Church After Action Review (AAR): Document, Improve, and Protect Your Ministry
An AAR template is at the bottom of this article. It is for you to use for free. If you want to support my mission of providing free training to church safety ministries, please consider a paid subscription.
Every church security team, ministry group, or safety-focused operation will face moments that test their readiness. Whether it's a real-world threat, a suspicious person contact, or a complex training event, those moments can either become wasted experiences or springboards for growth. The difference lies in what happens after the dust settles.
That’s where the After Action Review (AAR) comes in. In both military and law enforcement settings, the AAR is a cornerstone of operational improvement. It’s not about checking a box, it’s about dissecting what happened, identifying what worked, and figuring out what didn’t. For church security teams, where lives and testimony are on the line, it’s just as essential.
What an AAR Does That Verbal Debriefs Don’t
You’ve probably had those quick hallway debriefs after a callout or event. Someone says, “That went pretty well,” or “We need to tighten up communication,” and then everyone heads home. It’s forgotten by the next shift. The problem with this approach is that the feedback is often incomplete, subjective, and not captured in a way that can inform future decisions or training.
An AAR changes that. It creates a written record of what occurred, from start to finish. It highlights tactical decisions, communication breakdowns, equipment failures, and even emotional responses that could affect performance. Most importantly, it provides structure so lessons don’t get lost to time or memory.
For church teams, this is especially important. Your mission includes not only physical protection but also preserving the witness of your ministry. A poorly handled incident can affect your reputation, lead to legal scrutiny, or cause division within your congregation. Documenting what happened—and how your team handled it—provides clarity, accountability, and proof of good-faith efforts to protect the flock.
When You Should Write an AAR
Not every Sunday service or fire drill needs a 5-page review. But there are specific situations where you should take the time to write one:
After any real-world incident: This includes anything from a medical emergency to an active threat situation. If 911 was called, if someone was detained, or if weapons were drawn, you should be writing an AAR.
After major training events: Especially those involving outside agencies, role players, or complex scenarios. If your team conducted an active shooter drill or a lockdown simulation, you need to document what was learned.
After near misses: These are the moments that could have gone badly but didn’t. Maybe a suspicious person was watched but not contacted, or a team member forgot to radio a position change. Capture it before the lesson is lost.
When leadership requests a formal review: If your church leadership asks for a summary of an event or training, having a structured AAR format makes that easy and professional.
When your team is developing policy: AARs are a goldmine for writing better SOPs. They provide real data, not just theory.
What Makes a Good AAR: Structure and Tone
A well-written AAR is not just a narrative or a complaint session. It is a structured evaluation that balances facts, observations, and solutions. The tone should be professional, objective, and free from emotion or blame. You are not writing to impress anyone, and you are not writing to get someone in trouble. You are writing to get better.
There are two ways to approach this: the formal AAR and the informal AAR.
Informal AARs
An informal AAR might be a short one-page write-up after a minor incident or a training evolution. It can be completed within 15 to 30 minutes. These are best for internal team improvement and short-term tracking.
An example would be a verbal confrontation with a disruptive person in the parking lot that ended without escalation. Even if nothing serious occurred, capturing what was said, who responded, and how it was resolved can help improve de-escalation techniques or confirm that your radio procedures are working.
Informal AARs are also valuable for newer team members. When a new volunteer shadows a senior team member during service, ask them to write a short AAR of what they observed. It creates a habit of reflection and sharpens their understanding of the role.
Formal AARs
A formal AAR should be used any time there is a significant event, such as:
A medical emergency requiring outside EMS response
A person detained or escorted out of the sanctuary
A suspicious individual identified and tracked
A lockdown or evacuation
Any training involving multiple departments or outside observers
Formal AARs should include the following components:
Title and date
Name of the person completing the report
Type of incident or training
Timeline of events
Personnel involved
What actions were taken
What worked well
What needs improvement
Recommendations for future action
Each section should be written factually and clearly. Avoid vague language. Do not write “things went smoothly.” Instead, describe what was done and what the result was. Use clear details to back up each observation.
