Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 8 December 2025

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

ICE director demands Mass. church remove ‘ICE was here’ nativity scene

Two churches, one in suburban Boston and another in Evanston, Illinois, recently replaced their traditional Nativity scenes with more provocative ones. At St. Susanna Parish in Massachusetts, the usual figures of Mary, Joesph, and the infant Jesus were removed and in their place a sign reading “ICE was here” was placed in the manger. Meanwhile at Lake Street Church of Evanston in Illinois, the Nativity featured a representation of baby Jesus with his hands zip-tied, wrapped in a blanket like those used in detention centers, with figures dressed as modern enforcement officers looming over Mary and Joseph who wore gas masks. In both cases, church leaders defended the displays as a form of religious art that attempts to re-imagine what the birth of the Holy Family might look like under current social conditions for refugees and immigrants.

Analyst Comments: This trend highlights a larger security issue for houses of worship: visible holiday symbols, even ones meant to be peaceful or artistic, can unintentionally attract tension. Nativity scenes are typically meant to inspire reflection, but due to current political polarization, they can be seen as statements rather than decorations. Even without a political message, traditional displays can become targets.

For faith organizations and property managers, the takeaway is less about the message and more about planning. Outdoor seasonal displays may require basic protective measures to reduce the risk of tampering. Having outdoor lighting, cameras, volunteer, patrols, or visibility from nearby buildings are ways to reduce the risk of tampering on outdoor displays.

It’s that time of the year: The holiday scams to avoid in 2025

This holiday season, scams are hitting harder than ever because criminals are now using AI to craft highly convincing tricks. Common scams include fake shopping sites pretending to sell discounted or hard-to-find items. Many of these are short-lived “flash-sale” storefronts: you click on a deal, pay, and either get nothing or hand your credit card information over to scammers. Other frequent scams involve fake delivery texts or emails, bogus charity donation appeals, and “too-good-to-be-true” offers that prey on holiday generosity. This year there is voice-cloning and AI-generated “emergency calls” where scammers impersonate someone you trust and claim you need money immediately.

Analyst Comments:  To stay safe, using multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts is important. Avoid following links in suspicious ads or emails instead, go directly to a retailer’s verified site and be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true. Because this guidance is especially relevant during busy holiday seasons, faith leaders should not only practice it themselves but also share these reminders with their staff and congregations so the whole community stays alert.