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.
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.
Focus on the basics… use of force and threat recognition. Those can be compacted to shorter time frames. They are also all online, so you all can take it when you can.
Keith, great stuff. THis has been my weak spot with my Life Safety Team.....training. You say you spend 4 hours monthly with your team, what day of the week and time of day do you find the best to accommodate a team of say 20 volunteers? What does your training day agenda look like? Is Video training included? Do you ever do Stop the Bleed or CPR/AED training? We do up to 3 range days per year, so I would double tap those months with a classroom training.
Would love to see an agenda with talking points for each months training you have on your 2026 schedule, at the beginning of the month, that we could use as a template, any chance at you sharing your training with us?
James, I appreciate the kind words. Training consistency is one of the hardest parts for most teams.
We train once a month for four hours, typically on a Saturday morning. That window has worked best for volunteers with families and work schedules. The annual training matrix you’re looking at is exactly how I plan the year so teams can balance classroom work, hands on training, and range days without overloading people.
We do use video and classroom instruction where it makes sense, and we rotate medical training into the schedule, including CPR, AED, and bleeding control. Range months usually get lighter classroom content or are paired with decision making and legal use of force discussions.
I’m not able to share our internal agendas or lesson plans, but the 2026 matrix is designed to function as a planning template other churches can adapt to their own size, resources, and risk profile.
Glad it was useful, and I’m thankful you’re taking training seriously for your team.
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?
Focus on the basics… use of force and threat recognition. Those can be compacted to shorter time frames. They are also all online, so you all can take it when you can.
Keith, great stuff. THis has been my weak spot with my Life Safety Team.....training. You say you spend 4 hours monthly with your team, what day of the week and time of day do you find the best to accommodate a team of say 20 volunteers? What does your training day agenda look like? Is Video training included? Do you ever do Stop the Bleed or CPR/AED training? We do up to 3 range days per year, so I would double tap those months with a classroom training.
Would love to see an agenda with talking points for each months training you have on your 2026 schedule, at the beginning of the month, that we could use as a template, any chance at you sharing your training with us?
Blessings for what you do.
v/r, Doc
James, I appreciate the kind words. Training consistency is one of the hardest parts for most teams.
We train once a month for four hours, typically on a Saturday morning. That window has worked best for volunteers with families and work schedules. The annual training matrix you’re looking at is exactly how I plan the year so teams can balance classroom work, hands on training, and range days without overloading people.
We do use video and classroom instruction where it makes sense, and we rotate medical training into the schedule, including CPR, AED, and bleeding control. Range months usually get lighter classroom content or are paired with decision making and legal use of force discussions.
I’m not able to share our internal agendas or lesson plans, but the 2026 matrix is designed to function as a planning template other churches can adapt to their own size, resources, and risk profile.
Glad it was useful, and I’m thankful you’re taking training seriously for your team.
Thank you for putting this out. Will you be adding a pdf download of the matrix like you did in 2025?