Why Does Your Church Need Data Security?

Church data is an often overlooked aspect of overall church security. Scams, phishing, hacking, and viruses can crash your church computer systems.

Has your church looked at the way you present yourself to the world lately? Are you following God’s plan? Or are you joining in with the world in presenting yourself to the world?

Are your pastor and staff safe from threats from the cyber world?
Like physical security, cyber security is no less a liability to have a plan for. Failing to have this plan can and will affect you in many ways. From cyber terrorism (this includes child hunting by pedophiles),  to  spamming and denial of service, the threat is real and your church needs to make sure that you have a plan in place and someone willing to step up and take on the responsibility of protecting the church’s cyber space.

With this information you are on the way to starting that process. From containing viruses and worms, to handling phishing expeditions, to protecting the pastor and staff, this manual will guide you through some proven professional steps to help guard against that threat.
So what are you waiting for, get started and protect the cyber flock now!

About the Author T.G. Sampson

In early 2009, I had received a number of phone calls and emails requesting information and resources on securing the church website, emails and networks. While there are a number of resources for this information, I wanted to publish a manual written by a Christian author for Christian churches. With this in mind, I went to a close friend who is very strong in the Christian faith, and who is also charged with maintaining primary web interfaces and security for one of the nation’s largest military schools and base. In addition he has had experience as a solution provider with a world leader in IT Solutions, EDS.

Terry has been involved in the world of computers and IT for 15 plus years. While having breakfast at a small group meeting, I mentioned the need to increase security on church websites. Terry immediately volunteered his help in putting together a basic manual that can be used by all churches in understanding and implementing protective measures. This manual is written in an easy to read style and will not overwhelm you in technical jargon.

If you have a church computer network interfaced to the internet, have a website for the public to view, or wish to maintain accountability for the subject matter viewed on the church computers, I highly recommend Terry’s manual.

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For a limited time, anyone purchasing the CSA Cyber Security for Today’s Church will receive the introductory rate of only $40.00 (plus 8.00 shipping and handling).

When you order, we will immediately send you the manual via USPS First Class Mail.

Click on the Add to Cart button below and you will be taken to a SECURE order page where you can order the Getting Started Manual.

You may also order using Paypal.

You may pay with Mastercard or Visa. Easily follow the directions on the order page, securely submit your order, and we will send you your CD. Shipping and handling will be included, as well as a 7% Ohio sales tax. You will receive a receipt via email.

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Pensacola, FL-A 17-year-old boy shot a man in the face Sunday afternoon as church members passed out food and water at an Escambia County mobile home park where water service was cut off, authorities said.
Jeffrey Kimbrough, 41, was still in critical condition at a local hospital this afternoon. The Pensacola man was shot about 3:30 p.m., not far from where church members had set up to grill hotdogs and give away water.

Peoples Water Service, which provides water for Heritage Oaks in the 1500 block of Gulf Beach Highway, cut off service early last week, according to park residents and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority spokeswoman Nathalie Bowers.

Peoples Water Service officials could not be reached Sunday for comment.

The shooting happened just as residents and members of the First Assembly of God had finished praying.

“It’s like it’s not real,” said Conchetta Thompson, 65, a resident of the mobile home park for about three years. “It’s like that just didn’t just happen. You hear something that is obviously a gunshot.”

A 17-year-old from Bay Minette, Ala., was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

The shooting stemmed from a dispute over a stolen wallet, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy said. Other details of the arrest were not available late Sunday.
Help arrives

Members of the First Assembly, located at Bayou Boulevard and 12th Avenue in Pensacola, began setting up at the mobile home park about 1:30 p.m.

Church members cooked hot dogs, gave away chips and bottled water and provided a case of water for each household. Residents estimated that about 100 people have been without water.

Church members and residents also sang and listened to Scripture readings.

Shelley Rutledge, a First Assembly youth pastor, said the shooting happened seconds after her husband finished the closing prayer.

“It had been peaceful and calm,” she said. “This just hurts my heart.”

Rutledge said when she opened her eyes after the prayer, she saw two men standing roughly 3 feet apart.

One of the men suddenly raised his hands as the other grabbed something, she said.

She said the second man’s back was to her, so she could not see what he had in his hand.

“When I heard the shot, the victim fell,” she said. “His daughter came screaming, running to where he was.”

Rutledge said there were about 12 children, including her two children, where she and the other church members were serving food. She said she gathered the children and told them to get into the church van.

Church security team members should be trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). There is a greater likelihood a church member or visitor will suffer and die from a heart attack or stroke than from being assaulted or robbed.

