Safety Team Philosophy
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” - Romans 12:18
Mission
The mission of Griggs Church is to make disciples that transform our neighborhood with the gospel of Jesus. The safety team exists to enable and enact that mission. The safety team enables that mission by detecting and removing potential disruptions from our gatherings so that our church can continue to focus on Jesus, the gospel, and neighborhood ministry. But the safety team also enacts the church’s mission by treating interactions with all, even disruptors, as chances to minister the gospel in Jesus’ name.
Core Values
1.Ministry: Safety with a Shepherd’s Heart
We are not bouncers. We are ministers. Some people we minister to inside the church, some outside the church.
Some people—due to intoxication, mental distress, or instability—are not ready for participation in the worship gathering. That doesn’t make them unworthy of love.
When needed, we redirect these individuals to receive personal care outside the service, one-on-one. This allows both them and the congregation to experience grace in appropriate settings.
Our security is an extension of our pastoral care—firm in purpose (i.e. we don’t allow public intoxication to take over a service), gentle in tone.
2. De-escalation: Prevention Over Reaction
We don’t depend on weapons. We depend on wisdom, awareness, and Spirit-led calm.
Our priority is preventative presence—reading body language, addressing tension early, and calming situations before they erupt.
We create an environment that feels shepherded, not policed. This lowers anxiety for everyone.
“Blessed are the peacemakers...” (Matthew 5:9) can apply as much to the front door as it does to the pulpit.
3. Communication: Clear, Coordinated, Church-Specific.
We hear all the advice we can from safety experts, but we write and implement policies and procedures specific to the needs of Poe Mill and Poinsett Highway.
We will regularly inform the congregation—during quarterly business and our yearly retreat—about evacuation procedures, fire response, medical protocols, and how to handle disruptions.
Safety is everyone’s shared responsibility but structure and clarity begins with the safety team.
Vision
The vision for the safety team is men visibly demonstrating Jesus-centered living in the midst of challenging people and situations. We want to see men minister to the neighborhood by keeping our gatherings safe and by seeking the salvation of anyone behaving in a way that is unsafe whether that behavior is intentional or not (i.e. those with poor mental health).
