Distance: 3 Yards
Time: 4 Seconds per target exposure
Target: TCQ-95 (2 targets minimum 3 feet apart)
Rounds: 6 Rounds
Position:
Exposure 1 — From the holster, draw and fire 1 round at each target
Exposure 2 — From the holster, draw and fire 1 round at each target
Exposure 3 — With handgun in the support hand only, fire 1 round at each target.
Score: All rounds must be in the combat scoring area
A three-year study by Concilium Inc. concludes that criminal attacks during church services and in church buildings, not motivated by robbery or theft, are usually foreshadowed by warning signs—erratic behavior, severe mental health symptoms (hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, depression, and suicidal thoughts), a major life stressor, communicated threats, or the harboring of a grievance against a church or member—which are visible to people the assailant knows.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of DE-ESCALATION ]
When these observable warning signs are reported, law enforcement and the potential assailant’s family members, friends, and peripheral contacts stand a good chance of preventing violence.
Keith Graves, founder and trainer of Christian Warrior Training, has developed the following 43-round course-of-fire pistol qualification for his church security team.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview with Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training ]
Before allowing people to carry a firearm to protect the congregation, they must demonstrate competency with their weapon; at the very least, safe drawing and re-holstering, accurate shot placement, reloading magazines without prompting, and malfunction and stoppage clearing.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, What to Take to the Shooting Range—Including a Prayer ]
He says, “A proper annual qualification test is a non-negotiable requirement for church security. You know exactly where your incident will occur: in your sanctuary, your parking lot, your classrooms. Your qualification course should reflect that.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Firearms Training: A Directory of Shooting Drills ]
To qualify, he requires that all rounds must be verified on target; any miss from the target is considered a fail. If at any point a person’s firearm has a malfunction or stoppage, it’s up to the person to clear it and continue with the course-of-fire within the set time limit, otherwise it’s considered a fail. He allows 3 attempts to qualify; after 3 the person must practice and schedule another qualification session.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Organizing, Training & Running a House of Worship Armed Congregant Security Team ]
Watch him demonstrate the course-of-fire in the video below:
When stress and anxiety take hold during life-threatening criminal or terrorist self-defense and church security encounters, your body can feel like it’s working against you—your heart races, your chest tightens, and your mind starts spinning. But one of the most powerful tools for calming your body and mind is breathing.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]
Spiritual First Aid™ has created two complimentary resources to help you regain your composure in critical incidents.
1. Breath-Based Grounding Techniques: 3 Evidence-Based Exercises to Reduce Stress and Restore Calm introduces three evidence-based breathing skills to help bring you back to a state of calm and focus:
For example, here are the steps in the Box Breathing Pattern: