Free · Non-denominational · North Texas since 2021
PHOWS is a free, volunteer-led program that connects Houses of Worship with the FBI, Homeland Security, CISA, and local responders, so faith and safety ministries can prepare together.
Prepared + Trained + Aware = Resilient
What if one brief conversation during a service helped your members feel more informed, prepared, and confident in an emergency? The free House of Worship Safety Briefing Package includes:
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
7:30 a.m. – noon CT · North Texas
2026 theme: Collaboration. Explore drones as first responders, ingress and egress, volunteer and donations management, poison control, and new PHOWS developments.
Our only in-person session of 2026. Registration details are shared in the monthly newsletter.
Sign up for the newsletterProgram overview
The PHOW Series is open to Houses of Worship of all sizes and backgrounds. Volunteers organize it; public-sector partners bring the expertise.
Participants meet subject-matter experts, learn about no-cost tools and materials they can use in their own facilities, and build a network of peers who face the same challenges. PHOWS shares timely information through in-person meetings, a monthly newsletter, and social media, and it has grown to include realistic 90-minute tabletop exercises focused on a faith-facility setting.
PHOWS is designed to meet communities where they are. Communities outside North Texas are invited to adapt the model and launch a series of their own.
Who you'll learn from
PHOWS acts as a bridge, connecting faith communities with the agencies that protect them, so essential knowledge is accessible regardless of budget.
Keynotes on targeted threats, including lessons from the 2022 Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis.
Homeland Security programs, with a focus on no-cost tools and materials.
Physical security, perimeter planning, and cybersecurity guidance for faith facilities.
Police, fire, emergency management, and fusion-center partners from across North Texas.
What guides us
Communities help establish planning protocols that engage every faith-based program alongside their public-sector partners.
Threats range from hate crimes and domestic-violence spillover to severe weather and medical emergencies. A good plan covers the full spectrum and adapts as new threats emerge.
Image credit: Fox News
Every House of Worship should be welcoming and safe for all who gather, with faith and safety ministries working closely side by side.
Why training matters
“Without the education we received, we would not have been ready to respond and escape when the situation demanded it. We are alive today because of that education.”
“Us having this team certainly saved lives… Churches do need to protect the people. They need to be prepared for things like this.”
“The church parishioners and staff members were trained in responding to emergency situations, which also saved lives.”
Common questions
Short answers to what faith and safety leaders ask most.
Want to bring the series to your community? The PHOWS White Paper has more information.
Request the White PaperPHOWS (the Protecting Our Houses of Worship Series) is a free, community-driven, non-denominational program that helps Houses of Worship strengthen safety, security, and preparedness. It is led by volunteers and coordinated with local and regional public-sector partners.
No. PHOWS is a free community outreach initiative. Meetings, the monthly newsletter, and the upcoming House of Worship Safety Briefing Package are offered at no cost.
Subject-matter experts from organizations such as the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, CISA, and local public-sector agencies, including police, fire, and emergency management.
De-escalation, Stop the Bleed, cybersecurity, physical security, severe weather, emergency preparedness, fusion center intelligence, and interactive 90-minute tabletop exercises built around a faith-facility setting.
PHOWS typically holds spring and fall meetings in North Texas. In 2026, there is one in-person session, on Tuesday, October 27, 7:30 a.m. to noon CT; the spring was devoted to the Safety Package and website. The 2027 dates and theme will be announced when confirmed.
Yes. PHOWS is designed as a scalable model. Request the PHOWS White Paper for more information about starting a series in your community, then email info@phows.org to talk it through.
Start with a simple question: what if a serious event happened at a House of Worship near you? We'll help you take the model and make it your own.