We live in a conflicted world. There will be disagreements and complaints. If protesters show up at your church, this will be an opportunity to respond peacefully. Our respectful response will be a positive witness to the community.

When tensions are escalating, we want to keep them from exploding into violence. We can use verbal de-escalation to bring the situation back from the brink without using physical force.

Assessing possible threats of violence against the church is a safety & security tool churches should use. Knowing what threats we face not only enables us to prevent violence or prepare for it; it also provides us the opportunity for intervention.

Calming a situation at the start, before it becomes disruptive, is much easier and safer than trying to fight a heated battle. Like smelling smoke or seeing a small flicker, we need to see indications that a situation is brewing and turn down the heat before it boils over.

Tectonic disasters can be extremely terrifying events. It is as though the earth itself has turned against you, moving the ground out from under you and throwing hot rocks, ash, and molten lava at you. Churches are not exempt from their threats.

Disasters can be both natural and the result of human activity. Those in the latter category are largely preventable, and therefore regrettable. Some are more likely to impact our church because of its location. We need to be ready for those.

Sheepdog Church Security's founder, Kris Moloney, hosts a special podcast where he discusses the coronavirus pandemic and what we can be doing to keep our churches safe.

When dark clouds roll in and the sky rumbles, beware. There is danger ahead. Know what’s coming and be prepared.

While Winter lasts, we remain ready for the cold, snow, ice, and strong winds. Some parts of the country face rain, flooding, and tornadoes, with their own threats to the safety of the flock. It may be March, but it is still Winter. As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

This is not an everyday situation (at least not in most neighborhoods), but there may be times when someone must stop a person committing a crime, especially when lives are at stake. However, we must make a citizen’s arrest only when necessary, then do it the right way.