Why Churches Are Not Inherently Safe Places

Rainer on Leadership

It’s understandable why people would think, “This place is full of Christians. It must be one of the safest places in my community.” But churches are not inherently safe. Quite the opposite. Churches have a target on them! You are a spiritual target for the powers of darkness. Sam Rainer and Matt McCraw discuss some key issues involving church safety.

• • Churches are typically high-trust, high-hospitality, and low-security environments.
  • The way a new person is treated in a church is completely different than at an elementary school.
  • Churches assume the best and start at a place of trust. Schools start at a place of caution.
  • The biggest threats are usually internal, not external.
  • It can be hard to spot a person intending harm because they do not typically announce their motives.
  • Background checks are not enough to ensure safety.
  • There can be no exceptions to the rules, even with your best and most involved people.

Resources:

• “The Daily Walk Bible”

• Tyndale House Publishers

• My Church Staff

• Safe Church Training

• “Make My Church Safe: A Guide to the Best Practices to Protect Children and Secure Your Congregation from Harm” by Sam Rainer (affiliate link)

• FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

• Church Answers Central

• The Everything Church Resource Directory

• The Hope Initiative

• Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:

The Daily Walk Bible: Your guide to walking daily with God

• • The Daily Walk Bible takes you on a guided path through Scripture. Each of the 366 daily Bible readings is enhanced with a short overview that emphasizes different aspects of God’s story and a devotional to immerse you in what you have just experienced. Every seventh day you’ll pause to reflect, reconnect with what you have read, consider areas where deeper understanding beckons, and open your heart to hear God’s voice.
  • Ready to go deeper? Just download the Filament Bible app and scan the icon at the top of each page for an in-depth exploration of the passage you are reading with notes, devotionals, videos, graphics, and more.
  • Let The Daily Walk Bible be your guide as you explore Scripture throughout the year and discover more of who God is through his Word.
  • Start Walking Through God’s Word
  • Visit The Daily Walk Bible to learn more.

• • Develop your next staff member for $100 per month!
  • Church answers will provide best practices for finding a staff member, then we will provide an expert to help train that staff member.
  • We are starting with two staff positions: stewardship (led by Art Rainer) and worship (led by Mark Harland).
  • Take some of the burden off of yourself; let Church Answers help you develop a great staff team through My Church Staff.
  • Join now for $100 per month and cancel at any time (though we don’t think you’ll want to).
  • Visit My Church Staff to learn more.

The post Why Churches Are Not Inherently Safe Places appeared first on Church Answers.