How can churches take safety seriously without losing the heart of hospitality? In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank and Tim sit down with Jim Howard, Executive Director of Trinity Security Allies. With 38 years in law enforcement and years of experience training churches across the country, Jim explains why safety is a ministry — not just a security detail.
From handling nervous visitors, to guns in church, to protecting kids’ ministry, Jim helps pastors think through how to create a culture of safety that still feels like the gospel.
📧 Contact Jim: jim@trinitysecurityallies.com
🌐 Learn more: https://trinitysecurityallies.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & guest introduction
02:00 – Jim’s story: from tragedy to church safety ministry
08:30 – Why church safety is a ministry, not just security
10:00 – Responding when visitors seem suspicious
13:40 – How to balance hospitality and safety
17:00 – Prevention, liability, and what pastors need to know
22:00 – Guns in church: policies, pitfalls, and wisdom
26:00 – Building safety culture without scaring people
32:00 – First steps for churches with little or no budget
35:00 – Training volunteers when you don’t have experts
40:00 – Active shooter training and real-life scenarios
42:00 – Why Jim does this: 1 Peter 5 and the call to shepherd the flock
Links from the show:
🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e
🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc
💻 PracticallyPastoring.com