Different churches are going to have widely differing visions for their own church's safety & security needs. It's very hard to make one-size-fits-all videos about this stuff, but this is a pretty good conversation starter. Some safety teams will be 4-6 people. Some will be 50-150. Those are 2 very different missions in terms of complexity and will require very different approaches to successfully execute the mission. There are many ways to skin the cat without grieving the Holy Spirit. Our circumstances are ever-changing. We must adapt the plan to fit the mission and adapt the team to execute the plan.
Having run a church safety team here in Florida we have to avoid the heavily regulated "security" title hence safety/emergency response team (ERT) that's regulated by the department of agriculture and consumer services. The advice in this is solid guidelines
7 yrs Military Police, Honorable Discharge. 5 yrs Oregon State Penitentiary left on excellent terms, 10 yrs to present Salem Keizer School District Security Officer. I've enjoyed all your classes and could see myself helping out. NRA Firearms instructor, LAW of Self defense instructor, CHL instructor. Excellent references and willing to take your course.
What are the top 10 questions the team should be able to answer with nearly the same content? [1) can I use your bathroom, 2) do you have any food I can have, 3) how can I get some money for food and/ or shelter?... for instance] Great content... thanks...Bill
My large for the area church of 1500 members has a security team made up of exactly the type people you described. Retired LEO, retired military, EMTs, and so on. I'm thankful for their commitment to the security team, but I also know they don't train, most don't have any type of weekly or monthly range regimen, some haven't fired a weapon in years. One, that I know personally, is clinically diagnosed with PTSD. I opt to stick with my training and know that if anything happens my only job is to get my wife and son to safety, period. That may sound selfish, and it is to a degree, but I'm not putting my family's well being in the hands of a group that relies on distant past training and experience.
When serman starts I lock church door and post myself by door and don't let anyone in I don't recognize. Remember church in Virginia a year ago, Chinese man with ar-15 captured in church by off duty policeman, the gun man stated " his first target was another church, but, that church door was locked! " so he moved on to the next one.
1988 I was stationed in portugese azores with usaf, I walked into a old catholic church on a weekday to pray...ok, but, there was a priest or monk silently watching me (just in case...).
While many in law enforcement have had some training in dealing with conflict, they often tend to be too quick to escalate situations. Also, as a competitive sport shooter and RSO, I can personally attest that LEO’s and those with military training are often the WORST shooters in terms of safety, accuracy and general firearms proficiency. If I get an LEO or vet (especially “bro-vets”) on my range or USPSA/IDPA squad, I try to pull them aside and gently let them know that many of their brethren have damaged “the brand” by recklessness, arrogance and gross incompetence and for that reason they will likely experience extra scrutiny from me and other RSO’s during the range session or match. That said, I like having current or former sworn officers on security teams from a procedural perspective and to liaise with responding officers in the event of a serious incident.
When I listen to your "Choosing Church Security Team Members," I feel like I am listening to an ad to hire security guards, not church safety team members (hey, cytoair1). Not once was Christ, God, beliefs, prayer, or the person's heart mentioned in this video. Is it great to have people with military or law enforcement backgrounds if their heart is in the right place? I have been around too many churches where church security members act like security guards, which they are not. My opinion is that when we look for men or women to protect the church, they should be members of the church, already involved in the church, in other volunteer positions, even to help you look at them for the position of protecting the church. There is also plenty of scripture to use as guidelines, such as Titus 1:7-9, Philippians 2:3, and a really important one, Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." There is not an asterisk at the end stating except for Security Team members. I find that great Security Team Members are Ambassadors for the Gospel and the church, with the mental attitude of the Watchmen on the wall. One last piece of scripture I like to use for the reason we do what we do is 1 Peter 5:2-4. This is the only recruiting promise I like to use when finding new team members.
