2026 Christian Warrior Training Annual Training Matrix
A year long training framework built for real church environments
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT (BLUF):
This annual training matrix is designed to help churches train consistently, realistically, and without burning out volunteers. It assumes one four hour training day per month and focuses on the skills that matter most in a church environment, including use of force decisions, threat recognition, medical response, firearms sustainment, and team coordination. Churches do not need full time instructors or large budgets to follow this plan. Training can be scaled, shared with neighboring churches, and supported through local public safety agencies and experienced members within the congregation.
Each year I put together a training matrix for Christian Warrior Training followers. This is not a suggestion list or a theory exercise. It is a practical framework for churches and safety ministries that want to train consistently without burning out volunteers or chasing trends.
This matrix assumes one training day per month, four hours per session. It is built around skills that actually matter in churches, not range theatrics or law enforcement only tactics. The goal is steady competence, clear decision making, and faithful service to the congregation.
Below is the full 2026 training matrix.
January – Use of Force (Church Context)
Use of force thresholds, protecting third parties, recognizing when de escalation ends, immediate actions after force is used.
This sets the tone for the year and removes ambiguity early.
February – Threat Recognition and Pre Incident Indicators
Behavioral threat cues, pre attack indicators, environmental awareness inside and outside the church, observation and reporting.
Most incidents are preventable if teams see problems early.
March – Conflict De escalation
Verbal control strategies, emotionally disturbed persons, drug and alcohol influenced behavior, church specific role play scenarios.
The best outcome is the one that never turns violent.
April – Sexual Assault Prevention and Groomer Recognition
Grooming behaviors in churches, boundary testing and escalation, reporting responsibilities, protecting children and vulnerable adults.
This remains the most common violent crime in churches and must be addressed directly.
May – Medical Response to Violence
Severe bleeding control, penetrating trauma basics, tourniquets and pressure application, integrating medical response during violent incidents.
Security without medical capability is incomplete.
June – CQB Fundamentals
Room entry concepts, threshold evaluation, doorways, hallways, stairwells, communication and safety.
This is about movement and decision making, not speed or heroics.
July – CQB Team Tactics
Two and three person movement, team communication, downed teammate considerations, integration with medical response.
Teams learn to work together instead of as individuals.
August – Range Day
Fifty round dot drill, Bill Drill, El Presidente, reloads and malfunctions, shooting on the move forward and backward.
All drills are repeatable so members can sustain skills on their own.
September – Active Shooter Response
Decision making during an active shooter event, armed and unarmed response options, contact team concepts appropriate for churches, coordination with law enforcement.
This stays narrow and realistic.
October – Scenario Based Training
Church specific scenarios, role players, communication and command, After Action Reviews.
This is where gaps are exposed and corrected.
November – Medical Emergencies in Church
Fainting and syncope, cardiac emergencies and AED use, stroke recognition, diabetic emergencies, seizures and breathing emergencies.
These incidents happen far more often than violence.
December – Recognition and Reflection
Awards and recognition, review of the year, celebration of the birth of Christ.
December is about people and purpose, not tactics.
How to Use This Matrix
This matrix is not dependent on special facilities or full time instructors. Churches can scale it up or down based on team size, budget, and experience. What matters is consistency and discipline.
If your team trains once a month and touches each of these areas during the year, you are ahead of most churches.
As always, all CWT training resources remain free. If you cannot afford equipment or training aids, do not let that stop you from training. Use what you have and stay focused on the mission.
Finding Instructors When You Do Not Have Them In House
One of the most common reasons churches do not train is the belief that they lack qualified instructors. That should not be a barrier.
Start locally. Reach out to your local police department, fire department, or paramedic agency. Many of these agencies are willing to help with medical response training, emergency procedures, and basic threat awareness. Paramedic and EMS agencies, in particular, are often open to teaching bleeding control, AED use, and medical emergency response.
Churches are far more likely to get support when they band together. A single church asking for training may be easy to decline. Several churches requesting the same training shows a community need. Agencies are more inclined to respond when they see broader impact rather than a one off request.
This kind of cooperation has additional benefits. Churches in the same area should already be communicating and planning for mutual aid. Training together builds relationships, shared expectations, and coordination before an incident ever occurs.
Look inside your congregation as well. Many churches have members with backgrounds in law enforcement, the military, nursing, emergency medicine, or emergency management who have never been asked to help. Often the experience is already there.
For firearms training, use vetted local instructors who understand defensive shooting. If that is not available, stick to simple drills and dry practice until proper instruction can be arranged.
When outside instructors are used, make sure they understand the church environment. Church security training is not patrol training and it is not competition shooting. Context matters.
Training does not need to be perfect to be effective. It needs to be consistent, relevant, and disciplined.
In His Service,
Keith Graves
Really thorough framework for consistent training without burnout. The emphasis on threat recognition and pre-incident indicators in February stands out because most church teams dont realize how much violence is preventable with better observation skills. I've seen churches go straight to tactical drills and skip over the behavioral cues that would've stoped issues before they escalated.
Good morning.
This is truly a solid line up of training.
However, I need to introduce these training sessions in a more compact schedule, as I am standing up a team that have never took part in any form of this type of training exposure.
What’s your recommendation?