Self-Defense and Church Security: Proper Firearm Defense in a Crowd

In a 5-minute video, Rob Pincus, professional trainer, author, consultant, and executive director for PersonalDefenseNetwork.com, examines specific considerations for responding to an active shooter or other bad guy in a crowded environment. Hitting innocent bystander(s) in addition to—or worse, instead of—the bad guy will only compound an already tragic situation. And many variables exist in a crowd that can affect what happens to the shots you fire. Taking the shot you need to take and believe you can make is important in any situation, especially in a crowd.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Here is a preview video to the instruction video:

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Situational Awareness Building Exercises

Whether being ready to protect yourself or your loved ones every day, or volunteering on your church security team, developing keen situational awareness should be priority #1. Think of being situationally aware not as being paranoid, but as being aware-anoid!

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ]

In fact, “THE Primary Factor in self-protection/self-defense is situational awareness,” says Mark Hatmaker in his article, Warrior Awareness Drills.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Simple Chart for Situational Awareness ]

One way to sharpen your situational awareness into a consistent ironclad habit is to consciously and intentionally routinize it everywhere you go, wherever you are, all the time; turn it into a moment-by-moment personal sport.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Live Life Left of Bang ]

Hatmaker says, “A useful practice to return awareness/alertness to the fore is to gamify your awareness, that is, to use a series of specific awareness/alertness drills on a revolving basis that allow you to keep your mind a bit above the day-to-day routine while also making a bit of a game out of what may save your life.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense and Church Security: Make Scanning Your Priority ]

In his article, he offers three drills to improve your “eyesight:”

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Fewer American Adults Are Engaging the Bible

In a time when 90% of the world’s population has access to the Christian sacred text of the Bible, a declining number of adults consider it a foundation of their lives. “Today, just 1 in 10 Gen Z adults regularly engages with the Bible,” says John Farquhar Plake, chief ministry insights officer of the American Bible Society.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness: How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible? ]

Alistair Begg, author and senior pastor of Cleveland’s Parkside Church, laments the diminishing role of Scripture in congregational life, warning that modern churchgoers often arrive not with a sense of reverence but with a consumerist mindset and calls for a return to “serious engagement with the Bible.” He says, “I’m not sure that America understands just how deep the problem is, in relationship to biblical illiteracy. You cannot continue to make your journey through life without your Bible—not as a talisman, not as something just to be revered in a corner—but without the Bible as our daily source of knowledge and encounter with God.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness: Top 12 Acts for a Christian ]

America’s preteens are not being raised in an environment that honors the Bible or presents its message, according to George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University. The lack of such spiritual formation means “we are on the precipice of Christian invisibility,” he says. His research shows just 21% of preteens believe in the existence of “absolute moral truths” that “are unchanging and knowable.” Only one in four agree the Bible is the true word of God.

[ Read how SemperVerus encourages you to live all facets of your life with a biblical worldview ]

“Biblical worldview incidence has declined with each of the last five generations. During that time, the national incidence of adults holding a biblical worldview has plummeted from 12% to today’s 4% level.”

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Mental Health Toolkit: A Free Resource for Self-Defense and Church Security

Mental illnesses are common in the United States, affecting more than one in five US adults (57.8 million in 2021), according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Estimates suggest that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security: How to Identify 25 Common Mental Health Behaviors ]

With your involvement in church security/safety, you’ve likely witnessed the growing struggles with mental health evidenced in unusual behavior by some in your services and among people in your congregation, since church is where broken people are drawn to find meaning in their lives.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

Recognizing the signs of common mental health challenges is crucial for responding appropriately when disruptions occur.

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