Houses of worship are often considered soft targets for security threats because of their open layouts and accessibility. While every church is different, there are several key points of advice that can be applied across the board to develop a church security plan: train staff/volunteers, collaborate with law enforcement, leverage technology for enhanced security, and continuously evaluate the plan.

Start by developing a church security plan out to local law enforcement and ask them for guidance. Chances are, they have visited other churches in the area and can offer tips on how to keep your congregation safe. They can also do a walkthrough of your property to see what areas of the building are most vulnerable.

Church Security Plan Guide: Protecting Your Congregation

Make sure to ask if they can provide any training, and if so, schedule regular meetings with your team and pastor to go over new information. They can also help to establish a relationship between your church and the police department, which is important when it comes to a crisis.

Your team should be able to respond quickly and efficiently in an emergency. To ensure this, it is a good idea to have each person on your team be assigned a role. This will help to prevent a single person from attempting to take on too much responsibility.

It is a good idea to have an armed member on your team if your church has the resources for it. However, this is a sensitive decision and should be carefully discussed with the team and congregation. Make sure to have the armed member professionally trained for situations that involve guns.