"They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the the other hand held a weapon.

"For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded..."   Nehemiah 4:17-18

Every active shooter incident presents an opportunity to learn. While every attack is unique in its circumstances, the principles that determine success or failure are remarkably consistent. For church safety teams, these incidents are more than tragic headlines or evening news stories. They are real-world case studies that remind us violence can erupt without warning, that ordinary citizens may suddenly find themselves standing between a murderer and innocent people, and that the decisions made long before the first shot is fired often determine the outcome when evil finally appears.

One of the greatest mistakes a safety team can make is to assume that a violent attack could never happen in their community. Every location where people gather—schools, churches, shopping centers, restaurants, and public events—has the potential to become the next crime scene. Evil is neither predictable nor selective. It rarely announces its intentions, and it seldom chooses places that appear to be logical targets. Instead, it strikes where opportunity exists.

For that reason, church safety teams should develop the habit of studying incidents like pilots study aircraft accidents or the military conducts after-action reviews. The purpose is not to criticize the people involved. It is not to second-guess split-second decisions made under unimaginable stress. Rather, the purpose is to identify the principles that contributed to success and then ask a simple but important question: What can we learn that will better prepare us to protect the people God has entrusted to our care?

The tragic shooting at the newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, provides one such opportunity. Although investigators continue to examine every aspect of the incident, enough information has become available to draw several important lessons that apply directly to church safety teams. Some of those lessons concern equipment. Others concern training. Still others concern mindset. Together they remind us that effective response during a crisis is almost always the result of preparation made months or even years beforehand.

Before examining those lessons, however, it is helpful to separate what has been confirmed from what has been reasonably concluded through publicly available evidence.

What We Now Know

On the afternoon of August 1, 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a gunman armed with a rifle opened fire outside the newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho. The attack unfolded quickly, catching employees and customers completely by surprise. Before the violence ended, three innocent people had lost their lives, seven others had been wounded, and the gunman ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have stated that the shooter acted alone.

During the attack, both an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and an armed citizen engaged the gunman. Law enforcement has publicly acknowledged that their immediate response interrupted the attack and almost certainly prevented additional casualties. While the full investigative report has not yet been released, few would dispute that confronting the attacker prevented him from continuing to fire upon defenseless people.

Like many high-profile incidents, the internet immediately became flooded with speculation. Social media was filled with theories about the shooter's motives, the actions of those involved, and the equipment carried by the citizen responder. Much of that information should be treated cautiously. Church safety teams should resist the temptation to build training doctrine upon rumors or sensational claims. Instead, we should distinguish carefully between officially confirmed facts, strongly supported evidence, and personal opinion.

One aspect of the incident that has generated considerable discussion is the firearm carried by the armed citizen. Law enforcement has not officially identified his weapon, and until they do, no responsible writer should present that information as established fact. Nevertheless, a substantial amount of publicly available evidence points in a consistent direction.

Several videos recorded during the incident appear to show the citizen responder carrying a suppressed FN Five-seveN pistol—or another full-size handgun chambered in 5.7×28mm with a similar appearance. Since the shooting, photographs previously posted by the individual have also surfaced showing him training with what appears to be the same firearm in essentially the same configuration. While those photographs do not constitute official confirmation, they strongly suggest that this was not a firearm borrowed for a single occasion or assembled after the fact. Rather, it appears to have been a weapon with which he had trained extensively and carried regularly.

That observation is significant, not because every safety team member should carry the same handgun, but because it illustrates a principle that applies to every defensive firearm regardless of its make or caliber. Equipment that performs well under extreme stress is seldom selected by accident. It is usually the result of thoughtful evaluation, repeated practice, and confidence built over time.

Another observation has emerged from individuals with extensive firearms and tactical experience who have reviewed the publicly available video. Although no one can determine the full extent of another person's training from a brief video clip, several respected instructors have remarked that the citizen responder's movements, use of available cover, presentation of his pistol, and overall weapon handling appear consistent with someone who had received prior training. His actions did not appear frantic or improvised. Rather, they reflected a degree of composure and deliberateness that is often developed only through repetition and practice.