However, the dirty little secret with CPR is that using it alone has little chance of saving a life. This doesn’t negate the use for CPR. Quick response with CPR by a team member can increase the chance of survival and can increase a patient’s chances when advanced medical support arrives. Whether a cardiac event is witnessed or not witnessed will determine when to begin CPR and when to apply an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

The Automated External Defibrillator is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm. When used in tandem with CPR, it gives the person suffering a potentially fatal heart attack a fighting chance.

The AED is a very simple device to use, and AED training is usually given when a team member is certified in CPR. In the video below, Glen talks about the AED and demonstrates how easy it is to use.

A church medical response plan should be implemented within a church security and safety policy, and team members, childcare workers, and anyone else wanting to receive training should be certified. Calling your local fire department or American Heart Association is a great place to start when seeking basic CPR training.

How to Decrease Your Church Security Team’s Liability, Increase Competency, and Avoid Potential Criminal or Civil Penalties.  The Use of Force Liability Reduction Team Training DVD.

The risk of using force in a church security operation is a great source of potential liability for any church.  Recent events involving church related shootings, robberies, burglaries, and attacks have churches scrambling to place competent security in place using volunteers. There is a small chance law enforcement officers will be immediately available if your church is in sudden crisis and someone is attempting to harm people in your church building or on your church campus.

If your church security team member uses force what kind of liability can he or she face?  What can a church do to decrease its’ liability?

While the incident was occurring, these people decided to act, and disregarded their personal safety, and the safety of their future, and injected themselves into the crisis as it unfolded. What liability could each of these people face if a prosecutor or police officer deemed their actions as unreasonable?

What is at stake for someone who has taken on the challenge of protecting their church family from violence?

How can your team protect themselves from civil or criminal penalties should they see the need to use force?

In this church security team training DVD, you will discover how to best protect team members and church from potential civil liability and criminal action against them.

Face it, even police officers aren’t free from the penalties of the law if their actions are deemed unreasonable. Yet, they make mistakes everyday, and they are prosecuted for their actions, even when they were right.

It is critical your team members understand their standing before the law. How they interact with people is crucial to the success or failure of your church’s mission. The misapplication of force by an overzealous team member can substantially increase church liability, but the inaction by a team member who doesn’t understand their rights under the law can result in someone being harmed.

The 50 minute DVD is in Powerpoint presentation format and is taught by Police Use of Force Instructor Glen Evans. In the presentation Glen explains the difference between your church security team member and a police officer. Understanding the differences in roles is critical to correct applications of force in your church setting, and protects your members from civil and criminal liability.

Here is what your team will learn:

How the security role is different from law enforcement.


The penalties a police officer faces vs. a civilian when using force.


The Reasonableness Standard and how it applies to your security role.


What a police officer is allowed to do vs. what a civilian is allowed to do.


The Use of Force Continuum


How the Use of Force Continuum should be applied to the church security team.


When should a church security team use force?


The use of weapons in the church security setting and when to use them.


Whether a team member should ever restrain someone with handcuffs.


How to reduce liability in three easy steps.


What to say to a police officer after a use of force incident.


Whether you should seek the advice of an attorney.


Why documenting your training efforts is vital.

Order your copy of the Use of Force Liability Reduction DVD today, and give your team members the instruction and understanding they need to fulfill their responsibilities better.

Click on the Buy Now button, and you will be taken immediately to the secure shopping cart. Once your order is placed, it will be processed and sent to you via the USPS.

Price: $59.99 (plus $8 shipping and handling)

The Volunteer Church Security Team

Listen to the audio testimonial. Click the play button.

[audio:http://churchsecuritypodcasts.s3.amazonaws.com/booktestimonial.mp3]

“Your “Basics…How to get Started” manual has been a great help. I’m not sure our presentation to Pastor would have been as effective without it. My partner is impressed with it too, and is ordering his own copy, so he doesn’t have to swipe mine.”
Steve R.

Don’t Want to Order Online? Print and Send Order Form.

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Need More Information? Read On…

Do recent events have you concerned about your church’s security plan or lack of a plan? Have you been considering developing a church security ministry in your church, but you do not really know where to start?

When a church is confronted by the evils of child abuse, robbery, domestic violence, stalking, and church shootings, it is natural to ask many questions, but primarily, “What is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our members?”

Has your church examined it’s liability If you have not done due diligence? What is at stake if background checks are not done, a child is abused, or the unimaginable violent event happens in your church? The importance of having your church’s policy and procedures in place BEFORE an incident happens is extremely critical. Knowing who is going to handle each responsibility, how it is going to be done, and documenting exactly how it was handled is expected in our litigious society.

