Think About it -- The Culture we Choose

The TAI Article this week was written by Shanna Honeycutt. All of us who speak run into those “experts” like Shanna encountered below. Those who know all there is to know about some topic. They dare not diminish themselves by hearing what someone else may have to offer. That is what I love about the FBSN – we learn from each other.

The Culture we Choose. By; Shanna Honeycutt

At a conference this weekend, I heard several speakers I hadn’t heard before. One was focused broadly on church security.

Later, I met the speaker at the FBSN booth. I thanked her for encouraging churches to take security seriously and told her about FBSN—a network of 1,000 active members representing ministries in 49 states, serving in church security, ministry leadership, and related roles.

I explained what makes FBSN different is the collective experience, knowledge, resources, and relationships of the people invested in this work.

She told me she had heard of FBSN but didn’t focus on deadly incidents because they are rare.

“Absolutely,” I said. “That’s just one small part of what we do.”

Our members share threat information, meet weekly, participate in special-interest groups, and collaborate on the many dimensions of church safety and security.

I pointed to “The Watchful Shepherd: Your Church’s Complete Safety Team Blueprint” sitting on our table. It represents the combined experience of many FBSN members who have spent years working in this field.

Jeff Toeppe of Personal Defense Training and Kris Moloney of Sheepdog Church Security Academy, both of whom have built respected security training organizations are among those writers. They—and others—gave their time, resources, and expertise to create something that is a huge benefit for churches.

She waved the book off dismissively and said, “I’ve already written all that.”

That moment stuck with me.

Because there is a profound difference between saying “I already know” and asking, “What can I contribute?”

That difference is at the heart of the FBSN.

Where experienced professionals don't have to prove they know everything because they recognize none of us knows everything.

Where knowledge isn't guarded—it is shared.

Where experience isn't used simply to build a personal platform—it is invested back into the church.

These men and women exemplify what Theodore Roosevelt famously stated, “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged.”

That spirit is alive throughout FBSN.

Our members are humble enough to learn, confident enough to share, and generous enough to invest their time, resources, and expertise for the benefit of others.

Think about it.

That is the culture FBSN attracts: true professionals who understand that the mission is bigger than themselves.

And that is worth being part of.