Again, these observations should not be overstated. They do not prove military service, law enforcement experience, or advanced tactical credentials. They simply reinforce a truth that experienced trainers have long understood: under extreme stress, people rarely perform beyond their level of preparation. More often, they default to the habits they have developed through training.

Whether one studies this incident from the perspective of equipment, preparation, or mindset, the conclusion is remarkably consistent. The decisions that influenced the outcome of this tragedy were not made during the attack itself. They had been made long before the gunman ever arrived in the parking lot.

That realization brings us to the first lesson every church safety team should consider.

Be Armed

The first lesson drawn from the Twin Falls shooting may appear almost too obvious to mention, yet it forms the foundation upon which every other lesson rests.

You cannot stop a murderer with a firearm if you do not already have one.

When the armed citizen entered the encounter, one fact was immediately apparent—he had the means to confront the threat. Whether he had been carrying the pistol on his person, had been seated in his vehicle with it readily accessible, or had retrieved it moments earlier is not presently known. What is known is that when he made the decision to confront the murderer, he did not enter the fight empty-handed. Along with the off-duty Idaho State Police trooper, he possessed the one tool capable of immediately challenging an attacker armed with a rifle.

That simple truth lies at the very heart of concealed carry.

Many people own firearms. Relatively few carry them consistently. There is a tremendous difference between owning a handgun and being prepared to use it when innocent lives are in immediate danger. Ownership requires little more than a financial investment. Carrying requires a lifestyle commitment. It demands forethought, discipline, and the willingness to accept inconvenience for the sake of preparedness.

Anyone who has carried a concealed firearm for any length of time understands the sacrifices involved. A handgun influences the clothes you wear, the holster you choose, the belt you purchase, the vehicle you drive, and sometimes even the activities in which you participate. Carrying concealed is not always comfortable. It requires thoughtful planning, especially during hot weather or when formal attire is expected. It occasionally limits wardrobe choices and may require adjustments to your daily routine. Those realities cause many well-intentioned gun owners to gradually abandon the habit of carrying.

At first, the handgun becomes uncomfortable. After a few weeks it is left in the vehicle "just this once." Soon it remains in the safe because the trip is expected to be brief. Eventually carrying becomes something reserved for special occasions rather than an everyday practice.

Unfortunately, evil does not schedule appointments.  Active murderers do not postpone their attacks until you have retrieved your firearm. They strike suddenly, without warning, and almost always where people least expect violence to occur.

The armed citizen in Twin Falls was prepared because he had already settled the issue of daily carry. His response was possible only because preparation preceded the emergency.

Church safety teams should view that as a reminder rather than merely an observation.

Every member who has accepted the responsibility of protecting innocent life should honestly evaluate his own habits. Is carrying a firearm an occasional practice, or has it become a consistent part of daily life? Does convenience determine whether you are armed, or does your sense of responsibility?

Those questions deserve careful consideration because they reveal whether we truly understand the nature of our calling.

A firefighter would never leave his station without protective equipment, hoping a fire would not occur that day. A police officer would never report for duty while leaving his sidearm locked in the trunk because it was uncomfortable to wear. Likewise, those who have accepted the responsibility of protecting God's people should recognize that preparedness is not something added after danger appears. It is part of the responsibility itself.

Preparedness, however, involves far more than simply carrying a firearm. It also requires carrying a firearm that is appropriate for the mission.

That brings us to another important lesson illustrated by this incident.

As previously noted, law enforcement has not officially identified the handgun carried by the citizen responder. Nevertheless, the available evidence strongly suggests he was carrying an FN Five-seveN—or another full-size pistol chambered in 5.7×28mm—equipped with a suppressor. If that assessment is accurate, it reveals something important about the way he had prepared for the possibility of confronting violent evil.

This was not a tiny pocket pistol selected merely because it disappeared comfortably into a front pocket.

It was not a compromise chosen simply because it was convenient to carry.

Instead, it appears to have been a purpose-built fighting handgun.

The FN Five-seveN has long been recognized as a specialized defensive pistol. Chambered in the 5.7×28 cartridge originally developed as a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) round for military applications and approved by NATO, it offers high magazine capacity, relatively mild recoil, excellent controllability, and rapid follow-up shots. When combined with a suppressor, the handgun becomes even more specialized. It also becomes significantly longer, heavier, and more difficult to conceal than the average concealed carry pistol.

