A Watchful Eye

None of the suggestions I have given you will amount to anything if you have not taken the time to develop a reactive plan. Your plan should include a few simple things:

1.Assignments- who will do what
2.Staging- where will you all gather after an incident.
3.First aid- are there any nurses or EMT's that are members
4.PR- who will speak to the press
5.Insurance- who will process any necessary forms for the ministries insurance company.

Become a spy

You should always know what goes on within your community. Speak to the children and teens, they can always tell you what is going on. Contact the neighborhood watches. Take pictures of any graffiti you may find on your church and research it to see if it does represent a gang. Have someone, a member, occasionally ride by your ministry just to see what occurs there at night.

Make friends

For a Christian this should be an easy one. Make friends with everyone in the community you serve. This is the best bet to insure your congregations security because a friend will make you aware of a potential attack, acquaintances won't.

Invest in a security system

At the very minimum, you must have some type of security system. You should have something that monitors fire as well as intrusions. This is very important as it could drastically affect your ministry if there is a fire. There are many companies that can offer you a solution to fit almost any budget. Monitoring is often included in the cost but if it isn't you should still have it. Also, there could be a discount involved because you are a ministry. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

None of the things I have listed so far will amount to much on the cost scale and they can be put into effect almost immediately. I would make sure that I get to know the patrolmen that are responsible for the area your church is in and see if you could get a roll through during their shift. Anything you can do to disrupt a potential attackers planning stage will help you. Also remember, there is information available to you on the internet and if there is something specific that I can do don't hesitate to hit me with an email. I will answer. Good luck and be safe

Email Pablo with your questions