Re-evaluating Our Communications and Emergency Backups (Part 2)

By: Peter Blue

In last months’ article we discussed the importance of understanding

potential failure points in your emergency and communications

systems. By outlining important questions you should be asking

yourself, you can take a closer look at the equipment your ministry

relies on to thrive and divert shut-downs, or critical failures when least

expected.

In part two, we’ll look at some practical solutions, but first let me share

what I mean from a personal experience that happened not too long ago.

Mitigating Danger that Walks Through the Door

I haven’t shared this story with too many people, but I think it’s

important to the concerns I am bringing up to you today. It is one that I

hope you’ll extract some take-aways for your own ministry that will help

you be more vigilant and see the strong need to equip your ministry for

greater communications and emergency backups.

A while back, God gave me the opportunity to be a part of a small-town

church while I was doing some contract work in the area.

While at this church one morning a very precarious individual walked

in the door. No I’m not talking about the pastor’s kid that is amped up off

of red Kool-Aid after the last hours Sunday school class, or a visitor off the

street. With my training and experience it was obvious there was more than

this person not being mentally off, but rather was likely a sexual predator

based on their behavior around women, and even worse the children in the

auditorium.

He made his way over to some smaller children in the back row as most

of the men and women were still trying to figure it out what was going on

and were standing by. While this church sat on a major inter-state corridor,

the church had never taken the time to equip their volunteers, greeters at

the door, nor staff, with understanding of how to handle a situation like

this, let alone what to look for. This is something EVERY church needs to

invest in the training for and to be doing in our day an age, no matter the

size of church or area in which you live.

I saw people frozen in shock while this person moved closer to this

group of innocent little children. The children, obviously frightened by this

stranger approaching them, didn’t know what to do either. I quickly, yet

politely moved in between the person and the children without touching

the person. I engaged them with, “Good morning! Let’s go ahead and

worship over here,” as I motioned to direct them to the other side of the

auditorium.

While I led this person away from the children, moms around the

children were mouthing “thank you,” as tears were flowing down some of

their cheeks.

This person that I deflected away from the children then got in my face

and tried to incite me to physically engage them. Once they saw it was

futile, they said, “I’m going elsewhere to church!” I simply smiled and

nodded as they huffed and went stomping out the entrance to the parking

lot. They got into their vehicle and sped out of the parking lot. I jotted down

their license plate for future reference and noted the details of the vehicle.

I remained out in the parking lot watching, should this person come back,

but also using the opportunity to pray quietly over the church for God’s

protection.

Once the person left, there were several that came out from the church to

the parking lot to share their shock and find out more about how I learned

to act so quickly.

For more click here: https://tfwm.com/magazine-issue-052024/#General_Evident_pt2_0524