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.
Having insurance coverage specifically designed for long-term international missions helps protect your people and organization from the financial impact caused by injuries, lawsuits, property damage, and more.
For the second year, the Brotherhood Mutual Foundation is offering the Kingdom Advancing Grant to innovative Christian church programs that are transforming local communities through ministry.
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.
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.
Shepherding Ministries in a Time of Change
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?
Employees in nearly all organizations, secular or religious, can sue their employer because of the employment-related decisions the employer makes. The U.S. Constitution, however, affords ministries certain protection for decisions that ministry leaders make based on their religious beliefs (belief-based decisions).
Before getting into specific issues, it’s important to consider steps to help protect your ministry’s beliefs. These steps include updating ministry documents to include sincerely held beliefs, considering how your ministry will respond to issues and requests that may not align with its values, and consulting with a local attorney:
· Update your governing documents (i.e., bylaws or constitution) – Pointing to an institution’s governing documents is one of the easiest ways to show that it is acting in accordance with its beliefs when challenged.
· Update your operational documents – It’s good practice to weave your ministry’s purpose and beliefs throughout your written policies and procedures.
· Consult with a local counsel – When revising organizational documents, policies, and procedures, ministry leaders should involve a local attorney.
To help protect your ministry, Brotherhood Mutual offers a Religious Freedom Protection Coverage. Additionally, Brotherhood Mutual has created a white paper {link} resource addressing current landscape and trends, lawsuits and threats, potential solutions and protections, and insurance considerations. Contact your American Church Group agent today to learn more about this coverage.
Cyber security is increasingly crucial in our technologically advanced world. Scammers use many schemes when attempting to steal your data, but you can outsmart them by understanding their methods.
When conflict occurs in the church, it can threaten the unity of a congregation. Experts say the only way to heal conflict is to acknowledge and address it. But how?
Theft isn’t just an issue for banks and large companies. Sometimes the kind and caring nature of your ministry is exactly what makes you a target. Organizational Optional Theft Coverage helps to assure that, if a thief takes advantage of your institution, what’s lost can be restored.
Most ministry leaders don’t realize there is funding available to non-profit employers including churches, schools, colleges, and camps. This post includes some highlights about the credit and guidance on where to start to see if your ministry is eligible.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Though child abuse may not be something you could ever imagine happening within your ministry, sexual abuse of a minor is one of the top five reasons churches end up in court, according to Church Law & Tax. Studies also show that a child is much more likely to be sexually abused by a trusted adult than a stranger.
When severe storms strike, they can produce high winds and tornadoes. Damaging winds can wreak havoc on your ministry’s property and to buildings. A high wind event can crash debris through your windows, strip your siding, down trees on your parking lot, peel shingles off your roof, and fling back the flashing.
Thieves are taking advantage of soaring precious metal prices. Take steps to protect your ministry’s vehicles and property.
As temperatures plummet, the risk of freezing pipes soars. Frozen pipes can cause costly messes that could also put your ministry on hold while you clean up.
Preparing for this Christmas season may require additional creativity, due to the uncertainty of what COVID-19 may bring in our local community.
A mid-November deadline in the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) bankruptcy proceedings may have you wondering what the organization’s bankruptcy filing means for your ministry if you ever hosted or chartered Boy Scout Troops.
Organizations that obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding through the CARES Act can have their loans forgiven, turning them into grants. To qualify, each borrower must file a forgiveness application with its PPP lender, proving that it followed the rules. If your church, school, college, or camp meets all the criteria, 100% of its loan can be forgiven.
Learn about the CARES Act and two loans for which ministries may be eligible, since Congress authorized additional funding April 23.
As concern over the dangers associated with the spread of a new coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads, our agency and Brotherhood Mutual want to keep you informed and provide best practices for managing the spread of this and similar illnesses at your ministry.
The first Sunday in February is a big day for sports fans. In fact, many Americans view Super Bowl Sunday as a national holiday. Friends and families will gather this year to watch the big game, enjoy delicious snacks, and of course, critique the commercials that go along with game day.