Posts by Alan Hughes
Can a Sex Offender Go to Church? The Policy We Use and Why
Article Summary Online, the debate over registered sex offenders in church often ends in “keep them out” or “don’t judge,” and neither side answers the real question of conditions. A conditional attendance agreement lets a church extend grace with firm limits around children, and the intake interview shows whether the person has actually changed. A…
Read MoreChurch Security Plan Lessons From a Small Town
Article Summary A church doesn’t have to be the target to become the scene of a shooting. Some violence gives your team no chance at prevention, and the person behind it may not share your limits. When that happens, your church security plan decides how well your people react. What happened in LaBelle? On Monday…
Read MoreWhy Your Church Safety Team Is Operating in a Silo (and What It’s Costing You)
Article Summary Safety teams end up isolated for several reasons, but only one is entirely within our control. It builds slowly, costs a church safety team more than most leaders realize, and the fix starts with how we treat the people already serving beside us. Several years ago, I was sitting at my desk working…
Read MoreThe Reactionary Gap: The Distance That Keeps You Safe
Article Summary The reactionary gap is the space between you and another person, and that space is time. Whoever moves first has a head start, and speed alone won’t close it. This covers how to recognize someone taking that distance on purpose, and what to do about it. You Can’t React Faster Than Someone Can…
Read MoreChurch Safety Team Accountability: What to Do When a Volunteer Gets It Wrong
Article Summary Every safety team makes mistakes, from late arrivals to failures that can’t be handled internally. Church safety team accountability depends on a clear ladder of responses, leaders who hear about problems early, and an honest read on what can’t wait until Monday. We all make mistakes. You do, we do, and so does…
Read MoreWhen Protesters Disrupt a Church Service: What to Do in the First 60 Seconds
Article Summary When protestors disrupt a church service, a lot of churches realize they don’t have a plan. A church open to the public is still private property, so your team can ask a disruptor to leave. The real skill is restraint: know where your authority starts and never give them the reaction they came…
Read More5 Pieces of Self-Defense Advice You Should Ignore
Article Summary Self-defense advice spreads fast, especially the kind that sounds clever enough to repeat but falls apart the moment you look closer. This article breaks down five common pieces of self-defense advice that keep making the rounds, from wasp spray substitutes to warning shots, and explains why each one can get you hurt, sued,…
Read MoreChurch Safety Training in Virginia
Article Summary Better Protectors provides in-person church safety training in Virginia, brought to your church by instructors who come to you. We work with congregations across the state, from Hampton Roads to the Blue Ridge, and we build each session around your building and your team. Below is what we teach, who we are, and…
Read MoreChurch Safety Training in West Virginia
Article Summary Better Protectors provides in-person church safety training in West Virginia, taught at your church by instructors who come to you. We know this part of the country, from Wheeling in the Northern Panhandle to Huntington down on the Ohio River, and we build each session around your congregation. Below is what we teach,…
Read MoreChurch Safety Training in Ohio
Article Summary Better Protectors provides church safety training in Ohio in person, taught at your church by instructors who come to you. We learn your building and your team, then build the session around what your congregation actually needs, whether you meet in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, or a smaller town between them. Below is what…
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