The local SWAT cop that taught our concealed carry class did security consulting for churches and synagogues. He strongly urged them NOT to be gun free zones. Just made them targets. Larger ones were urged to have a security plan, to include armed agents on campus. For smaller congregations that couldn’t afford it, he recommended the leadership find willing, reliable people to come armed, legally with CC permits, to services.
His observation was the the CC process weeded out the loose cannons, and that they were almost uniformly bedrock solid citizens. He said his BP went down 10 points at each traffic stop where the driver handed over the CC permit with the drivers license.
Rick’s Firearm Academe in Detroit regularly gives weapons training to church groups.
Another option is to go to a home church. no one knows you are a church until they get there. also about the permit and license never thot about that but was worried on occasion. not that i get pulled over more than once every 10 years.