The Program
The S.A.F.E. Approach is an exciting training program designed specifically for those in the faith-based community where the effective use of verbal and non-verbal communication skills can reduce the risk of negative or violent encounters with people of all walks of life that may be encountered in your place of worship.
At the heart of The S.A.F.E. Approach for Faith is the concept of recognizing potentially hazardous situations and mitigating their impact all while treating individuals with dignity and respect – a key component. We know that compassion, empathy and a comprehensive understanding of human behavior can resolve or even prevent most conflicts. It\’s only on rare occasion that an individual must resort to some form of defensive posture or response, but it’s this key component of our training that separates The S.A.F.E. Approach™ from many others: our simple, effective and easy to remember methods for enhancing personal safety.
Why S.A.F.E?
It seems today’s society views the Church and her stand on biblical issues with increasing hostility. While disconcerting, Jesus told us we are to expect this. In the face of such realities, how prepared is the Church in facing opposition in a biblically responsible matter?
Looking at your own church, do you feel your staff, ushers, greeters, teachers, lay leaders, security personnel, and others are prepared to effectively handle a negative encounter that may include anger, rage, or physical assault? If your place of worship is like many others, the answer may be no.
The S.A.F.E. Approach for Faith is designed to help the Church effectively respond to an individual or group in a manner that maintains dignity and respect. Of course, no matter how skillful one is at defusing a hostile encounter, we know that on occasion, people can still physically attack.
This is why The S.A.F.E. Approach method was developed; to provide administrators, security directors and others peace of mind in knowing that their staff – at all levels – have been trained in effective methods of resolving conflict. As you familiarize yourself with our program, you will see that we have extensive experience in conflict resolution.
The word Safe in The S.A.F.E. Approach tends to speak for itself; however, to further define our program, we use the acronym S.A.F.E. as follows:
S – Safety
The S.A.F.E. Approach™ method has the safety or everyone in mind. Those who participate in our training learn techniques that will keep them safe and others as well.
A – Attitude
It’s been said that, “We can’t control others actions; we can only control our own!” While this may be true in many encounters, we believe that our own attitude plays an important role in any encounter and has a strong influence on the attitude of others.
F – Focus
In order to be effective, we must maintain focus on the techniques taught. As we all are aware, habits form when we repeat routines of behavior. Done enough, these habits become subconscious activities.
E – Empathy
Empathy has been defined as “the capacity to recognize, and to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another.” It is an important component of The S.A.F.E. Approach™ method.