Hello, OSC family,
OSC has launched a Sunday morning safety team. During the congregational meeting in July, several of you expressed the desire to have a safety audit and "best practice" security implementation for Sunday morning services.
As a church, we are fortunate to have as a member former police officer CJ Palmer, who is qualified to audit our building and work with other well-qualified volunteers to get a team in place. I have also worked with Homeland Security and our local police and fire departments to learn how to prepare for an emergency. This is an exciting development for our church and essential for our overall growth.
In an effort to firm up our best practices for safety, there are a few things that will change on Sunday mornings. Please be patient with us. This is a learning process, and new systems will be implemented over time as we learn and grow.
What to expect as we launch our Sunday morning Safety Team:
If you come to church with a large bag or box, a safety team member may ask to see inside before you enter the building. Please don't be offended even if you have been a member for the last 100 years! They are just following the recommended protocol to make sure everyone is safe.
All exterior doors to the building other than the front south door will be locked ten minutes after service starts to ensure intruders do not have easy access to the building.
Because our kid's classes are relatively accessible, we will secure those areas as best we can. From now on, once kids have been dismissed to their classes, we ask people not to loiter near the kids' classrooms unless they are parents, kids team volunteer, or safety team volunteers.
When service is over after you have checked your kids out of class, please know where your kids are at all times. Kids running through the building without supervision can lead to unsafe situations.
Kids must always be signed in and out for Sunday School.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask me, Jason, or CJ Palmer directly. Again, we ask that you be patient with us as we implement this new team. Our safety policies and procedures will undoubtedly evolve as we learn what works and what doesn't.
Blessings,
Jenell Coker, Co-Minister