That is a great point. Our policies and procedures for our team state that we are a pastor lead team and that our first priority is that we are a ministry based safety team. I once had an LEO member on the team that wanted to search a homeless persons backpack (this person was homeless but had been around the church for a while and proved to be safe) and when the pastor on duty disagreed he became very upset and walked off. On the other hand I have a UPS driver, a contractor, as well as a number of LEO on our team. All VERY qualified, love the LORD and a guy /gals you wouldn't want to mess with. Gotta be a good fit for your church!
When you volunteer for the “dream team”(volunteers) at our church, there are multiple areas one can serve in… their safety team is not listed. This is because the first requirement is that you’ve served on a team there for at LEAST a year. From there you apply through our main campus, and after an additional background check you go to the main campus for an orientation. As for being armed, some are, some aren’t…I’ve always been told it’s a “don’t ask, don’t tell” thing. I’ve been on their first responder/medical team for years before joining the safety team, and carry at every service. Most of the safety team guys tend to come from our ushers. We do have some LEOs and former LEOs on the team as well.
@@n89434, we did the same thing at my last church. We worked really closely with the ushers' ministry. If you wanted to be on the safety team, you had to work with the ushers for at least six months. Two things happened: You seemed like you would make the church your home church, and it also allowed us to see how that person worked with others in the church.
I agree. Members from L.E. Military, etc might be ideal, but honestly, I don't think that is realistic in many cases. Those folks come in very small quantities. I've been running our Church Security team since 2008 and as the old adage goes, " you go to war with the Army you have." My first choice is that person really temperamentally suited to mission. Can he/she convey the face of Christ, be open and welcoming, yet discerning to know the security metric we apply. I have had an easier time training a person from the ground up with no experience who is willing to invest the time and put in the work. Inversely, I've had law enforcement guys who simply "on their own program. After my 32-year Law Enforcement/Military career, I welcome those who are not, not having to deal with the egos and personalities that occasionally disrupt a mission. Our newest members are never armed and being armed is something our members grow into with considerable training.
I'm not ragging on military, but I'm not sure why military people or so desirable, except military police. They're trained to kill people and break things, and the larger number of ex-military in police nowadays is partially credited with the militarization of police. They don't have any better personal skills,, and are not trained (again, except for MPs) to deal with criminal type activity.
Military Police, then retired after 27 years of municipal policing. The biggest danger is allowing grown men “boys” who always wanted to be in the military or police world to become part of a security team. Once you label them “security,” they become dangerous. If you didn’t have the guts to serve and learn, let real men protect you.
Some people either come to that later in life or just chose different paths. I'd say it's wise to be aware of that but you're painting with an awful broad brush.
You want me to do what during football season! Seriously cops make lousy security guards. Just look at the mind set. The crime has to be committed first then the police can take action by investigating & determaning the individual responsible for the crime & arresting them! Security guard wants prevent the crime from any indiviual commiting it & guard don't care who the individual is. But cop do like to toot their own horn. It's like the hourse & the barn door. The cop will tell you to lock the barn door & go look for your hourse if it gets out. The guard will keep your barn door locked so your hourse can't get out. Who do you want to protect your hourse?
@@DortonFarb I have sinned, I committed "contempt of cop"! While you have born false witness against thy neighbor! Mental health? I can prove my point. Cop mind set is bad at security. The most elite law enforcement agency that provides security, the secret service, failed to protect Trump! I'm vindicated! Cop don't know best!
I was asked twice to join my churches 'Sheepdog' group.Both times I was given eleven pages to fill out. Less than 1/2 of one page concerned knowledge, skill, abilities and training on security, intelligence, law enforcement, safety and first aid. When I brought this out both times, the response was, "I know'.
I disagree. I have some GREAT guys on my team that just wanted to help because they knew they would be a good fit. We vetted them with the team leads, background check and training. I would say that not all who want to be on the team should be.