How AARs Improve Training and Team Readiness
The biggest mistake a church safety ministry can make is assuming that just showing up is enough. Without consistent evaluation, team members drift into habits, overlook weak points, and become reactive rather than proactive. AARs force the team to stay sharp.
Improve Future Training
When you document what went wrong in an AAR, you create a to-do list for future training. If radio comms broke down during a medical emergency, build a communications block into the next training day. If two team members gave conflicting commands during a contact, roleplay that exact scenario again until unity is restored.
You should also track trends across multiple AARs. If the same problem surfaces three or four times over a quarter—whether it is equipment failure, poor positioning, or personnel not showing up—it needs to be addressed at the leadership level. The AAR gives you data, not just opinions.
Strengthen Team Accountability
Putting names and actions on paper builds a culture of accountability. Not in a punitive sense, but in a way that promotes ownership. When people know their performance may be reviewed constructively, they take their roles more seriously. This is especially true for newer team members who may not yet grasp the weight of their responsibility.
Accountability also extends to leadership. If the AAR shows that confusion came from unclear policy or lack of training, it is not a ground-level issue. That is a command problem, and good leaders will own that. AARs give them the information they need to make corrections at the policy or SOP level.
Prepare for Legal and Insurance Scrutiny
If your church is ever involved in a use of force, injury, or even a false allegation, having a written AAR can be a lifeline. It shows your team took action, evaluated the incident, and made improvements. Attorneys and insurers look for patterns. If your documentation shows a pattern of training and evaluation, that can make the difference in how liability is assessed.
Even when a case never reaches court, you may need to defend your team’s actions before your church board or senior pastor. An AAR helps you do that with confidence and clarity.
A Biblical Case for the AAR
Some may question whether detailed review and documentation belong in ministry. But Scripture shows us that examining our actions is not just wise—it is commanded.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 reminds us, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” This verse tells us that both success and hardship deserve reflection. An After Action Review is not just for what went wrong. It is for learning what should be reinforced and what should be corrected, in both good outcomes and bad.
Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” AARs allow us to do exactly that. By reviewing our responses to real-world situations and training exercises, we examine our ways and return our focus to serving Christ with excellence.
Proverbs 24:6 states, “Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.” Your team cannot afford to rely on assumptions or memory. Gathering input, evaluating each person’s role, and writing down what was learned ensures your team operates with wisdom, not guesswork.
A well-run safety team is not just a group of volunteers. It is a ministry of guardians who take their responsibility before God seriously. Conducting honest After Action Reviews helps fulfill that responsibility, not just to improve tactics, but to walk in integrity and accountability before the Lord.
More great resources thanks Keith.
This is a story you should all hear.
Last Sunday there was a guy sitting behind me, and during communion something started beeping loudly. I could hear the guy muttering to himself to shut up and I figured it was some type of phone or fire department radio thing. It went off again after he shut it off. Then a third time.
It was then I realized that this was not any of the above and must be a medical device. About a minute later the service was over and I turned around and asked if everything was alright. He went on to say it was a defibrillator and that it is a vest he wears, that will shock him when it thinks it's required. It was about to shock him those 3 times and he disarmed it.
This was a first for me. This guy could have been in the middle of an emergency and we didn't know (though I would have been able to tell). Still I was educated on this, and you all need to be aware of people who have these devices.
He went on to talk about how difficult had been treating him and his family for the past few months and I had an opportunity to listen and pray with him. But I also took the time to ask follow up questions like:
Have you been getting enough sleep? No, only 2 hours
Have you eaten or drank anything this morning?
Are you sure you're ok, we can have our medical safety personnel look at you? Yes I'm fine I've already had the medical helicopter come for me once. I'm still paying for that.
Is the machine wireless and will it dispatch? Yes if I don't call 911.
Are we going to have EMS show up now? No.
He stated It once shocked him while on his lawn mower and he felt like he got punched in the face.
Appreciate you covering these topics. Keep standing strong and fighting the good fight.