Those compromises are worth considering. No one carries a suppressed full-size handgun because it is the easiest firearm to conceal. Doing so requires thoughtful wardrobe choices, a quality holster, and a willingness to tolerate additional weight and bulk throughout the day. Such a setup reflects intentionality. It suggests the owner had carefully considered the type of threat he believed he might someday face and selected his equipment accordingly.

Whether every safety team member should make the same choice is not the point.  The point is that he had a plan.  His equipment reflected his mission.  That is the lesson every church safety team should consider.

Far too often, concealed carriers select a handgun primarily because it is comfortable, lightweight, or easy to hide. Those are certainly legitimate considerations, but they should not be the only considerations. Church safety teams occupy a unique role. They are not merely protecting themselves or their families. They have accepted responsibility for defending congregations that may number in the hundreds. Their equipment should reflect that responsibility.

Every safety team member should honestly ask himself a difficult question.

"If an active murderer armed with a rifle entered my church today, would the handgun I currently carry be sufficient to meet the threat?"

That question is uncomfortable because it forces us to evaluate our equipment based upon the worst day of our lives rather than the most convenient day of our week.

If your answer is yes, then continue training until operating that firearm becomes second nature. Learn its strengths and limitations. Practice drawing from concealment. Practice accurate shooting under time pressure. Become so familiar with your equipment that operating it requires little conscious thought.

If your answer is no, then now is the time to reconsider your equipment—not after the shooting has already begun.

This does not mean every church safety team member needs to carry a Five-seveN, a suppressor, or the latest tactical handgun. Equipment alone does not win fights. Skill, judgment, and determination will always matter more than hardware. Nevertheless, equipment still matters. The best marksman in the world cannot overcome the limitations of a firearm that is poorly suited to the task for which it has been chosen.

The citizen responder appears to have understood that principle long before the attack occurred. He selected equipment that matched the mission he believed he might someday face. Whether or not another safety team member arrives at the same conclusion is less important than ensuring that every member deliberately evaluates his own equipment instead of simply carrying whatever happens to be the easiest or most comfortable.

Be Trained

If being armed is the foundation of preparedness, training is the structure built upon that foundation. A firearm, regardless of its quality or cost, is nothing more than a tool. Like every other tool, its usefulness depends almost entirely upon the knowledge, skill, and judgment of the person using it.

One of the greatest misconceptions within the firearms community is the belief that simply owning a handgun—and having watched a few YouTube videos—somehow prepares a person to use it effectively during a life-threatening encounter. Nothing could be further from the truth. As the late Jeff Cooper famously observed, “You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar.” Purchasing a handgun no more prepares someone to stop an active murderer than purchasing a guitar makes someone a musician. Both require study, disciplined practice, and experience. Most importantly, both require a lifelong commitment to continual growth.

Closely related to that misconception is another that may be even more dangerous. Many people assume that simply possessing a firearm qualifies them to enter a gunfight. They imagine that if violence suddenly erupts, the adrenaline of the moment will somehow transform them into the hero they have pictured themselves becoming. In their minds they will draw smoothly, think clearly, move confidently, fire accurately, and decisively stop the threat—even though their only training may consist of an occasional trip to the range and the dutiful expenditure of fifty rounds once or twice a year to "stay proficient."

Reality is rarely so accommodating.

The physiological effects of extreme stress are well documented. Heart rate accelerates dramatically. Fine motor skills deteriorate rather than improve. Tunnel vision often develops. Auditory exclusion may occur. Time itself may appear to slow down or speed up. Even experienced law enforcement officers and military personnel who have trained extensively report these physiological responses during deadly force encounters. If these effects influence seasoned professionals, how much more should we expect them to affect someone whose experience consists of little more than casual target shooting?

