The safety of your church is undoubtedly of the utmost importance. Establishing a church safety committee can help identify key areas where your church can improve and help reduce the risks your church and its visitors may face. We’ve compiled a list of tips below to help get you started on the creation of your very own church safety committee.
Recruit volunteers
When building your team, rely on your congregation and staff to recruit volunteers. Focus on a variety of backgrounds and experiences – especially those with prior safety experience – when selecting the team.
Elect a leader
Once your committee is formed, it’s a good idea to elect or determine a leader that can guide the committee in the right direction. They should delegate tasks, create agendas, and establish best practices to make sure progress is being made.
Provide training and equipment
Make sure all members of the safety committee are properly trained on first aid, self-defense, and the safety plans that your committee has created. Regular training is a great way to make sure members maintain any skills they’ve acquired. In addition to proper training, it’s important that your safety team has the necessary equipment to do their job.
Introduce the team
Once the committee has been formed, be sure to introduce them to staff and your congregation. By introducing them and making their existence known, you can alleviate any potential confusion for visitors, and may also encourage members and visitors to come forward with new ideas or concerns.
Perform regular self-inspections
Performing regular self-inspections helps identify areas of concern and areas of improvement. If issues are identified, implement a plan, and continue to monitor it.
This content has been prepared by United Methodist Insurance Company (UMI) for informational purposes only. No article or document may accurately contemplate all possible scenarios or church resources. As such, this information is meant to foster discussion by the individual church and its members to develop a plan tailored to its own circumstances. UMI is providing this information with no warranties or guarantees of any kind and it should not be viewed as legal, financial, or other professional advice. All liability is expressly disclaimed. Any claim examples described herein are general in nature, may or may not be based on actual claims, and are for informational purposes only. Any coverage available for a claim is determined from the facts and circumstances of the claim as well as the terms and conditions of any applicable policy, including any exclusions or deductibles. In the event of a conflict with the content herein, the terms and conditions of any issued policy will control. Individual coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.
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