Preventing Attacks: Keeping Your Church Safe - Michael Mann Security Services
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Michael Mann
On February 2, 2026Sometimes, the security element’s best intentions in trying to prevent attacks become obsolete, and the attacker can identify a vulnerability in the system and exploit it. That’s what happened in Israel in 1972 following the Lod Airport massacre when three terrorists killed 26 people, including 17 Christian Pilgrams form Puerto Rico, one Canadian citizen, and eight Israelis. 80 people were also injured during the attack while Israeli security and police were responding to an attack that was not detected early.
You can read more about the attack in the links below, but to summarize the point here, the attack forced Israeli security forces to shift to a proactive, multilayered, behavior-based approach that uses intelligence, physical presence, observation, and engagement to stop attacks before they occur, and the Israeli model has become the standard for high-risk security environments worldwide.
👉 https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w3ct3byr
How does this apply to your church?
Well, the Israeli techniques can be used by your security volunteers, and we provide those concepts in our One-Day Basic Church Security Training Program. In 2011, I learned these techniques when I traveled to Israeli to study security, and I’ve combined the techniques with basic physical security concepts that focus on ministry, creating a cost and time effective four-step process that your team can quickly use to prevent attacks before they occur. The program also provides training in emergency medical response, use of force, and basic covert carry techniques.
Conclusion
By adopting a proactive, multilayered approach to security, churches can significantly reduce risk while preserving their mission and culture. When security teams are trained to observe behavior, communicate effectively, and respond appropriately, they become an asset to both safety and ministry.
Investing in proper training equips your volunteers to protect what matters most. Prevention isn’t about expecting the worst, it’s about being ready to protect, serve, and lead with wisdom.
Next Steps for Your Church
1️⃣ Evaluate Your Current Readiness: Download the Church Security Planning Checklist to identify gaps in planning, response, training, and leadership oversight.
2️⃣ Clarify What Your Results Mean: If you’d like help interpreting what your checklist reveals, schedule a free 15-minute Security Planning Walkthrough Call.
3️⃣ Decide What Comes Next, Intentionally:
From there, you can determine whether your church needs a professional security assessment, a written emergency response plan, leadership training or certification, or simply better documentation and review
📞 Prefer to talk now? Call 615.956.3912
📧 Prefer to email? Email contact@michaelmannsecurityservices.com
Extra Resources
Preventing The Disruptions of Churches
Watch Here
Prepare Your Church for Protestors
Read Here
Security Planning Checklist
Download Here
Church Security Program
Learn Here
Church Security Program Pricing Sheet
Download Here
I specialize in the protection of people and facilities and provide security services including: Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), security assessments/plans, training and certification in CPR, AED, first aid, bleeding control, active shooter prevention and response, behavior threat detection, firearms and more. Contact me today by scheduling a call, emailing, or calling 615.956.3912.
