This 1-day seminar will give each attendee the information and tools to start up your church's security ministry or formalize/professionalize your church's existing security ministry. Additionally the seminar will address specific information related to intruder response, lock down preparation, when lock down fails preparation, offering transport, embezzlement prevention, nursery security protocols, medical safety ministry preparation, pastoral preparation and many other topics related to the safety and security of the church environment. The seminar format allows the attendee all of the tools they need (via a workbook completed in the course) to either start up or formalize your church's security ministry.

What are the Facts?
•  Acts of violence are on the increase in churches and other public places due to:
- Increased media attention
- Copycat acts by those who want to “outdo” a previous act are typically committed by those wanting to be remembered .. . . regardless the costs.
•  These violent acts have included robbery, assault, rape, religiously motivated hate crimes, domestic relationships gone bad, etc.
•  The majority of violent acts are carried out by people who have a current or former connection to the congregation.
•  There are frequently warning signs or pre-act indicators that should to be taken seriously and communicated to those responsible for protecting our churches.
•  Most churches are unprepared to recognize, prevent or respond to acts of violence and the tragic results of these acts.
•  Church staff, volunteers, members, and visitors have the right to feel safe and protected while in attendance and service.

Some Things to Think About
Starting, improving or professionalizing your church's security ministry should include several considerations including but not limited to:
•  Associated Liabilities & Risk Management
•  Nursery & Sunday School Security – Policies & Procedures
•  Armed or Unarmed Security Presence – What's right for your Church?
•  Educating & Training Usher Teams & Church Greeters
•  Communication Protocols between Ministry Teams
•  Offering/Tithes Protection & Transport
•  Emergency Action Planning – Policies & Procedures
•  Medical Emergency Response Planning – Policies & Procedures
•  Background Checks for Church Volunteers & Staff
•  Financial Asset Protection – Policies & Procedures
•  Developing an Outreach for Law Enforcement
•  Pastoral Staff Personal Security
•  Physical Security for Church Buildings – Construction & Surveillance Systems
•  Understanding the Islamic Totalitarianism Threat

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This course will educate your church security, ushers, greeters and parking attendants on recognizing behavioral pre-cursors to suspicious behavior. Knowing the body language is many times a PRIOR indicator to behavioral intentions or acts, an overview of suspicious behavior or pre-cursors to watch for is reviewed. This course also discusses the behavioral indicators of armed individuals whether they are lawfully armed or unlawfully armed. Summarized this section will instill a mindset of “SEE Something . .. . SAY Something” for those that attend.

A discussion and practical training block on “the art of the handshake” and the “technique” of the handshake will be discussed and demonstrated. Discussion and demonstration on distance and closing strategies for those approaching and evaluating armed individuals in a welcoming and hospitable manner so that the church mission is not compromised and even enhanced will be discussed and demonstrated as well.

Additionally this course provides strategies to DE-escalating conflict from a verbal point of view and covers what phrases and language to avoid to prevent conflict in a verbal nature from escalating. Included with this course is an overview of lockdown procedures for both “THREAT INSIDE” and “THREAT OUTSIDE” lockdown of a church facility as well as protocols for response for what to do when “lockdown fails”. Practical exercises of all of the above can be included and customized based on timeline availability as well.

Who should attend?
•  Church ushers
•  Church greeters
•  Deacons/Elders
•  Security/Safety personnel
•  Parking control personnel
•  First Line Reception Personnel
•  Other staff in frequent contact with congregation and visitors

Topics Covered:
•  History & demographics of church violence & church shootings
•  Biblical authority for church safety & security
•  Church lockdown protocols & principles
•  Educating ushers, greeters & other first line reception personnel
•  Recognizing traits of suspicious behavior
•  Recognizing traits of armed individuals
•  Approaching suspicious or armed individuals
•  Verbal conflict management & de-escalation

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Course Mission
The mission in providing “Inter-Faith Intruder Response” as well as “Church Security” training/consulting is based on:

Matthew 10:16 (NJKV version) - Persecutions Are Coming -
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

Day #1 - Inter-Faith Church Security & Intruder Response
(For Church leaders, department heads, directions elders and security personnel)
The 1st day of this 2-day seminar will give each attendee the information and tools to start up your church's safety/security ministry or formalize/professionalize your church's existing security ministry. Additionally the seminar will address specific information related to intruder response, lock down preparation, when lock down fails preparation, offering transport, embezzlement prevention, nursery security protocols, medical safety ministry preparation, pastoral preparation and many other topics related to the safety and security of the church environment. The seminar format allows the attendee all of the tools they need (via a 70 page workbook completed in the course) to either start up or formalize your church's security ministry.