@@oklahomahank2378 My opinion aligns with yours. People who have the free hat and the coffee mug don't volunteer without being asked, spending some time praying about it, discussing it several times w/their spouse (and maybe kids), discussing it with a trusted attorney, etc. THOSE are the folks you want, because they know what they are volunteering for when they say "Here I am. Send me." That's about maturity, sobriety, prudence, and an aversion to drama born of experience with conflict resolution and critical incident response.
I don't know if our church has an official "team" or not. I would not desire to join an organized team if it did exist. I carry all of the time including when I attend church services and I train with my firearm probably more than your team. I am a solid individual that you would probably seek out to join such a team but I'm not interested. Me and many others like me will probably be the ones that step up and save your bacon when things go bad. Let me caution you and your group to never develop the attitude that you are the elite team of commandos that chooses who is in and who is out of the club. I might be sitting right beside you and you will never know until that fateful day comes.
I am not John Wick. You may be. But in my humble opinion, there are no substitutes for numerical superiority and well-trained and heavily rehearsed groups. The other guys and gals like you in the crowd are a bigger threat than you may perceive them to be. But you made a good point. I just think you over-stated the case quite a bit. Heck. Some folks just can't get along with others very well or submit to someone else's authority well enough to be good team players. That's OK. God loves them, too!
@@Shinobi1Kenobi You went completely off the rails when you labeled me as a "threat". I encourage you to get your head straight and lose your "us against them" attitude.
I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't clear enough. I never labeled you as anything. What I said was that other armed lone actors in any crowd you find yourself in may be bigger threats to your safety than you think they are, either intentionally or unintentionally. I said you made a pretty valid point. Relax. @@tumbleweed4185
Different churches are going to have widely differing visions for their own church's safety & security needs. It's very hard to make one-size-fits-all videos about this stuff, but this is a pretty good conversation starter. Some safety teams will be 4-6 people. Some will be 50-150. Those are 2 very different missions in terms of complexity and will require very different approaches to successfully execute the mission. There are many ways to skin the cat without grieving the Holy Spirit. Our circumstances are ever-changing. We must adapt the plan to fit the mission and adapt the team to execute the plan.
Having run a church safety team here in Florida we have to avoid the heavily regulated "security" title hence safety/emergency response team (ERT) that's regulated by the department of agriculture and consumer services. The advice in this is solid guidelines
We call our Safety Response Team or SRT
7 yrs Military Police, Honorable Discharge. 5 yrs Oregon State Penitentiary left on excellent terms, 10 yrs to present Salem Keizer School District Security Officer. I've enjoyed all your classes and could see myself helping out. NRA Firearms instructor, LAW of Self defense instructor, CHL instructor. Excellent references and willing to take your course.
Wow you have quite an excellent background. Email us a resume attention to Paul.
What are the top 10 questions the team should be able to answer with nearly the same content? [1) can I use your bathroom, 2) do you have any food I can have, 3) how can I get some money for food and/ or shelter?... for instance]
Great content... thanks...Bill
My large for the area church of 1500 members has a security team made up of exactly the type people you described. Retired LEO, retired military, EMTs, and so on. I'm thankful for their commitment to the security team, but I also know they don't train, most don't have any type of weekly or monthly range regimen, some haven't fired a weapon in years. One, that I know personally, is clinically diagnosed with PTSD. I opt to stick with my training and know that if anything happens my only job is to get my wife and son to safety, period. That may sound selfish, and it is to a degree, but I'm not putting my family's well being in the hands of a group that relies on distant past training and experience.
When serman starts I lock church door and post myself by door and don't let anyone in I don't recognize. Remember church in Virginia a year ago, Chinese man with ar-15 captured in church by off duty policeman, the gun man stated " his first target was another church, but, that church door was locked! " so he moved on to the next one.
I've taken all of your Code 4 classes. I love what you are doing here.
Thank you Louis! We appreciate the feedback.
1988 I was stationed in portugese azores with usaf, I walked into a old catholic church on a weekday to pray...ok, but, there was a priest or monk silently watching me (just in case...).
