A New Approach to Church Safety

This workshop is live online via Zoom. A recording will also be available to registrants to view at their convenience.

When we think about church hospitality, we often think greeters at the door, good signage in the parking lot, and coffee time as we welcome people into our buildings each week. But as churches welcome the general public, sometimes that means dealing with difficult situations that arise. Greeters and others tasked with church hospitality often end up interacting with people exhibiting severe mental health symptoms who walk in during the service, without training or policies to inform them.

Join us to learn how to interact with folks dealing with mental health symptoms and other disruptive behaviors in your church from a seasoned social worker. Consider policies that your church can put into place to support your church hospitality volunteers and ease the burden of difficult split-second decisions. Discuss options for balancing your desire to welcome and minister to everyone, while also protecting the children and other vulnerable people in your midst.

This workshop will be helpful to church leaders making decisions about policies as well as greeters and others responsible for welcoming people each week who may encounter these situations.

Andrea Grill is a Master’s level Licensed Social Worker. She completed both her undergrad and graduate degrees at Millersville University. Currently she works with incarcerated individuals with mental health concerns, primarily focused on suicide prevention. Previously, she has worked in homeless outreach, working with individuals who are homeless and living on the street or in shelters in Lancaster County and City. She also briefly worked in an emergency department as a medical social worker. Being able to walk alongside individuals during vulnerable times in their lives is something she is passionate about.

All sales are non-refundable.