Dear Christian Family,

I have known for some time what the scripture says about a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).  Some would arguably say, it has happened several times throughout the church’s history. But to be totally honest, I did not think I would witness a great falling away from Christ, and the church in my lifetime [I am 42 years old]. Perhaps I was simply naïve; thinking because the community I grew up in showed respect for church goers and church property, everyone else did. Not long ago, it seemed like people wouldn’t dare show any disrespect towards the church. Smokers wouldn’t even light their cigarettes near the church. So, the thought of someone stealing copper from the church air conditioning units was unimaginable. A person shooting in the church? Never! It saddens me deeply that these deplorable acts are becoming common and the church may no longer be considered amongst the safest places in the community.

That being said, this is our reality and we have to do the best we can to keep people safe. The question is, do we care enough about Christ’ Church to do the work? Having armed security in the church serves as a deterrent, and it may minimize victims, but it doesn’t prevent incident. There are things we can do to prevent people from getting shot if we work together as a church family. We can undergo training that will help us become more aware of dangerous behaviors.  We can organize active shooter drills, and we can place people at strategic look-out areas.

Here’s the problem, the more we have to confront safety issues in the church the less people want to attend. In other words, people would rather not be bothered with any of it, and won’t show up at all.  People are already loaded with excuses for their spotty attendance. It is extremely difficult to keep people safe in the church when attendance is pitifully inconsistent. For example, how can we protect the church when appointed Look-Outs or Watch People are “twice a month” church goers? On any given Sunday, we don’t know who’s going to feel like coming to church. Missing key people is a real safety issue. Not to mention, how hard it is to pay trained security when attendance directly affects the budget. The church is only as safe as our commitment is to make it so. What we really need are people who care enough to keep the church safe.

We need “Lifers.” Lifers are people who love Christ so much that they have committed their lives to serving in the fellowship of those who believe in him. They may have been a part of more than one local congregation, but wherever Lifers serve they also commit. Church Lifers are decreasing in number each passing year. As I think about all the needs the church has today, I can’t help but mourn the decline of the Lifers that held it together for so long. We don’t need people in the church with guns as much as we need Lifers.

We can employ security, provide training opportunities and practice drills, but none of it matters if we don’t have people who care enough to dedicate their lives to the well-being of the church. If you want to know if the church is safe, here is your answer: The church is as safe as its members’ commitment.  So, don’t ponder if it is safe. Rather question, do we care enough to keep the church safe?

Here are some Church Emergency Response resources that can be used to help make the church safer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR_dHoEo0dg

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/123184

https://www.fema.gov/faith-resources

Keep the Faith.