Church Risk Assessment Checklist

This checklist is designed for a church with multiple buildings in a college area, incorporating a full-time childcare center. It draws from industry standards, including guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), FBI active shooter resources, and church-specific security frameworks from organizations like Sheepdog Church Security and MinistrySafe. The focus is on proactive measures to mitigate risks, with an emphasis on layered security (physical, procedural, and technological) tailored to high-traffic environments near campuses, where transient populations may increase vulnerabilities.

The checklist is divided into sections for ease of use. For each item, assess: Yes (fully implemented), No (not implemented), Partial (in progress), and note any action steps or timelines. Conduct this assessment annually or after incidents, involving a security committee, local law enforcement, and childcare staff. Prioritize high-likelihood risks (e.g., theft or unauthorized access in a college area) and train all staff/volunteers on findings.