Keep Watch Over Your Church with a Church Watch Program
Unfortunately, churches have become an easy target for thefts and vandals because so many lack proper security to keep them safe from crime. The relative ease of breaking into church buildings to steal or perform acts of vandalism makes them extremely attractive to individuals bent on petty crime, but implementing a church watch program can help immensely in keeping your church facility safeguarded.
Security pitfalls can be the simplest things, from the lack of adequate lighting or improperly locking doors and windows to not trimming bushes around points of entry. These are the very things that invite criminal activity, and we at Beacon Insurance Agency of Pace, Inc. have partnered with GuideOne Insurance to offer our clients the very best church insurance policies as well as access to some of the very best resources for keeping their churches safe.
At Beacon, we want to illuminate the way to our clients’ peace of mind, and keeping them safe and secure is crucial in achieving that goal. One of the ways that we advise our clients to increase the security of their church facilities is to begin an official church watch program, which essentially relies on volunteers from the church to keep watch over their sacred place of worship.
Watchful Worshippers
Fortunately, because of the nature of the plan, there is no cost to create or maintain a church program. The important thing is to follow guidelines that you have established so that everyone on the watch team knows the role they play and how to respond to certain situations, should the need arise.
The most effective church watch programs are created with steps that include:
· Educating members of the need for their help in protecting the church
· Encouraging congregants to drive around on the church property when they have the opportunity throughout the course of their day
· Asking that they be aware of the presence of any suspicious people, vehicles or activity on church grounds
· Encouraging them to notify the police if they suspect anything unusual
· Requesting that they not put themselves at risk by confronting suspected criminals
· Asking those who live or work near the church to be observant of anything unusual occurring on church grounds
· Communicating regularly with the congregation through bulletins or church newsletters to remind them of the church watch program and thank them for their helpful participation
The noticeable activity of the participants in your church watch program will be a substantial deterrent to potential thieves and vandals who might once have targeted your church. Your church’s property and resources will become protected and your ministry can continue without interruption. The more active role your membership is taking in the overall safety and security of the ministry as a whole the more they will feel like they are part of one Body.
Call Beacon Insurance Agency of Pace, Inc. to learn more about GuideOne and how we can help you create a church watch program today!
