spiritual fitness – SemperVerus

Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams

Gentle Response is the organization founded by John Riley, a retired police officer and certified crisis intervention specialist with the National Anger Management Association. He and his team travel all over the United States conducting Conflict De-escalation Training seminars.

SemperVerus attended this excellent seminar, held in Immanuel Church, Holland, Michigan, May 14, 2023. With Mr. Riley’s permission, here are notes we took during that seminar and scenario training:

• “A gentle response defuses anger” Proverbs 15:1 (MSG)

• Conflict de-escalation: lowering the intensity of an agitated person to minimize a potentially volatile situation from becoming a critical violent incident.

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

• Peacemaking and de-escalating people’s anger is the goal, while staying alert to your own personal and public safety. When overwhelmed, stay safe and be an expert witness.

• Mindset Priority: Each church security team member must have a “ministry mindset” — Every contact (even eye contact) is a ministry opportunity to represent the mission of the church. Don’t let your actions be heavy-handed and damage that mission.

Terrorists Call for Attacks on Christians

A new Islamic State propaganda campaign is a reminder to church security teams to remain well-trained and keenly vigilant in the protection of their congregations. Take seriously the verse from Nehemiah 4:9, “We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”

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

The latest propaganda poster, published by the Al-Azaem Media Foundation, explicitly urges self-radicalized jihadists to strike without limitation or hesitation, according to the church security website, Christian Warrior Training.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview with Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training ]

The message on the propaganda poster states:

By semperverus
Posted on 02/16/202502/22/2025

Nigeria Is Deadliest Country for Christians: GCR Red List

The organization Global Christian Relief (GCR) has published its new annual report, titled Red List, spotlighting the 25 worst countries for Christian persecution across five categories of concern, including killings, building attacks, arrests, displacements, and abductions & assaults.

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

Africa remains the deadliest region for Christians, with Nigeria consistently being the most dangerous country for followers of Jesus in murders, abductions, and assaults. From November 2022 to November 2024, nearly 10,000 Christians were killed, primarily by Islamic extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Armed Fulani Herdsmen, and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). Similar patterns emerge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and Ethiopia, where numerous armed militant groups target Christians. Russia ranks 5th in killings, most of those occurring in a Muslim-majority area, and 4th in arrests, with the government targeting evangelical Christians.

By semperverus
Posted on 01/30/202501/30/2025

Global Persecution of Christians Surges in 2024

Violent religious persecution continues to increase around the world, with North Korea topping the annual World Watch List produced by Open Doors, which ranks the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme brutality. The intensity of cruelty has significantly increased this year, with approximately 380 million Christians (1 in 7) worldwide now experiencing high levels of persecution for their faith (an increase of 15 million in just one year).

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

[ Read the SemperVerus article of Bible verses from the book of Romans that quickly and simply present the Good News that is life through faith in Jesus Christ ]