How does your church assess threats? How would your fellowship respond to a bomb threat? How can your security and safety team care for the member or guest with an appropriate medical response? What if a tornado occurs during a worship service? How should the team respond? Or worse, what if a church shooting occurs, do you have a plan in place?

Failing to have a plan in place can be disastrous for your church. Contingency planning, training, and documentation are essential for reducing church liability and really protecting your congregation.

Here is the information you need to start a Volunteer Church Security Ministry. Stages of team development, risk analysis, setting up a team, choosing team members, talking to church management, policies and procedures.

Topics in this guide include:

Understanding the Reason Your Church Needs a Security Team

Why Should Churches Start a Safety or Security Team?

Planning for A Safety/Security Team

Church Risk Assessment: Where will you get Hurt the Most?

What Type and Size of Security Team Does Your Church Need?

Building a Church Security Team to fit the Church Size and Needs

What Can Your Church Security Team Legally Do?

Team Selection – Who Should You Choose

Using Off Duty Police or Volunteers for Church Security?

The Importance of Criminal Background Checks

Do You Have an Emergency Church Crisis Management Plan?

Working With Local Law Enforcement

Notify the Local Law Enforcement Agency about Your Team

Use of Force Continuum’s – Introduction and Chart

Protecting the Church Offering – The Risks

Protecting the Church Offering – Procedures

Dealing with Unruly People

Seven Things Never to Say to Anyone, and Why

Bomb Threats or suspicious Packages

Evacuations

Security for the Children’s Ministry

The Church First Aid Kit

Understanding AED Basics

Another Church Shooting? Should We Arm Ourselves?

Church Security Teams and Carrying Sidearms.

Should the Entire Team be Armed?

Use of Force Policy (check local laws)

Use of Force – Physical Contact

Use of Force – Impact or Chemical Defensive Weapons

Use of Force – Deadly Force Weapons/Firearms

Four Self Defense Moves For A Close Quarter Attack

The Expanding Baton

OC Spray

The Taser

Team Response to the Active Shooter

Single Person Response To The Active Shooter

The Need for Intelligence Gathering by Church Security Teams

A Review of the Knoxville, TN Church Shooting

California Church Shooting – Critical Incident Review

Church Building Security

The Guardian Call –The Story of Church Protectors

Bomb Threat Information Sheet

Hate or Anti-Religious Groups – Menacing Person or Weapons Threat Sheet

Sample Security Team Application

Sample Incident Report Sheet

Incident Report Log

Risk Assessment Form

The Church Security Ministry is such a vital part of our church ministry. People come to hear the wonderful message of Jesus Christ…it needs to be in a safe place. The Church Security Team provides the church family the freedom to focus on ministry while they keep the environment safe and protected. It is a new day in church life and the security and safety ministry is a must!

For a limited time, anyone purchasing the CSA The Basics Of Church Security Manual will receive the CSA Member rate of only $55.99 (plus 8.00 shipping and handling).

When you order, we will immediately send you the manual via USPS First Class Mail.

Click on the Buy Now button below and you will be taken to a SECURE order page where you can order the Getting Started Manual.

You may also order using Paypal.

You may pay with Mastercard or Visa.  Easily follow the directions on the order page, securely submit your order, and we will send you your CD. Shipping and handling will be included, as well as a 7% Ohio sales tax. You will receive a receipt via email.

Buy The Basics Guide and Easy Start Up CD and Save $20.00!

For a limited time, buy both the How to Start A Church Security Manual and the Easy Start Up Manual and save $20.00 The total price for both products is normally $145.98, but for a limited time you can order both products for $125.98 (plus tax, shipping and handling). Simply click on the green Add to Cart below and we will ship both information products to you by United States Postal Service. If you are just starting out, this is a great way to get going in a hurry and save a ton of time. We have done all the work for you, and this is the most comprehensive guide and start up CD available.

Click Here To Learn How to Save $20 On The Combination Pack.

Don’t Want to Order Online? Print and Send Order Form.

Click Here to Download Form

Click Below To Order The Manual Alone

Church Security Member Website

This CD Will Save Your Precious Hours and Get Your Church Security Policy Manual Completed in Minutes!

I received your kit a couple weeks ago. OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!  Without going into too many details, I will just tell you that it saved me weeks of work. You thought of things that I never would have considered and put it all at my finger tips.
Thanks for your guidance and support.

Troy C.

The Church Security Fast Startup Kit Has A Ready Made Manual and Printed Forms to Help Guide You to a Successful Ministry and Lower Your Church’s Liability.

Time is so important, so why spend it writing a new policy and procedure manual? You can spend time researching, planning, and wondering if your plans will succeed…but why do that when we have already done the work for you?

