I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that a very high percentage of churches that own property don't have the right level of insurance, if any at all. Is this a bold, ridiculous guess? Or, do I know something you don't.

First, I know from my experience that many church leaders have a hard time accepting the idea that they should pay for insurance to protect buildings and property. Honestly, some church leaders even have a problem with insurance coverage for defense costs in the event of a lawsuit.

Second, I read a lot of what's out there. How often have we read or heard about a church that was destroyed, either by arson, a hurricane, tornadoes, or other unfortunate event or catastrophe… only to learn that they will never rebuild because the church was under-insured, or not insured at all? If they decide to rebuild, it's usually on the financial backs of their members, who would much rather have footed an insurance bill than a rebuilding fund raising campaign.

Insuring the church and its property against foreseeable and unforseeable events should be one of the pillars of every church start up. Unfortunately, when many church leaders are busy starting a church, they mostly think about the ministry and outreach aspect. The idea of insurance may not realistically emerge to the forefront for months, or perhaps even years. In the meantime, they fail to recognize the enormous risk they face.

We know from recent events that disaster can and will strike anytime and anywhere. Even when we believe our earthly structures are… indestructible. If and when disaster strikes, whether in the form of a natural disaster, an atrocious act, or even a legal complaint against the church, will your insurance be enough to protect your church? Or will you be forced to close your doors… forever?

Here's one case where a devastating event has left an entire body of Believers unsure of what the future holds for them. No doubt they will wholeheartedly explore the idea of rebuilding. That's the natural response to such an event. But the uncertainty is simply too great when there was no insurance policy to foot the bill. Read it now at: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16949257/

We're not really sure what will happen to the church in this story. But it doesn't sound too promising. What we didn't hear the spokesman say was, "We had the foresight to insure our property. We're already planning the rebuilding process."

Instead, I sense a sadness coupled with a feeble attempt to be brave. I understand the sense of loss and grief one can experience at a time like this. But my hunch is that the sadness comes from thinking of what it will take for church members to come up with the money to rebuild. Not an easy task.

It will certainly not as simple as it would have been to make monthly, quarterly or annual payments on an adequate insurance policy. Am I simply promoting insurance here? Not at all. It's a matter of being the kind of stewards that Jesus would have us be. It's a matter of being shrewd while innocent.

Adequate insurance coverage is not the only risk-management issue that churches face. And it certainly cannot replace an effective risk-management scheme of policies and procedures to help reduce risk and complexity. But should disaster ever come knocking on your church doors, be prepared so you find yourself piling tragedy upon tragedy.