entire eBook can be downloaded. Also, individual checklists can be downloaded. B.M. shows a list of 16 hazards ("a few") to be considered in developing a plan for risk management.[4]

Church Mutual - Church Mutual Insurance Company has a downloadable PDF, Self-Inspection Safety Checklist. The Table of Contents gives you an idea of what is in this 24-page document:

Risk Management Program .....................3

Buildings and Grounds..................................4

Playground Equipment..................................6

Vehicles .................................................................7

Fire Protection and Prevention....................8

Electrical and Grounding ..............................9

Kitchen...............................................................10

Public Areas ....................................................11

Stairway Conditions ......................................12

Access to Exits; Exit Markings .....................13

Machinery and Equipment...........................14

Employees and Volunteers...........................16

Security .............................................................18

Ergonomic Workstation Analysis ............19

Ergonomic Material Handling Analysis.... 20

First Aid Care................................................... 22

Internet Resources ................................. 23[5]

Texas Defense Force Security - Texas Defense Force Security identifies itself as "the first and only 'not-for-profit' security company licensed in the State of Texas. In addition to providing security, they also advise volunteer safety and security teams in non-profit organizations, such as places of worship. Among their available resources is "Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting a Church Risk Assessment." It has Quick Links (a digital table of contents) to the chapters:

  1. Understanding the Risk Assessment Process
  2. Identifying Potential Threats and Hazards
  3. Assessing Vulnerabilities and Identifying Risk Areas
  4. Steps to Conducting a Church Risk Assessment
  5. Pitfalls to Avoid in Church Risk Assessments
  6. Conclusion

Notable among the topics is "Congregation Behavior and Vulnerability." One concern considered here is how a bad actor may take advantage of the congregation's interaction with the church building and campus. This interaction may also pose other safety and security issues.

There are seven Steps to Conducting a Church Risk Assessment.[6]

Risk Strategy Group - Cody Martin, the founder and CEO of Risk Strategy Group, posted "Church Security: How to Conduct a Risk Assessment." This parallels the Sheepdog Church Security pattern leading to a plan for reducing risks. Martin says the Risk Reduction Plan "should include improvements to infrastructure, policies, and communication methods." Under the heading "Conducting a Risk Assessment" is a church security risk assessment diagram.[7]

Worship Facility - Gene Lass (WF Editor) and Simon Osamoh (Founder/CEO of Worship Security Academy and editor of WF's Security Connections) with Worship Facility staff have produced a video "Church Threat Assessment: Strategies for Identifying and Mitigating Risks." Persons who register can "watch the video at any time, as many times as you'd like."[8]

Also on Worship Facility, Chris Grollnek has written "Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment to Identify Risks for Worship Facility Attacks." As the title suggests, this article focuses on active shooter events (ASEs). Considering that it takes time for law enforcement to respond to any event, those in the church are the actual first responders. Although an ASE is unlikely for any one location, it is prudent to be prepared (not scared). Consider the vulnerabilities of the location and the congregation in the assessment and plan accordingly. The goal is real deterrents, not just a façade of fortification.[9]

Beginning a Church Risk Assessment

A risk assessment begins with deciding to assess risks the church faces. Then select people to serve on the Risk Assessment Committee. Church leaders, of course will participate in the risk assessment. The committee also needs experts, such as from law enforcement, the fire department, child protective services, the health department, and occupational safety. It could also include educators and healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and construction experts (such as a building inspector). Some churches may have members in all these categories, but most congregations need to bring in outside experts.

Areas of Risk

There are several areas where risks to the safety and security of the congregation are found. For now, we'll consider the facilities, the community, persons, policies & procedures, climate, past incidents, and risks or threats found through intelligence. We will also consider staying up-to-date.

Assessing the Facilities

There are risks which could be associated with the facilities. These would include fire risks, weaknesses in access control, structural hazards, problems with the land, etc. For instance, the layout of a building may hinder effective evacuation in case of a fire, especially from upper floors; or the stairs may make tripping or falling more likely (such as through uneven spacing or poor railings); or there are problems with the parking lot and/or outside walkways.

Assessing the Community

Assessing the community is not a new concept to Sheepdog Church Security. It was the subject of a two-part article in the Fall of 2023. The blurb for each part is, "What we find out about our church's neighborhood should open our eyes to the needs for ministry as well as risks the church faces." As much as we may love our neighborhoods, each location has its own risks, which need to be considered in a risk assessment. Among factors to be known are the culture, the family life, and the rates and kinds of crime.[10][11]

Assessing Persons

As has been revealed in the Lessons Learned from Deadly-Force Attacks series, several acts of violence are committed by persons in the church, members of their families, or others associated with them. In one case, the 2009 Reformation Lutheran Church shooting, a member of the congregation was known to be a potential target of violent activists.[12] Other persons may be risks for thievery, abuse, etc. Checking the qualifications, credentials, and background of church staff and volunteers is an ongoing risk assessment process. There also may be persons of concern in the community, such as an opponent of the church's views who has a propensity for violence.

Assessing Policies and Procedures

Would current policies and procedures be effective in keeping the church safe? For instance, what about procedures for locking doors, for prevention of kidnapping, for effective monitoring of childcare and youth leadership, and for safeguards against embezzlement. The congregation also needs response procedures for incidents.