You don’t want to spend time reinventing the wheel.

The importance of having your church’s policy and procedures in place BEFORE an incident happens is too critical. Knowing who is going to handle each responsibility, how it is going to be done, and documenting exactly how it was handled is expected in our litigious society.

How does your church assess threats? How would your fellowship respond to a bomb threat? How can your security and safety team care for the body with an appropriate medical response? What if a tornado occurs during a worship service? How should the team respond? Or worse, what if a church shooting occurs, do you have a plan in place?

Failing to have a plan in place can be disastrous for your church. Contingency planning, training, and documentation are essential for reducing church liability and really protecting your congregation.

That is why the Church Security Alliance created the start up kit. The CD-ROM contains sixteen practical forms, presentations, and documents your church needs to do the job right.

Simply place the CD in your computer’s disc drive, navigate to the form, manual or presentation you need, PLACE YOUR CHURCH LOGO or NAME in the appropriate place, and you have an instant document.

Recognizing each church has specific concerns, you simply adjust the policies and procedures to meet your specific needs, desires, and state laws – saving precious time and energy (less time in meetings and more time with your family).

Here is what you get when you purchase the start up CD:

• Security Team Manual V2.2
• Team Startup Presentation
• Church Management Presentation
• Security Team Planning and Setup
• Safety and Security Team Ministry Volunteer Request
• How to Interview Prospect Team Candidates
• Church Risk Assessment
• Building Security Review Sheet
• Security Team Application
• Sample Medical Response Plan
• Incident Report Log
• Medical Team Incident Report
• Bomb Threat Information Sheet
• Bomb Threat or Suspicious Package Procedure
• CCW in Church
• Use of Force Chart

When you purchase CSA’s start up kit, you have full access and permission to change the documents for your church and team members.

Purchase Your Easy Church Security Manual Here.

For a limited time, anyone purchasing the CSA Church Security Start Up CD will receive the CSA Member rate of only $89.99.

When you order, we will immediately ship one CD containing 16 different church security and church safety ministry manuals, forms, and procedures that you can easily make your own. Simply place the CD into your drive, open up the files and place your church’s name or logo in the proper locations and begin training your team in the policies and procedures found on the CD or use the forms and manual as a sample for your own church security policy and procedures.

Click on the Add to Cart button below and you will be taken to an order page where you can order the CD-ROM through Paypal. You do not need a Paypal account to order this product. You may pay with Mastercard, Visa, or Discover. Easily follow the directions on the order page, securely submit your order, and we will send you your CD. Shipping and handling of $6 will be included, as well as a 7% Ohio sales tax. You will receive a receipt via email.

Buy The Basics Guide and Easy Start Up CD and Save $10.00!

For a limited time, buy both the How to Start A Church Security Manual and the Easy Start Up Manual and save $10.00 The total price for both products is normally $135.98, but for a limited time you can order both products for $125.98 (plus tax, shipping and handling). Simply click on the Add to Cart and we will ship both information products to you by United States Postal Service. If you are just starting out, this is a great way to get going in a hurry and save a ton of time. We have done all the work for you, and this is the most comprehensive guide and start up CD available.

Order the combination pack and save $10.00

Don’t Want to Order Online? Print and Send Order Form.

Click Here to Download Form

If you are implementing a medical team, putting the basic operational policies together can be a major task. Here is a pdf copy of a plan put together by a friend of mine at another church. It covers all the basics and should provide starting base for putting your church medical plan together.
Read More…

If you notice one or more of these signs, don’t wait. Stroke is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical services. Get to a hospital right away!

The the warning signs of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Be prepared for an emergency.

• Keep a list of emergency rescue service numbers next to the telephone and in your pocket, wallet or purse.
• Find out which area hospitals are primary stroke centers that have 24-hour emergency stroke care.
• Know (in advance) which hospital or medical facility is nearest your home or office.

Take action in an emergency.

• Not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don’t ignore signs of stroke, even if they go away!
• Check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You’ll be asked this important question later.
• If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don’t delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical service (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can quickly be sent for you.
• If you’re with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or the EMS. Expect the person to protest — denial is common. Don’t take “no” for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.

For stroke information, call the American Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE or visit their Web site.

Heart Attack Symptoms and Warning Signs

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical system immediately.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening: Read More…

Your first-aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid. First-aid kits contain a variety of equipment that may include bandages for controlling bleeding, personal protective equipment such as gloves, a breathing barrier for performing EAR (expired air resuscitation) and CPR, and sometimes instructions on how to perform first aid.

Read More…