Church Greeters and Ushers: Eyes and Ears for Security

Church greeters and ushers are hospitality volunteers—whether standing outside of entrance doors or inside by tabletops, kiosks, and auditorium doors or walking people down worship service aisles—who provide a warm first impression for visitors and members, acting as welcoming ambassadors for the church by offering a smile, a sincere greeting, and assistance. Their roles include directing guests, answering questions about ministries or services, providing directions to restrooms and classrooms, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable and connected to the church community. Effective greeters are friendly, informed about the church’s activities, and can quickly assess visitors’ needs to make them feel valued and at ease.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Lori Morrison, Private Investigator ]

Retired licensed private investigator and member of her church’s safety team, Lori Morrison, says greeters should also act as eyes and ears for overall security during church events. In her Worship Facility article, “Training Our First Line of Defense: 4 Critical Issues for Church Greeters and Parking Attendants,” she writes, “With proper training, our greeters and parking attendants can become watchful sentinels who protect while they welcome.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense and Church Security: Make Scanning Your Priority ]

When seeing greeters and ushers as security assets and the first line of defense against threats, she wants “as many trained eyes scanning the crowd as possible.” She enumerates four critical issues that every greeter and parking attendant should be trained to recognize:

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Live Life Left of Bang ]

1. Suspicious Behavioral Patterns and Pre-Attack Indicators

• Train your team to watch for individuals who display unusual or prolonged presence around church premises without an apparent reason.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

2. Domestic Violence Warning Signs in Families

• Watch for family members who seem fearful or anxious around a particular family member.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ]

3. Signs of Mental Health Crisis and Potential Violence

• Watch for individuals who display erratic or increasingly agitated behavior over multiple visits.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of MENTAL HEALTH ]

4. Indicators of Child Abuse and Neglect

• Watch for children who arrive consistently dirty, inappropriately dressed for the weather, or appearing malnourished.

Read her article in full.

— Get the SemperVerus booklet, The Case for Biblical Self-Defense —

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