On October 6, 2024, an unfortunate incident unfolded at the Church at the Epicenter in Burnet, Texas. Jacob Wayne Tarver, a 45-year-old member of the church's volunteer security team, reported that two armed men were attempting to enter the church during the Sunday...
This Week’s Question from Matthew Evans at Calvary Lutheran Church, California "One of the struggles we have each fall is getting our team together for safety training. Someone is always committed elsewhere or missing. How do we get better engagement?" Matthew, you're...
In today's polarized climate, where a simple difference of opinion can spark conflict, how does a church, especially one serving as a federal voting station, prepare for the heightened tensions that accompany a presidential election? A few weeks ago, I was assisting a...
In a recent discussion, I sat down with Carl Chinn, Executive Director and Founder of the Faith-Based Security Network, to talk about his experiences with a deadly shooting at his church and how it affected his journey in security ministry. Carl, your journey in...
Protecting the next generation is one of the most sacred responsibilities we hold within our church communities. The Bible speaks to this in Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16, and Matthew 19:14, where Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to...
Last week, while visiting a church in Atlanta, we conducted two crucial tabletop exercises, one on responding to a bomb threat and the other on an active shooter scenario. These exercises reminded me of an essential truth: no plan survives its first real test. I’m...
As a father and a Christian, I’ve often thought it would be invaluable for senior leaders at my church to preach about social media safety to teenagers or situational awareness to kids heading off to college. However, like many of you, I’ve never heard these important...
The recent assassination attempt on presidential candidate Trump may have seemed unimaginable until it happened this past weekend. Gun violence has tragically become the new norm, infiltrating our schools, workplaces, and even our houses of worship. According to data...
Embezzlement can strike anywhere, even in places we hold sacred. In May, a former employee of Christ the King Catholic Church in Tampa admitted to stealing $775,000. This shocking case highlights the need for stringent financial controls in houses of worship. What...
Imagine walking into an elementary school and noticing a classroom door permanently unlocked, secured not by a lock but by several layers of duct tape. This is exactly what my team encountered during a recent vulnerability assessment at a high school in Minnesota....
This Week’s Question from Dustin Harward at Lake Forest Church “I’ve applied for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) multiple times, but each time my application has been rejected. What am I doing wrong?" Dustin supplied his previous grant applications to...
Working with churches big and small for over a decade, I’ve discovered that both face similar hurdles in developing their risk management programs it all starts with one person. Jim Theis, Director of Facilities and Security at Westwood Community Church in Excelsior...
As the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) gains momentum, the competitive landscape intensifies. This year, with funding down from last year's allocation, the challenge to secure funding is more competitive than ever. However, there's a silver lining: in 2023,...
As I landed back from the BrainStorm Educational Technology Conference in the Wisconsin Dells, where over 1,000 school leaders gathered to decode the future of security, one truth reverberated through the corridors: safety isn't just a priority it's a mission we must...
In the complex sphere of church safety and security, it's easy to become engrossed in the latest technological solutions and programmatic strategies. Yet, have you considered the role that architectural design and the layout of your building can play in fostering a...
The incident at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on February 11, 2024, where a mother caused her son to be caught in the cross file with the church security team’s gunfire, opens a poignant chapter in the narrative of America's mental health care. The real victim, beyond...
In the realm of church safety and security, a new legislative proposal, dubbed H.R. 6981 the "Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024" has stirred both concern and confusion. This bill has sparked a flurry of headlines, YouTube analyses, and social media...
On a quiet Sunday, February 11th, at approximately 1:53 PM, silence at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, was shattered by gunfire. This church, widely known as the home of Joel Osteen's mega congregation and housed in the former Compaq Center, welcomes over 45,000...
In safeguarding our sacred spaces, the cornerstone isn't just a robust emergency operations plan—it's knowing the crucial elements that transform it from basic to comprehensive. The question I encounter most is not if we need a plan, but rather, what should it...
The Reverend Tim Kingsley is the Canon Pastor at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has over 30 years of experience in crisis and security management, including serving as a senior leader in the field and as a volunteer first responder during 9/11....
Welcome to the second January edition of Security Connections. In my last editorial, we looked back over 2023, recapping security for churches with schools, the creation of a threat assessment team, and the importance of training your staff and volunteers on how to...
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