Open Arms, Safe Communities

How do we reconcile the need to create safe places for worship and community with a theology of welcome and inclusion? Most houses of worship know they need a safety plan, but leadership often resists the tough conversations of restricting access and locking more doors. This seems contrary to proclaiming that church is a welcoming, open place for all. There are books, manuals, guides, and articles advising how to create a safety plan for faith-based institutions, but none of them wrestles with the theological questions that come up during the process. By exploring these questions, faith-based institutions of all kinds can better tackle the challenges of creating a safety plan with more thought, insight, and confidence. Understanding that incidents of violence are impossible to ignore, candor about the firearms debate will allow for deeper empathy and clearer direction in decision-making. Throughout this book, the author encourages leadership to reconcile having ultimate faith in God with taking reasonable means to protect ourselves and those in our care.