Assessing the Climate

A church needs to assess weather-related and geological risks. For instance, some areas of the country have a greater risk of earthquakes, or of wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic ash, blizzards, extreme heat, extreme cold, or flooding. Evaluate the risks of natural disasters for your church's location so you can plan and prepare for them.[13]

Assessing Past Incidents

We should learn from what has happened, not only in our own church, but from what has happened to other churches and similar institutions. "Remember when?" should lead to, "How can we keep this from repeating?" or "How can we do as well again?" Here is where incident logs and investigation reports play a role.

Intelligence

Two categories of intelligence are passive and active.

Passive Intelligence

Passive intelligence is someone informing us when we haven't asked. If our church has a good relationship with law enforcement, child protective services, etc., we may be given a heads-up to certain concerns, things we may need to act on or be prepared for. One example would be a person of concern who has been released from prison and is or may be in our community. Another example may be a threat someone has made against the church or one of its members. It could be an advisory of geological changes, such as a weak hillside. After all, landslides, wildfires, hazardous material leaks, and flooding impact both the just and the unjust.

Active Intelligence

Asking questions and seeking information is active intelligence. A formal risk assessment will investigate the various areas of concern in relation to the church's safety and security. Two tools of intelligence now are social media and online databases. Search out and monitor the social media accounts of persons of interest. Search and monitor various databases, such as arrest records and sex offender registries. Be alert for threats which may include your church.

Staying Up-to-Date

One thing that never changes is change itself. Everything is subject to change. Therefore we need to stay up-to-date on what risks the church faces. This is especially true in regards to people. People come, and people go, not only among the church's staff and volunteers, but also among the congregation's members and in the community.

Conclusion

It's a risky world we live in. Therefore, we need to be aware of the risks, assess the risks, then plan and prepare for them.

Training and Resources

Part of preparing to meet risks the church faces is training people to meet them. Sheepdog Church Security has a Safety Member Certification program for training members of church safety teams.[1] It has eight training modules. A number of them will benefit staff and volunteers, such as "Protecting Children from Abuse" for teachers, youth leaders, and childcare workers, "Arson and Fire Safety" for custodians, "Deescalating Disruptive Persons" and "Active Shooter Response" for greeters and ushers, and "Mass Trauma Emergencies" for as many are willing to take it, but especially for members of a medical response team.

Team Training Opportunity: Accelerated Cohort 24-03

In his August 14 newsletter, Kris announced a team training opportunity that is starting soon. The Accelerated Cohort 24-03 is scheduled to begin on Sept. 15 and continue for ten Sundays (until Nov. 17). In describing the program, Kris says, "Live Zoom Events: Your team will meet weekly in live, interactive Zoom sessions where they'll see each other, engage with the material, and hold each other accountable."

There's not much time left. Enroll Now.

References

  1. Kris Moloney, Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, © 2020 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/bundles/safety-member-certification].
  2. Staff, "Leave No Stone Unturned: Definition, Meaning, and Origin," U.S Dictionary, Last Updated on January 7, 2024 [https://usdictionary.com/idioms/leave-no-stone-unturned/].
  3. "Use Risk Assessments to Improve Church Safety & Church Security," Brotherhood Mutual, © Copyrighted 2013 [https://www.brotherhoodmutual.com/resources/safety-library/risk-management-videos/property-safety-videos/use-risk-assessments-to-improve-church-safety-church-security-video/].
  4. Staff, "The Big Book of Checklists: Risk Management Checklists for Ministries," Brotherhood Mutual, © Copyrighted 2013 [https://www.brotherhoodmutual.com/resources/safety-library/publications/the-big-book-of-risk-management-checklists/].
  5. Staff, "Self-Inspection Safety Checklist," Church Mutual Insurance Company, © 2011 [https://www.churchmutual.com/media/pdf/Self_Inspection_Checklist.pdf].
  6. Robert Beverly (Commander), "Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting a Church Risk Assessment," Texas Defense Force Security, n.d. [https://www.txdf.org/resources-and-articles/special-programs/church-security-and-safety-management/risk-assessment-and-preparedness/step-by-step-guide-to-conducting-a-church-risk-assessment].
  7. Cody Martin, "Church Security: How to Conduct a Risk Assessment," Risk Strategy Group, no date [https://riskstrategygroup.com/church-security-how-to-conduct-a-risk-assessment/].
  8. Gene Lass, Simon Osamoh, and Worship Facility Staff, "Church Threat Assessment: Strategies for Identifying and Mitigating Risks," Worship Facility, January 26, 2023 [https://www.worshipfacility.com/2023/01/26/church-threat-assessment-strategies-for-identifying-and-mitigating-risks/].
  9. Chris Grollnek, "Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment to Identify Risks for Worship Facility Attacks," Worship Facility, June 29, 2022 [https://www.worshipfacility.com/2022/06/29/there-has-never-been-a-greater-time-to-measure-your-facilitys-risk/].
  10. WGV, "The Community Climate - Part 1," Sheepdog Church Security, October 30, 2023 [https://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/articles/the-community-climate-part01/].
  11. WGV, "The Community Climate - Part 2," Sheepdog Church Security, November 07, 2023 [https://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/articles/the-community-climate-part02/].
  12. WGV, "The 2009 Reformation Lutheran Church Shooting," Sheepdog Church Security, January 31, 2022 [https://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/articles/2009-reformation-lutheran-church-shotting/].
  13. Kris Moloney, "Preparing Your Church for Natural Disasters," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, December 6, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=preparing-your-church-for-natural-disasters].