By Lucian Stefanescu, Treasurer, Seventh-day Adventist Church – Quebec Conference
Dear pastors and church leaders,
I would like to remind you about the Safety Sabbath initiative that allows our churches, where we preach the message of salvation from this world, to also be safe places in this world. As focused as we are on unveiling the spiritual dangers that people are facing, we should not neglect to be prepared for the visible physical dangers that are everywhere. Our buildings must adhere to the highest standard of public safety.
Our commitment to the safety of all those who attend our churches, whether our children, elderly, and other vulnerable individuals should be clearly visible to all. The new standard is that each church should have in place a safety committee and a safety officer. In smaller churches this could be delegated to the head deacon or one of the elders according to the gifts of everyone.
The 4th Sabbath of March is usually dedicated to this initiative at the Division level, and it is encouraged that it is celebrated as a Sabbath when we focus on safety. Feel free to emphasize this initiative on the date of your choice, only make sure that it is not overlooked. It is your duty to perform an annual safety inspection of your church as well as a fire drill which we suggest you could schedule during the warmer months. It is your responsibility to ensure that the church meets the safety regulations that apply to your municipality. Contact them to assess the situation and work with them so that our churches may be models within their communities in this respect.
Resources are available on the ARM website, many of them have been translated into French. You can find them here:
Please click here to register for the Safety Sabbath and make your church a safe place where people can be led to salvation.