Appreciation and Training

Over Easter I was approached by one of the elders in the church who was serving as a greeter that day.  He stated that he was very thankful for what our safety team does for the security of the church.  He said that he notices how well we all communicate and seem to just move and flow around the parts of the church meeting and greeting different people and just helping when needed.  He said that it is evident that we all work well together.  He is not alone in sharing his appreciation for our service to the church

I know that many of you have shared with me around the country how your church appreciates what you are doing.  Appreciation is good and I also recognize that many of you are struggling to get going and have the support of your church’s leadership.  I have had conversations with some of you at conferences and even some on our own security team that may not feel that things are going the way they want, that leadership is not doing this or that, that there is no appreciation for what they are doing but they feel like it is constant resistance.  One thing that I regularly communicate is by asking a question that I have had to ask myself.  “WHY AM I SERVING?”  I serve because I am called in my heart to protect the sheep.  No matter what, I am there to protect the sheep.  If I was there for any other reason, then I would have to quit. 
Nothing comes easy and honestly for our church and team to be where it is at has been an 11-year adventure of training and equipping that never ends.  For security reasons I won’t give specifics about my church here, but I can say that we have a great group of selfless men and women that have a desire to serve the people that walk through our doors.  With 4 campuses we have a rather large team serving and I can confidently say that I don’t know one person that serves with any sort of pride or arrogance, but with a heart for the people they serve. 

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So, what does this training look like:

1. We must honestly recognize that the evil that we are seeing in this world is a spiritual battle.  So, what am I doing in my personal life to be ready for that battle?  Having my whole being right with God when I come to serve is vital to having the right discernment and actions necessary to deal with the variety of situations that we deal with each week.  Our relationship with God and in community with others is vital for our success in serving.
2. The foundational piece to our serving and to be able to effectively be able to handle most of the situation that arise is good verbal skills.  Being able to communicate well is crucial to de-escalating a situation.  This is the training that you will use most and should use most in your life in general.  Without it we become reactionary and take what is being said to us personally.  This is why we start with this at our training conferences.  I believe that this is something that should be trained on at each training that you have.
3. Verbal skills go hand in hand with understanding the people you are dealing with.  Some of it is pretty strait forward, but there are some situations that churches are seeing ever increasing.  These would be people that have mental illness or drug issues.  Having an understanding of the people we are dealing with equips us to be able to verbally handle most situations.  This is why we have put this and suicide prevention as the second part of our seminars.  This should be something that is trained a couple of times a year.
4. When the verbal is not working, you have a disturbance in the auditorium and you just need to act, or you enter a situation where it has gone downhill before you got there then you need to be equipped to know what to do.  I had a good friend of mine say that is why he carries pepper gel.  I am a firm believer that you need to have a less than lethal response on your belt and this is especially important if you have been cleared by your church to represent them with a lethal response.  Sometimes those less than lethal responses are not appropriate, and you do have to go hands-on with someone.  Learning and practicing Defensive Tactics is critical to your skill set as the first responder at your church.  You need to be able to know how to protect yourself as well as to be able to handle a variety of situations that arise that do not need a lethal response and the verbal has not been working.  We have this as part of our seminar for that very reason.  To teach some skills and to encourage you to get the necessary training in your community.  I believe that this should be part of monthly training.  It is a perishable skill.
5. One of the best ways to learn the different skills is to practice with scenarios.  I love running scenarios and watching people come into them and totally get flustered on what to do.  I don’t love it because there is something sadistic in me, but I love it from the standpoint that one of the best ways to learn, is to put into practice and fail in a safe environment.  An environment that provides coaching and feedback on how to do it well.  An environment that you can be in to repeat the exercise to gain the confidence.  Having a variety of scenarios to train on is a great way to be ready for when the real situation comes up while serving or in our personal life.  Ending our seminar with an opportunity for this is our way of tying together all the pieces and to help you see how they all work.
6. If you have a lethal response part of your team, that training needs to be separate and monthly.  I am not talking about just going to the range and putting a few rounds into paper targets.  It is having the right skills and equipment to be able to respond if necessary.  This one is very involved and when I do training for a church or ministry there is a lot to cover.  Now, I am a BIG fan of going to the range.  I try to go once a week if I am home and at least twice a month.  I work on my skills so that should the time come, and the adrenaline is pumping I have the skills to control my breathing and to be able to put rounds on target. 

IT IS VITAL TO REMEMBER: YOU DON’T RISE TO THE OCCASION; YOU SINK TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO TRAIN?

Let’s go back to the appreciation piece.  When you train consistently with the people that you serve with, you have an appreciation and trust that they are going to act and behave in a way that brings a resolution to a situation and honor to God.  I have been part of the team from the beginning and there are others that have served for many years.  While other ministries might have a turnover of people, we have cultivated a community of Sheepdogs that have service for the sheep in their hearts.  For that I am truly appreciative of!  I know they have my back and are my partners as I do and am for them.