Violence at Church
Ministries can improve their response to traumatic events.
New concerns about violence in otherwise peaceful settings arise every time a shooting or some other traumatic event is reported in a church or school.
Such tragedies are difficult to prevent, but churches and other ministry organizations can improve their ability to respond to similar incidents on their premises.
Although you may never have to deal with a traumatic incident at your church, you should plan how you will respond if such an incident does happen. This will reduce panic in the event of a life-threatening situation.
As you develop a plan consider how you would:
- Evacuate people
- Alert authorities
- Secure the church building
- Respond to injuries
- Communicate with victims' families, members of the organization, the community, and the media.
More Resources
The following resources provide basic information that can help you plan your response to a potential traumatic incident at your church or ministry:
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Preparing for the Unthinkable—Violence at Your Church Churches must also be prepared to deal with crises created by violent people. There are things you can do to prepare for the unexpected and reduce the stress you may feel if such an emergency were to arise. |
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Surviving a Violent Attack at Church—What to Do What would you do if someone entered your church and began shooting? Hit the floor? Run? Try to reach your children? Research has revealed that people threatened by a potential killer have five options for survival. |
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Planning Communication for a Potential Traumatic Incident Communicating with members of your congregation or ministry will be critical to your ability to deal with a potential traumatic incident and its aftermath. |
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Media Relations: Dealing with the Media during a Traumatic Incident Whether or not you like the idea of contending with reporters, cameras, and microphones, you may need to. |
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Should Churches Have Armed Security Guards? Each church must determine individually whether its set of circumstances merits an armed security team. |
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