Good, solid video. Will be checking out your website. Thanks!
Thanks Danielle for watching and yes please check out the website!! Let us know what you think!!
Great video, thank you.
Thank you for watching Brian!
While many in law enforcement have had some training in dealing with conflict, they often tend to be too quick to escalate situations. Also, as a competitive sport shooter and RSO, I can personally attest that LEO’s and those with military training are often the WORST shooters in terms of safety, accuracy and general firearms proficiency. If I get an LEO or vet (especially “bro-vets”) on my range or USPSA/IDPA squad, I try to pull them aside and gently let them know that many of their brethren have damaged “the brand” by recklessness, arrogance and gross incompetence and for that reason they will likely experience extra scrutiny from me and other RSO’s during the range session or match.
That said, I like having current or former sworn officers on security teams from a procedural perspective and to liaise with responding officers in the event of a serious incident.
When I listen to your "Choosing Church Security Team Members," I feel like I am listening to an ad to hire security guards, not church safety team members (hey, cytoair1). Not once was Christ, God, beliefs, prayer, or the person's heart mentioned in this video. Is it great to have people with military or law enforcement backgrounds if their heart is in the right place? I have been around too many churches where church security members act like security guards, which they are not. My opinion is that when we look for men or women to protect the church, they should be members of the church, already involved in the church, in other volunteer positions, even to help you look at them for the position of protecting the church. There is also plenty of scripture to use as guidelines, such as Titus 1:7-9, Philippians 2:3, and a really important one, Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." There is not an asterisk at the end stating except for Security Team members. I find that great Security Team Members are Ambassadors for the Gospel and the church, with the mental attitude of the Watchmen on the wall. One last piece of scripture I like to use for the reason we do what we do is 1 Peter 5:2-4. This is the only recruiting promise I like to use when finding new team members.
That is a great point. Our policies and procedures for our team state that we are a pastor lead team and that our first priority is that we are a ministry based safety team. I once had an LEO member on the team that wanted to search a homeless persons backpack (this person was homeless but had been around the church for a while and proved to be safe) and when the pastor on duty disagreed he became very upset and walked off. On the other hand I have a UPS driver, a contractor, as well as a number of LEO on our team. All VERY qualified, love the LORD and a guy /gals you wouldn't want to mess with. Gotta be a good fit for your church!
When you volunteer for the “dream team”(volunteers) at our church, there are multiple areas one can serve in… their safety team is not listed. This is because the first requirement is that you’ve served on a team there for at LEAST a year. From there you apply through our main campus, and after an additional background check you go to the main campus for an orientation. As for being armed, some are, some aren’t…I’ve always been told it’s a “don’t ask, don’t tell” thing. I’ve been on their first responder/medical team for years before joining the safety team, and carry at every service. Most of the safety team guys tend to come from our ushers. We do have some LEOs and former LEOs on the team as well.
@@n89434, we did the same thing at my last church. We worked really closely with the ushers' ministry. If you wanted to be on the safety team, you had to work with the ushers for at least six months. Two things happened: You seemed like you would make the church your home church, and it also allowed us to see how that person worked with others in the church.
I agree. Members from L.E. Military, etc might be ideal, but honestly, I don't think that is realistic in many cases. Those folks come in very small quantities.
I've been running our Church Security team since 2008 and as the old adage goes, " you go to war with the Army you have."
My first choice is that person really temperamentally suited to mission. Can he/she convey the face of Christ, be open and welcoming, yet discerning to know the security metric we apply. I have had an easier time training a person from the ground up with no experience who is willing to invest the time and put in the work. Inversely, I've had law enforcement guys who simply "on their own program.
After my 32-year Law Enforcement/Military career, I welcome those who are not, not having to deal with the egos and personalities that occasionally disrupt a mission.
Our newest members are never armed and being armed is something our members grow into with considerable training.
