January 20, 2016
If someone in your congregation suddenly needs emergency medical attention would your church know how to respond quickly and correctly to help save that person’s life? Medical emergencies can happen anywhere and anytime, which is why it’s important for your ministry to be prepared to respond.
Below are eight tips to get your ministry on its way to emergency medical preparedness.
1. Assemble a team. When organizing your ministry’s emergency response team, try to include people who have a background in the medical field—nurses, physicians, and medical technicians.
2. Have backup. Not all emergency team members will be in attendance at every church function. Try to have enough volunteers so that at least two people are always ready to respond to a medical crisis.
3. Offer training. Your medical response team will only be effective if members have the proper training. Offer classes in first aid, CPR, and AED use, so that if the time comes they will be able to provide basic care until medical professionals arrive.
4. Determine a home base. Consider having the medical response team sit in a designated pew or area at events. If something happens, the congregation will know exactly where to find help without wasting time.
5. Get equipped. Make sure your response team has the equipment. At minimum, your church or ministry should have an automated external defibrillator (AED). Having one could mean the difference between life and death because it analyzes the heart’s rhythm and prompts users to deliver a shock, if needed.
6. Think first-aid. Stock up on first-aid kits from a professional supplier. Suppliers offer kits with a larger variety of supplies than kits sold at pharmacies and medical supply stores that serve the general public.
7. Designate a dialer. Assign a few volunteers to dial 911 or other numbers from their cell phones in an emergency situation.
8. Spread the word. Make sure the congregation knows an emergency response team exists and who the team members are, so when there’s an emergency at church, members will know who to contact for help.
There are a lot of hats worn in any growing ministry – and we want to serve every one of them.
With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s wise for ministries to evaluate their fire safety plan. Whether your ministry is hosting a holiday party, prepping treats for charity, or running a community kitchen, make sure you’re well-prepared with these tips.
The holidays present unique opportunities and challenges for churches that aren’t typical during other times of the year. A lot of the ministries that I work with are seeing steady increases in attendance and are praying for a significant jump in Christmas service participation this year.
In this article, Brad Brown from Plan A Wealth Management gives a wonderful insight into why ministries might consider choosing a 403(B)(9) retirement plan.
As school is back in session, it’s important to make sure your school is equipped with the correct safety procedures. Thinking about your school’s physical security as a series of layers can help you find gaps in your plan. Transportation and volunteers are just two important aspects of your school safety plan to think about.
If there is one thing I have learned over the last decade while working private security and as a sworn peace officer, the more critical the incident, the more likely change will come out of it. Much like a pendulum, an incident occurs, and everyone cries for change.
Updating the lighting in your worship center with LED can offer significant energy savings while improving overall lighting performance.
We are so excited to welcome the newest member of the American Church Group of Colorado team, Lyndsie Glowinski.
Churches are increasingly becoming targets for cyber criminals. The most common attack is by sending “phishing” emails where the perpetrator poses as someone familiar to the ministry staff (like a senior pastor, deacon, elder, or someone trustworthy) and requests some sort of response.
Anyone who turns on the news, flips through a magazine, or browses the web can see that American society and culture are experiencing rapid transitions. Some ministries have valid concerns that issues surrounding societal shifts may expose them to negative publicity, governmental scrutiny, or litigation.
The questions become: when and how can ministries operate within their deeply held religious beliefs when they may conflict with others’ rights?