Flipping through a magazine, I came across this picture.

The intent was very clear except, the fence was no protection from a chainsaw.

Looking beyond the appearance of protection, one could see these once beautiful trees had been stripped of their branches and cut into two to three foot chunks, strewn in every direction, nothing pretty about it; once a picturesque display of natural beauty was now only a heap of kindling ready for the fireplace.

I was left wondering, “Is this what you call protection?” A fence and a sign were not enough to protect this forest area – they only offered the appearance of security. The intention to protect was meaningless when there was no action taken to follow through with security processes.

Too many churches invest valuable time and financial resources to develop sound policy and control manuals, only to render them worthless when they place them on the shelf and never use them.

Adequate protection does begin with evaluating the church as a whole and developing procedures and policies that are in alignment with the purpose and goals of the church. It is also necessary to evaluate and revise policies periodically and communicate to the church staff the importance of implementing any new revisions. This will offer security to the church and protection for its staff. 

Any church can put well meaning policies and procedures in place, but just like the fence and the sign, policies and procedures left unused or not updated, are nothing more than a security blanket.