News Articles

How to Show Your Church You Care on Safety Sabbath 2019

A Call to Action: One Sabbath. One Drill. A Safer Church.

March 6, 2019 | Silver Spring, Md. | Elizabeth Camps

Safety Sabbath logo

Part of being a church family means valuing each other as beloved creations of God and finding new ways to express Christ’s love and caring nature in our community. While caring actions can take many forms, Safety Sabbath is an opportunity to care for your congregation by taking the time for emergency preparation exercises and investing in practical skills that can improve their personal safety and, possibly, save a life.

For the past three years, Seventh-day Adventist churches across the North American Division have joined in conducting an annual church emergency drill on Safety Sabbath, the 4th Saturday in March. At SafetySabbath.com, church leaders can register for the event, download materials and resources to prepare their churches, and learn how to conduct various emergency drills, including fire, active shooter, missing child, and earthquake drills. When a church takes part in this church safety day and practices the proper procedures for an emergency situation, it is an investment in each person’s safety and reflects the peace and security God desires for His people, which includes physical protection. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and deliverers them” (Ps. 34:7, KJV).

In a world marred by sin, emergencies of all kinds can happen anywhere, even in our churches. We may have different potential emergencies based on our geographical locations or the community in which we reside, but whatever the crisis, it is always better to be prepared and have a plan before emergencies occur. Practicing the plan by conducting emergency drills allows church members to understand what to do and be ready to act should an emergency arise. Encourage everyone to learn how to stay safe through an emergency. By conducting emergency drills in your church, you demonstrate to your congregation that their safety is important, especially when worshiping together. This year, help prepare your congregation on Safety Sabbath, March 23, 2019.

A Call to Action: One Sabbath. One Drill. A Safer Church.

Adventist Risk Management, Inc. invites you to join in this annual safety event and show your church you care by conducting a church emergency drill on Safety Sabbath. This unique opportunity allows you to demonstrate to your church that their safety is a priority and that planning for emergencies is essential. Your church will be able to practice what to do when an emergency occurs and learn how to improve so that each drill is a success. It is recommended that you pick one drill from the list provided, and do that drill on Safety Sabbath.

Get started at SafetySabbath.com and help your church be ready!

And join the safety conversation online using the official event hashtag #SafetySabbath2019 in all your social media posts about the event; follow the official Safety Sabbath Twitter account at @SafetySabbath.

— Elizabeth Camps is writer and public relations specialist for Adventist Risk Management, Inc.

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