4 Safety Tips for Your Church's Fall Festival

By Raul Rivera

They dodged a bullet this time and the event team knew it. Pastor Glenn was grateful that he heeded the advice of another pastor and hired security for their fall festival event.

Each year his church hosted a fall festival event that had become increasingly popular in the community. There were rides, games, music, and good food that allowed people to enjoy a fun break from the rigors of the new school year. The festival also attracted those who otherwise did not attend church.

The event had several hundred attendees the year before. Nothing had gone terribly wrong, however there were a few reports of various incidents and a disagreement with one of the vendors. This year, to make it a better environment for all attendees, a security team was hired to help secure the property and handle any disputes.

Boy did this prove to be a good move.

A father who had a restraining order placed against him due to a domestic violence dispute, attempted to kidnap his children. Violating his restraining order, he chose the fall festival as the time and place to get his children back.

It was a member of the security team who heard the mother’s cry for help when she could not find her children after coming back from buying some snacks. The security team acted quickly securing all of the exits which prevented the father from leaving with the kids.

Being prepared for all things, at all times

Although the above story is fictional, it is an example of a church that takes the necessary precautions to prepare for potential emergencies, hoping that nothing ever comes about, but being ready if necessary.

Fall festivals and events have become a popular way for churches to offer family-friendly activities as a way to spread the Gospel of Christ and increase their influence within the community. But as an event begins to grow in scope and size, it is important to be prepared if things do not go according to plan.

If you plan on hosting a fall festival or any other event this fall, I pray for it to be a success for you. But in order for that to happen, you have to be prepared.

In this post, I want to discuss some important safety steps you should consider taking in order to create the most enjoyable and safe atmosphere you can for your event.

4 key safety tips for your event

1. Know who is volunteering

The front line for your event’s success is your volunteer team. It may seem obvious, but it is imperative to know who your volunteers are. This is especially so for churches that wish to StartRIGHT and StayRIGHT.

Be familiar with their talents and strengths. Be sure your volunteers are placed accordingly in the various areas of your event. As a first step, it is best practice to require all church volunteers to pass both a background and reference check. This is especially so for those working with children.

(For more information on this topic, see a previous blog I wrote called “How to Create a Solid Volunteer Program”)

As seen from the story above, having security team is an invaluable part of your event’s safety precautions. Their presence alone holds participants accountable for their actions and will dissuade certain behaviors. If an incident does occur, a security team will be able to secure the situation and help keep it contained.

Consider establishing a security team that will oversee parking, vendors, rides, and large gatherings. The security team can mitigate disputes and notify the proper authorities in the event of disruptive activity.

The security team can also be a great help in the event of an emergency situation such as a fire or unexpected heavy rainfall. This team would be very influential in helping direct people to safety.

And let’s not forget medical needs. Having a medical professional on call for various injuries or other medical needs is always a good idea.

The front line for your event's success is your volunteer team.

2. Have a plan to handle and direct traffic

One of the “make it or break it” aspects of a festival or large event is parking! Some attendees even determine the success of an event based on parking.

Create a parking plan and consider options for overflow parking in your area that can be recommended to attendees. Speak with local businesses about your event so that they may post “available” or “non-available” parking signs. This creates goodwill with the businesses in your area.

Also, determine if you will need to solicit the help of local law enforcement for traffic control before, during, or after the event.

3. Ensure food safety precautions are in place

Will your church be serving food during the event? If so, ensure that the food is properly refrigerated or heated depending on the dish. Make sure the food servers and cooks are familiar with proper food safety guidelines and provide a sanitary area for cooking and serving food. Have a dedicated team for keeping the food prep and service area clean and ready for your participants.

If you utilize vendors, be sure to make your food safety and quality guidelines clear. If possible, get references for your vendors from other organizations who have previously worked with them. This will let you know the quality of their food, service, and sanitation practices.

4. Create safety rules that are easily seen

If you plan on having bonfires, hay rides, animal rides, or other activities where risk of injury is high at your event, implement and make known safety rules for all participants. Have a volunteer assigned to each ride to remind participants of the rules before and during the ride.

When dealing with bonfires, plan the size of the fire and create a secure clearance area around it. Using flammable fluids to start the fire can be very dangerous, so it is best to not use these. Keep the fire away from the other events for safety and have fire extinguishing equipment close at hand in case of an emergency.

Simple plans create a safe event

Following these simple steps can help your church create an effective safety plan for your fall festival and other ministry events. An incident free event is an enjoyable one. And I know the safety of those who attend your events is one of your top priorities.

Whether it be during a Sunday morning service or a community event, having a safety plan in place creates a safe environment for all in attendance.

In a similar fashion, it is important that you have the right plan in place for your church’s legal foundation; no matter if you just started or have been around for several years.

If you wonder what this may look like for your church or ministry, give us a call today at 877-494-4655. We’d be happy to help!

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