Shootings at churches are all too common across the nation. Put together a comprehensive plan of action that will help your church to be safe and secure while remaining open and inviting. The following focuses will help you do that.

Focus on Education
As a pastor, I want to provide safe sanctuary for everyone who comes into my church to worship or to participate in its programs. Church members should be educated about what they can do to make that happen. Some suggestions:

1. Lock car doors before coming into church. Store valuables out of sight.

2. Keep an eye on purses or other valuables, no matter where you are in church. If you have to leave something in a room, make sure it's locked in a safe place.

3. Hold onto car keys. Don't leave them in the pocket of a coat that you hang up in the hallway. If your coat gets taken, you'll still have your keys.

4. Identify the exit closest to where you are sitting so you can find it quickly in an emergency.

5. Have your congregation participate in an occasional emergency drill to show people how to quickly and efficiently exit the building.

6. Enter the church and exit it in groups, especially at night. Yes, there is safety in numbers.

Focus on Training
Church leaders, staff people, ushers, and greeters should receive awareness training in security. Though it's important for everyone to focus on worship during a church service, leaders should have a heightened awareness of potential problems.

For example, as greeters reach out to people and shake their hands, they should also be watchful for individuals who seem out of place. Strangers can be greeted, engaged in conversation, and asked if they need help. People with suspicious behavior should be allowed to enter the sanctuary to worship, but they should also be closely watched. Other ushers and leaders should be alerted to the situation so that if a crisis develops, they'll be ready to react.

Church leaders, ushers, staffers, and greeters should receive special training in how to respond to a potentially dangerous situation. In addition, the church might appoint a church security team and/or safety officers to stand ready in case of emergency. Security people could be police officers, retired military personnel, or others who have the ability and stamina to respond to an emergency situation.

Focus on Technology
Many churches install electronic security systems to keep their congregations safe. Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, has one of the best non-obtrusive security plans and technology systems available.

A welcome center in the narthex of that church doubles as a soft security barrier. It is equipped with security monitors, two-way communication devices, telephones, and an intercom system. Several people who work in the center are trained to respond to a crisis.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are positioned discreetly throughout the church complex, both inside and out. The Pelco Company, an international manufacturer, provides CCTV systems that begin at $2,000, depending on the number of cameras and monitors, and whether they are fixed or movable.

A unique option in CCTV is also offered by North American Video. The cameras can be installed in daycare and nursery rooms of a church. Parents can then get online and dial up a camera to check on their children. This company also installs traditional security systems and monitoring devices.

Two-way communication devices, such as portable radios, are also helpful. People with those devices can be stationed throughout the building. If a crisis situation develops, people with radios can quickly call for help.

By the way, every church should provide at least one telephone with an outside line close to its worship area. If an emergency occurs, access to outside help can be critical.

A good intercom or paging system is important for linking childcare workers with parents or health professionals in the congregation, or to keep church leaders in formed about what's going on in the church complex. Aiphone offers an intercom and door-release system that begins at about $200, or comes with video-viewing capabilities, beginning around $900. For more information, nokey.com.

Another option for connecting security people is an instant call-box system manufactured by Connectivity. These boxes can be installed inside or outside the church complex to provide outside access in an emergency. Each box and portable monitoring unit begins at about $3,200.

More churches today are installing technological tools such as security systems, pagers, and closed-circuit monitors. As usage rises, prices are coming down, says Michael Benedict, director of Security Pro, which manufactures security systems. Vector Security also makes security systems for churches.

Equipment is also shrinking in size. A camera, intercom, and door-release mechanism can all be contained in one small unit that is less obtrusive in a church environment, Benedict says.

Focus on Safety
Some security measures may seem extreme in a church environment, but they may be a factor in determining whether people feel safe enough to keep coming to your church. Some families, especially those with young children, will not come to a church that is not serious about safety issues. Furthermore, as churches expand their programs throughout the week, protection becomes increasingly important. No one wants to attend a church in which they feel uneasy about safety.

A closed-circuit TV system might have prevented a gunman from shooting children at the Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills, California. That's what David McDonald, president and CEO of Pelco, suggests. According to McDonald, the shooter passed up four other facilities that had CCTV systems before choosing one that did not.

Focus on God
Shootings, the number of thefts, break-ins, embezzlements, and armed robberies that have invaded our sanctuaries are on the rise. Some people believe the way to respond to such deeds of darkness is to pray to God for protection. Others are calling for such extreme security measures that one wonders how much faith they have in God.

Each congregation must decide how to protect people in its facilities, acknowledging and appreciating that no matter how complete and thoughtful our plans are regarding security and safety, God is in control.

Difficulties will arise. Tragedies will happen. That doesn't mean God is any less in control. But if we have done our job and are prepared to respond quickly and faithfully to crisis situations, lives may be saved, people will be less apprehensive, and ministry can proceed with a minimum of interruption.

Get Going
Getting started may be the hardest part of implementing a security plan. I recommend this approach.

Assess your situation. Assemble a group of respected, progressive-minded people from your congregation. Ask them how serious they are about helping people feel safe in the church. Encourage them as well as church staff and volunteers to ex press their thoughts on church security. After gathering this data, honestly evaluate how vulnerable your church and its ministries are to potential attack.

Appoint a security officer or team. Keep the team small (3-5 members), and train them well. There are several good books and a growing list of resources that can help educate people on church safety. Once your security team is trained, ask its members to come up with a comprehensive plan to protect the congregation. Realize that it may take several years to implement the full plan, but start now.

Train others. The security team should train church leaders, ushers, volunteers, and members about their role in making church a safe place. Remind people that you are doing this not out of fear but because you care about them and want to do what it takes to help them feel safe in every part of church. Every church should be a haven from—not invitation to—violence.

This article originally appeared in Your Church magazine. For more information about designing a church with security in mind, see the downloadable resource, "Technology to Keep You Safe" on ChurchSafety.com, a sister site of BuildingForMInistry.com