This reality also helps explain why equipment must be understood—not merely owned. If the citizen responder was in fact carrying an FN Five-seveN, as the available evidence appears to suggest, he was using a pistol with a manual safety that differs significantly from many common defensive handguns. Rather than being disengaged by the shooting-hand thumb, the Five-seveN's safety is positioned so that it is typically actuated with the trigger finger or support-hand finger. Shooters who are accustomed to more conventional handgun designs often report that this different manual of arms requires deliberate practice before it becomes instinctive. Under the stress of a deadly encounter, people frequently default to deeply ingrained habits. If those habits have not been established through repetition, seemingly simple tasks—such as disengaging a manual safety—can easily be forgotten. That is one reason many instructors who reviewed the Twin Falls incident have suggested that the citizen responder's actions reflected prior training. His apparent weapon choice, combined with his composure, movement, and efficient handling of the pistol, suggests a level of familiarity that is difficult to develop without consistent practice.

This is why experienced instructors have repeated the same principle for decades: people rarely rise to the level of their expectations during a crisis; they usually fall to the level of their training.

That statement is not intended to discourage anyone. On the contrary, it should encourage every church safety team member because it reminds us that competence is not accidental. It is developed. Every repetition of a proper draw stroke, every accurate presentation from concealment, every reload, every malfunction clearance, every movement drill, and every decision-making exercise gradually builds habits that become available when conscious thought is overwhelmed by stress. Training does not eliminate fear, nor does it eliminate the physiological effects of adrenaline. It simply gives the mind and body something reliable upon which to fall back when the unexpected occurs.

The citizen responder in Twin Falls appears to illustrate that principle. While no one can determine the full extent of his background from a short video clip, experienced instructors who have analyzed the footage have consistently observed movement, weapon handling, and composure that suggest prior training. Whether his experience came from formal instruction, disciplined personal practice, military service, law enforcement, or some combination thereof is ultimately beside the point. What matters is that his actions appeared to reflect preparation that had taken place long before the attack began.

Church safety teams should take that lesson seriously. Our objective is not merely to own firearms. Our objective is to become competent stewards of the tremendous responsibility those firearms represent. We owe that much to the families we protect, to the churches we serve, and ultimately to the Lord who has entrusted those lives to our care.

The events in Twin Falls appear to illustrate that principle remarkably well.

As we discussed earlier, the available evidence strongly suggests that the citizen responder had selected a purpose-built fighting handgun rather than simply choosing the smallest firearm that could be conveniently carried. That decision alone suggests forethought. However, equipment tells only part of the story. Just as revealing was the manner in which the firearm appeared to be employed during the encounter.

Since the incident occurred, numerous firearms instructors, law enforcement officers, and experienced shooters have carefully analyzed the publicly available video footage. Although no responsible instructor would claim to know everything that happened from a few seconds of video, there has been a surprising degree of agreement regarding one conclusion. The citizen responder did not appear to be someone who simply happened to own a handgun. Rather, his movement and weapon handling appeared consistent with someone who had previously invested time in learning how to fight with a pistol.

People often ask me, "What handgun should I buy?" My answer usually surprises them because my first question is almost always, "How much do you have to spend?"

If they tell me they have $500, I usually respond, "Buy a $250 gun and spend the other $250 on ammunition and training."

If they tell me they have $1,000, I generally tell them, "Buy a $500 gun and spend the other $500 on ammunition and training."

Now, before someone misunderstands what I'm saying, let me add an important clarification. I do not literally mean that everyone should go buy a $250 handgun. There are many inexpensive pistols that I would never trust to defend my family or my church. Reliability should never be sacrificed simply to meet an arbitrary price point.

The principle I am emphasizing is this: when you budget for a defensive firearm, budget for the training that must accompany it. The handgun is only the beginning of the investment. The ammunition you fire in practice, the professional instruction you receive, and the hours you spend developing proficiency are every bit as important as the firearm itself.

The apparent weapon carried by the citizen responder illustrates that point well. If he was indeed carrying an FN Five-seveN chambered in 5.7×28mm, he was carrying an excellent fighting pistol. However, it is also one of the more expensive handguns to train with. The cost of 5.7×28 ammunition is significantly higher than that of common 9mm ammunition, and over the course of several years a dedicated shooter will almost certainly spend far more on ammunition than he ever spent on the pistol itself. That reality should not necessarily discourage someone from choosing a Five-seveN, but it should become part of the decision-making process. A firearm that you cannot afford to practice with regularly may not be the best choice for your circumstances, regardless of how capable it is.