Day #2 - Intruder Awareness/Response & Conflict Management
(For Church greeters, ushers, parking personnel first line reception personnel and security personnel)
The 2nd day of this course will educate the attendee on how to educate your church security, ushers, greeters, parking attendants, first line reception personnel and safety/security personnel on recognizing behavioral pre-cursors to suspicious behavior. Description - This course will educate your church security, ushers, greeters and parking attendants on recognizing behavioral pre-cursors to suspicious behavior. Knowing the body language is many times a PRIOR indicator to behavioral intentions or acts, an overview of suspicious behavior or pre-cursors to watch for is reviewed. This course also discusses the behavioral indicators of armed individuals whether they are lawfully armed or unlawfully armed. Summarized this section will instill a mindset of “SEE Something . . . SAY Something” for those that attend.

A discussion and practical training block on “the art of the handshake” and the “technique” of the handshake will be discussed and demonstrated. Discussion and demonstration on distance and closing strategies for those approaching and evaluating armed individuals in a welcoming and hospitable manner so that the church mission is not compromised and even enhanced will be discussed and demonstrated as well.

Additionally this course provides strategies to DE-escalating conflict from a verbal point of view and covers what phrases and language to avoid to prevent conflict in a verbal nature from escalating. Included with this course is an overview of lockdown procedures for both “THREAT INSIDE” and “THREAT OUTSIDE” lockdown of a church facility as well as protocols for response for what to do when “lockdown fails”. Practical exercises of all of the above can be included and customized based on timeline availability as well.

Who should attend?
•  Church ushers
•  Church greeters
•  Security/Safety personnel
•  Parking control personnel
•  First Line Reception Personnel
•  Other staff in frequent contact with congregation and visitors

Topics Covered:
•  History & demographics of church violence & church shootings
•  Biblical authority for church safety & security
•  Church lockdown protocols & principles
•  Educating ushers, greeters & other first line reception personnel
•  Recognizing traits of suspicious behavior
•  Recognizing traits of armed individuals
•  Approaching suspicious or armed individuals
•  Verbal conflict management & de-escalation

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As church leaders we a biblically, ethically and legally obligated to provide the safest worship environment for our visitors, members and staff. In doing so we do not want to compromise the environment of comfort, refuge and worship that we strive for. With that in mind, this course was designed to empower the “First Line” responders that serve on the church staff with the skills and application proficiency needed to de-escalate situations within the church walls that become physical in nature.

The desire of any church is to prevent a volatile situation from becoming physical, however when this is not possible it is very important that your staff be trained and equipped in a manner that allows them to de-escalate physical confrontations in a manner that is efficent, effective AND allows them the greatest opportunity to prevent injury to themselves or others. When possible if these physical confrontations can be defused in a manner that is “camera friendly” and this should be the objective.

In order to better understand this course, you will need to think as a builder. When dealing with physical conflict you must first have a foundation of skills and principles on which to build on. This is completed through situational training that has been designed to test you as a protector.

This course is physical in nature and participants should realize this prior to signing up for a course. Having said that the principles taught do not rely on strength and stamina as much as they do breathing, relaxation and proper understanding/application of the physics of confrontations between single or multiple adversaries.

Who should attend?
• Church security/safety staff
• Church leadership personnel that could become involved in a physical confrontation

Topics Covered:
• Discussion on the foundation of compliance and control.
• Discovering what “Breathing, relaxation, posture and movement” really are.
• Will address the question “How strong do I have to be?”
• The many uses of a “Simple” hand shake.
• The use of “Soft” empty hand techniques for control
• Applying restraint type of holds and providing controlled escort.
• Defense against different weapons (Knifes, improvised tools…etc)
• Working within the confined space of church or through a crowd.
• Protecting one's own equipment (Handgun, Tazers…etc.)

Bottom Line:
Using this knowledge, your staff can assist with reducing the possibility of negative publicity, about your Church through improper use of force in handling a conflict. Additionally your chuch can manage liability exposure by training your staff effectively. Also seeing how everyone seems to have a video camera now, this should diminish the possibility of an individual from receiving their “15 minutes of Fame” from such an incident after it happens.

We believe in treating everyone respectfully and as adult learners. Our coaches participate in the learning process and we use a building block approach to solidify skills before moving toward more advanced concepts. We believe in the training principle of “Capability breeds Humility!” In other words we believe that in achieving a higher capability of skills through effective training the participant has the ability to maintain a higher level of relative calm under duress that real world situations present. Instead of operating from a “fear based” approach the capable operator can now operate from a position of confidence, thus quicker, better decisions are made and motor skill deployment is improved significantly.

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The threat of violence is ever present and increasing consistently in our churches today. World trends are forcing churches to upgrade matters of safety and security. In the first six months of 2009 there were 17 violent crimes reported by churches, with 6 of these crimes resulting in homicides. Most churches do not require full-time pastoral protection; however, there are frequently times where situational protection is needed for pastors, church leaders and the speaker platform within the sanctuary.