I'm not ragging on military, but I'm not sure why military people or so desirable, except military police. They're trained to kill people and break things, and the larger number of ex-military in police nowadays is partially credited with the militarization of police. They don't have any better personal skills,, and are not trained (again, except for MPs) to deal with criminal type activity.
Military Police, then retired after 27 years of municipal policing. The biggest danger is allowing grown men “boys” who always wanted to be in the military or police world to become part of a security team. Once you label them “security,” they become dangerous. If you didn’t have the guts to serve and learn, let real men protect you.
Some people either come to that later in life or just chose different paths. I'd say it's wise to be aware of that but you're painting with an awful broad brush.
You want me to do what during football season! Seriously cops make lousy security guards. Just look at the mind set. The crime has to be committed first then the police can take action by investigating & determaning the individual responsible for the crime & arresting them! Security guard wants prevent the crime from any indiviual commiting it & guard don't care who the individual is. But cop do like to toot their own horn. It's like the hourse & the barn door. The cop will tell you to lock the barn door & go look for your hourse if it gets out. The guard will keep your barn door locked so your hourse can't get out. Who do you want to protect your hourse?
Seek competent professional mental health care.
@@DortonFarb I have sinned, I committed "contempt of cop"! While you have born false witness against thy neighbor! Mental health? I can prove my point. Cop mind set is bad at security. The most elite law enforcement agency that provides security, the secret service, failed to protect Trump! I'm vindicated! Cop don't know best!
Yaaaaa, this is religion?
This isn't religion, it's about church security.
I was asked twice to join my churches 'Sheepdog' group.Both times I was given eleven pages to fill out. Less than 1/2 of one page concerned knowledge, skill, abilities and training on security, intelligence, law enforcement, safety and first aid. When I brought this out both times, the response was, "I know'.
Here’s a tip. Anyone who wants to be on the security team shouldn’t be on it.
I disagree. I have some GREAT guys on my team that just wanted to help because they knew they would be a good fit. We vetted them with the team leads, background check and training.
I would say that not all who want to be on the team should be.
@@kevinpisano7237 It was meant mostly as a joke, but it is important to watch for those a little too eager for some authority.
@@oklahomahank2378 My opinion aligns with yours. People who have the free hat and the coffee mug don't volunteer without being asked, spending some time praying about it, discussing it several times w/their spouse (and maybe kids), discussing it with a trusted attorney, etc. THOSE are the folks you want, because they know what they are volunteering for when they say "Here I am. Send me." That's about maturity, sobriety, prudence, and an aversion to drama born of experience with conflict resolution and critical incident response.
I don't know if our church has an official "team" or not. I would not desire to join an organized team if it did exist. I carry all of the time including when I attend church services and I train with my firearm probably more than your team. I am a solid individual that you would probably seek out to join such a team but I'm not interested. Me and many others like me will probably be the ones that step up and save your bacon when things go bad. Let me caution you and your group to never develop the attitude that you are the elite team of commandos that chooses who is in and who is out of the club. I might be sitting right beside you and you will never know until that fateful day comes.
I am not John Wick. You may be. But in my humble opinion, there are no substitutes for numerical superiority and well-trained and heavily rehearsed groups. The other guys and gals like you in the crowd are a bigger threat than you may perceive them to be. But you made a good point. I just think you over-stated the case quite a bit. Heck. Some folks just can't get along with others very well or submit to someone else's authority well enough to be good team players. That's OK. God loves them, too!
@@Shinobi1Kenobi You went completely off the rails when you labeled me as a "threat". I encourage you to get your head straight and lose your "us against them" attitude.
I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't clear enough. I never labeled you as anything. What I said was that other armed lone actors in any crowd you find yourself in may be bigger threats to your safety than you think they are, either intentionally or unintentionally. I said you made a pretty valid point. Relax. @@tumbleweed4185
If God answers prayer, Christians believe this, just pray for your churches safety, and save the hassle of assembling a security team