SECURITY! Please add this topic to your next event checklist.
One of the most exciting things we do in women’s ministry is event planning. It’s a lot of fun to use our creativity to pull together a well-planned event with T-shirts, tablescapes, great food and goody bags. Not to mention all the planning and prayer that goes into getting the right speaker and choosing the perfect praise and worship music. It’s easy to overlook the topic of security when our heads are in the clouds with all the fun planning activities, but it is a must!
We are living in times where the sacredness of the church is diminishing. The first time I really realized this was when a young man went into Sandy Hook Elementary and killed innocent children. In today’s culture, the church is considered much more provocative. Even if nothing like this were to happen (Praise God!), it would still behoove us to be prepared for an emergency.
If your church does not already have a security team to tap, please enlist some of the men in your congregation to be present for your women’s ministry events. Here are some things they can focus on:
- Greeting guest in the parking lot. Not only can they give directions, but give assistance to women who need it. The visual presence of men at a women’s event is important. It will make the female guest more comfortable while sending a message to would-be evildoers.
- Walking the halls. Once the event starts, it’s good to have security in the hallways since the church doors are open. Security can stop and question suspicious guests. They can help direct visitors to restrooms. They can be on hand for an emergency.
- Being prepared for emergencies. These guys can be the ones to have the emergency preparedness plans for handling first aid needs and other medical emergencies.
- Helping with breakdown. As a bonus, it’s great to have some guys available at the end of the event to help breakdown. But more than that, it is just as important to have security on site even as the last few women leave.
Of course, we women should take our own precautions. I once went up to our church by myself to prepare for a Bible study, and found myself face-to-face with a man looking for benevolence assistance. Everything turned out okay that day, but it could have played out very differently, and what could I have done at that point? At a minimum, work in pairs, lock doors behind you and have your cell phone on your person.
Your next event is going to be a great event, I am confident – Just make sure that it is also a safe event, too!
But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. Nehemiah 4:9 NLT
What security measures do you take at your women’s events?
Spur on!
~gina
” And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” Hebrews 10:24
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Gina, so glad you brought this up! We attend a small church that feels like it’s in the country. We definitely need to do a better job when it comes to security during our events at night and on the weekends. We’re locked in during the weekday, but too often leave a door unlocked and unattended during our events. I’ll be sharing your great tips with our team!
Hi, Cyndee! Thanks for sharing. We definitely live in a time where we must take precautions.