This course is designed to provide a church security team with capabilities related to protecting not only church leadership but also the immediate family of church leadership as well. The training will allow a church security team to evaluate whether a pastoral protection aspect is needed in a full –time or situational as needed basis. This is accomplished through risk assessment and, if protection is needed, determining whether or not the protection is needed on a situational or seasonal basis. The training provided includes stationary / platform worship protection principles and mobile speaking / mission trip protection principles.

Who Should Attend?
• Church leaders (pastors, security / safety directors)
• Church security / safety personnel

Topics Covered:
• Biblical authority for church safety and protection
• Threat assessment
• Recognizing traits of suspicious behavior
• Recognizing traits of armed individuals
• O.O.D.A. Cycle
• Winning mindset
• Awareness priority matrix
• Sanctuary prioritization
• General concepts of pastoral protection
• Selection of protectors
• The protection detail
• Levels of protection
• Foot escort formations
• Altar call protocols
• Diagonal deployment within the sanctuary
• Foot escort counter ambush tactics
• Platform protection
• Vehicle escort
• Vehicle entry and exit
• The importance of a proper advance reviews
• Site surveys

Equipment Required:
• Waist-type holster
• Comfortable clothing for practical exercises
• An outer garment to conceal firearm (sport coat, vest, or jacket)
• Eye, ear, groin, and neck protection, gloves
• (Chest protection for women)
• Liquids

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The Audience:
Responsible and conscientious adults who serve as part of a church or religious organizations security ministry or team. All participants should be prepared to undergo
a nationwide background check as a requirement to participate in this training.

NOTE: This class satisfies the training requirement for those seeking to gain their legal endorsement to carry a concealable firearm in the state of Missouri as well as those states that recognize Missouri’s training standard.

For a complete list of those states that recognize Missouri’s CCW training standard please visit http://ago.mo.gov/Concealed-Weapons/Concealed-Carry-Reciprocity-Missouri.htm

***Our training is approved by the Missouri Department of Public Safety***

Synopsis:
This dynamic and life-changing course begins with classroom instruction that covers legal & liability issues and safety with a firearm. Additionally the classroom discussion includes “use of force” discussion topics and principles that are applicable to those personnel who serve churches and religious organizations in a passive, armed security capability. The majority of our time is spent in the training arena using a building block approach for developing tactically correct motor skills with a pistol. This training is appropriate for the person who is new to handling a firearm as well as the individual who already has experience and wants to take their skills and abilities to a new level. We focus on principles, tactics and techniques that will set you up for success in an armed encounter and we will teach you more than how to survive, but how to prevail and WIN in armed encounter.

Summarized this course will train each participant will be trained to successfully demonstrate safe weapons handling and accurate competence with a firearm in the following positions:
• Stationary
• Moving forward & backward
• Moving laterally left and right
• One handed and two handed
• Bi-lateral firing capability (shooting right & left handed)

Topics Include:
• Safety at Home, on the Range, and While Carrying Concealed in Public
• The Principles of Marksmanship
• Equipment Selection
• Legal and Justifiable Use of Force
• Winning Mindset and Stress Management
• Loading, Unloading, and Reloading
• Developing Natural Index Points
• Working with a Partner
• Verbal Challenges and Commands
• Proper Draw Stroke
• Single and Multiple Threat Engagement
• Shooting on the Move
• Horizontal and Vertical Displacements
• Immediate Action Drills
• Making Proper Decisions Under Duress
• CQB - Close Quarters Battle
• Prevailing in Low Light

Regarding our Training Philosophy and Practices:
Our training staff is composed of professional and experienced coaches and we are students ourselves.

We believe in treating everyone respectfully and as adult learners. Our coaches participate in the learning process and we use a building block approach to solidify skills before moving toward more advanced concepts. We believe in the training principle of “Capability breeds Humility!” In other words we believe that in achieving a higher capability of skills through effective training the participant has the ability to maintain a higher level of relative calm under duress that real world situations present. Instead of operating from a “fear based” approach the capable operator can now operate from a position of confidence, thus quicker, better decisions are made and motor skill deployment is improved significantly.

We do not believe in “check the box” training nor do we believe in “lowest common denominator” training. Individual assistance is always available.

Those who are not safe and conscientious with their firearms, those who are not willing to be open-minded, receive new information and try new concepts, and those who are not capable of keeping their ego in check should not enroll in our trainings.

