The Church Security Checklist

A checklist is one of the simplest tools a church security team can adopt, and one of the most underused. The goal is not bureaucracy. The goal is consistency. A team that runs the same walk-through every Sunday will notice the thing that is out of place. A team that operates from memory alone will miss it.

Below is a practical starting point. Take what fits your church and leave what does not. If you are just starting your team, run through this checklist before your first Sunday and mark anything that surfaces a gap you need to fill.

Before service (arrival and setup)

Complete before doors open to the congregation.

• All team members confirmed present and at assigned positions
• Communications tested (radios, earpieces, or group text confirmed active)
• Walk all exits: confirm doors open freely, nothing blocking egress
• Parking lot walk-through: note any unfamiliar or suspicious vehicles
• Interior perimeter walk: all exterior doors locked except designated entry points
• Children’s ministry wing confirmed covered and check-in system ready
• First aid kit location confirmed and supplies checked
• AED location confirmed and accessible
• Any known concerns from last week reviewed with team lead
• Team briefing complete: assignments, any special circumstances, communication protocol

During service

Ongoing throughout the service.

• Entry point covered during greeting and seating period
• Late arrivals acknowledged and assisted appropriately
• Floor volunteer making regular passes through seating areas
• Children’s ministry wing checked at regular intervals
• Parking lot visible from at least one team member position
• Any persons of concern noted and communicated to team lead
• Medical or disruptive incidents handled per response protocol and logged
• No unauthorized access to restricted areas (offices, nursery, storage)

After service (dismissal and closeout)

Complete before team is released.

• All children confirmed reunited with authorized adults
• Parking lot monitored until congregation has largely departed
• Final interior sweep: no persons left behind in bathrooms, nursery, or common areas
• All exterior doors locked and secured
• Any incidents or observations logged for team lead
• Equipment (radios, badges, etc.) collected and stored
• Team lead confirms all positions released

Monthly and ongoing

Items that do not belong on a Sunday checklist but need to be tracked.

• All active volunteers current on background checks
• All active volunteers current on required training modules
• Schedule posted and confirmed for coming weeks
• Security plan reviewed for any needed updates
• Incident log reviewed by team lead for patterns or follow-up items
• New volunteers in onboarding pipeline confirmed making progress

How to actually use this

Print it and put it on a clipboard at the team lead’s station. Or run it digitally so completions are timestamped and visible to leadership. Either way, the value is in running it every week, not just when someone thinks of it.

If a checklist item consistently goes unchecked, that is either a gap in coverage or a task that needs a designated owner. Running checklists digitally with assigned roles and completion tracking removes the ambiguity entirely.