Prerequisites and Physical Requirements for Firearms Training:
1. You must understand the basics of how your firearm operates. This includes being able to lock open and close the action as well as load and unload the firearm safely. You should be able to “field strip” your pistol according to your owner’s manual for maintenance and cleaning. Bring your owner’s manual with you.
2. You must be able to operate in a SAFE and CONTROLLED manner. Speed is not an issue. Muzzle discipline (where the gun is pointed) and awareness is paramount.
3. You must possess the physical strength and stamina to repetitively function and fire your weapon during training drills. You must be able to move forward, backward, and laterally under control while holding your firearm in front of you and pointed at the targets.
4. You must have personal self-discipline and be able to maintain mental, physical, and emotional control at all times and not become over-excited or lose your composure. You must be willing and able to accept coaching and instruction and follow commands.
5. You must have a keen awareness and consideration for other participants while handling firearms and conducting drills in close proximity of one another.

Logistics:
Make sure you have the necessary equipment listed for training. Backup firearms are recommended in case of failure or breakage. We cannot guarantee that a “loaner” firearm will be available. If you do not own a pistol or revolver, you may contact us in advance and we may be able to make arrangements to provide one for your training.

According to state law you are required to train with two handguns if you wish to gain your CCW endorsement as part of this class. You must fire both a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol. You may train with one handgun as your “primary” and the other as the “secondary.”

Holster:
You must use a secure and well-fitting holster that retains your primary firearm near your dominant hip. “Secure” means that your pistol must not come out of the holster accidentally. Other types of holsters such as cross-draw, shoulder, ankle, belly-band, purse or fanny pack models are not acceptable.

Ammunition:
Minimum 1,500 rounds factory ammunition for primary handgun

IMPORTANT NOTE: Ammunition is hard to obtain from most suppliers. Make arrangements for gaining the ammunition you need well in advance!

Gear:
• A minimum of 3 magazines or speed loaders for your primary firearm
• Holster or pouch for spare magazines or speed loaders
• Hearing protection
• Wraparound eye protection – prescription glasses are acceptable
• Ball cap or cap with brim
• Jacket, vest, or heavy shirt to conceal your pistol
• Hydration source
• Clothing and footwear suitable for all weather conditions
• Range bag or duffel that allows you to bring all gear to the line with you
• Cleaning rods and brushes in the correct caliber for your pistols

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Providing for a safe and secure worship environment is becoming a more needed task based on the times that we live in. Church and personal liability as well as constantly assessing the risks associated with the “costs of doing NOTHING” vs. the “costs of doing SOMETHING are of course a concern that churches continually evaluate. Being obligated to provide a safe and secure worship environment for those that your church serves and for your church staff while at the same time doing so with the minimum amount of force necessary to de-escalate a situation is a question that many churches are faces with today. This course will provide your church with another effective option should the time come where force is required to protect your congregations and staff from physical harm.

Recognizing that utilizing a taser in the realm of securing protecting the the worship environment/congregation vs. law enforcement deployment of a taser we have designed this course curriculum to recognize that public relations and liability considerations are a very sensitive area in which churches need to be educated about. This curriculum and taser selection process need to take into account that church personnel are not protected by the “objective reasonableness” doctrine that law enforcement personnel are protected by. This reality necessitates the need for organizations considering this very effective less lethal option to educate church leadership, the church’s insurance company and those that will be carrying the taser on very specific policies in terms of deployment and documentation of such so that the church and the church’s insurance company are protected from false allegations of improper or punitive deployment.

This course is designed for those who are tasked with providing church security, and want to add the capability of a less than lethal TASER to their use of force options. Successful completion of this course will training and certify the studetn on the operation of either the TASER X-26 or C2 Security TASER.

Topics Covered:
• Function of how the TASER works as a less than lethal force option
• History & development of the TASER
• How the TASER operates and functions
• When and how it should be deployed in a church and worship environment
• What procedures to do if the TASER is utilized
• Potential liability issues – management & reduction
• Confrontation avoidance
• How to de-escalate a confrontation should it occur
• How the TASER fits into the overall use of force model for security in a church or worship environment

This course will require student participation in a hands on and scenario based training environment. Students participating will be required to review and sign a liability waiver and a medical release form prior participation in the course.

Bottom Line
Using this knowledge, your staff can assist with reducing the possibility of negative publicity, about your Church through improper use of force in handling a conflict. Additionally your chuch can manage liability exposure by training your staff effectively. Also seeing how everyone seems to have a video camera now, this should diminish the possibility of an individual from receiving their “15 minutes of Fame” from such an incident after it happens.

Our Training Philosophy
We believe in treating everyone respectfully and as adult learners. Our coaches participate in the learning process and we use a building block approach to solidify skills before moving toward more advanced concepts. We believe in the training principle of “Capability breeds Humility!” In other words we believe that in achieving a higher capability of skills through effective training the participant has the ability to maintain a higher level of relative calm under duress that real world situations present. Instead of operating from a “fear based” approach the capable operator can now operate from a position of confidence, thus quicker, better decisions are made and motor skill deployment is improved significantly

Click here for Course Schedule!
Close (X)