Too many people spend their entire budget on the handgun and then discover they have little money left for ammunition, training classes, or regular practice. In reality, they have purchased a firearm, but they have not yet invested in the ability to use it effectively. The weapon is only one part of the defensive system. The skill to employ it safely, accurately, and efficiently is what ultimately makes it effective.

Several analysts have pointed out that his presentation of the pistol appeared controlled rather than hurried. His movement was deliberate instead of panicked. Rather than freezing in place or reacting impulsively, he appeared to process the situation while continuing to move with purpose. He maintained a proper two-handed firing grip, appeared to use available cover to his advantage, and demonstrated the kind of composure that is seldom seen in someone experiencing their first exposure to deadly violence.

Training has a way of revealing itself.  It leaves fingerprints.  People under extreme stress rarely invent sound tactics in the middle of a gunfight. Instead, they default to what they have practiced repeatedly. The body naturally falls back upon deeply ingrained habits. If those habits have been carefully developed through disciplined training, they often become evident even in the chaos of a deadly encounter. Conversely, if little or no training exists, poor habits tend to reveal themselves just as quickly.

That truth has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout history.

Military organizations have long understood that soldiers seldom rise to the occasion during battle. Instead, they perform according to the level of their training. Law enforcement agencies have reached the same conclusion. Professional athletes understand it instinctively. When the championship is on the line, players do not suddenly become more skilled than they were during practice. They simply execute the fundamentals they have rehearsed thousands of times.  A gymnast who earns a perfect 10 on competition day is not performing a miracle. She is simply repeating movements she has executed thousands of times in practice until excellence became instinct.

Church safety teams are no different.

When violence erupts inside a church, there is no opportunity to learn proper gun handling. There is no time to practice drawing from concealment. There is no opportunity to discover how your optic performs in bright sunlight, whether your flashlight interferes with your holster, or whether your chosen ammunition functions reliably in your pistol. Those lessons must already have been learned.

One of the most valuable observations I heard during the Security Operations Summit concerned the very nature of an active shooter event. We often hear people speak about "navigating the chaos," but that phrase suggests something that simply does not exist.

An active shooter event is chaos.

It is sudden.

It is violent.

It is confusing.

People scream. They run in every direction. Radio traffic becomes congested. Information is incomplete and often contradictory. Innocent people are moving while the attacker is moving. Nobody possesses a complete picture of what is happening.

There is no time to stop and formulate a plan.

There is no opportunity to gather everyone together and discuss options.

There is no chance to pull out the policy manual and decide what should happen next.

The seconds are passing, and with every passing second more innocent people may be dying.

That reality fundamentally changed law enforcement's response to active shooters after Columbine. Before Columbine, the prevailing doctrine was to establish a perimeter, contain the situation, assemble specialized resources, and develop a coordinated response. While officers were organizing outside, the killers inside continued murdering innocent people. Columbine demonstrated in the most painful way imaginable that time itself had become the enemy.

Ed Monk reached the same conclusion through his extensive research for First 30 Seconds. His analysis consistently showed that the duration of the attack is one of the strongest predictors of the final casualty count. Every second that an active murderer remains free to continue the assault creates another opportunity for another innocent life to be taken.

That is why immediate action is so critical.

Notice I did not say unplanned action.

The plan must already exist.

The decisions must already have been made.

The training must already have occurred.

When the first shots are fired, the time for planning has passed. What remains is execution.

People do not suddenly become tacticians in the middle of chaos. They react according to the habits they have built through disciplined repetition. The draw stroke they have practiced thousands of times, the communication procedures they have rehearsed, the movement techniques they have repeated, and the decision-making process they have developed through realistic training all come together in those first critical moments.

A gymnast who earns a perfect score is not inventing her routine during the competition. She is simply demonstrating under pressure what she has practiced thousands of times when no one was watching. The same is true of a church safety team. Under the unimaginable stress of an active shooter event, members will not suddenly perform beyond their training. They will simply reveal the level of preparation they brought with them into the fight.

That is why our goal is not merely to own firearms.

Our goal is to build habits so deeply that when chaos erupts, the mind does not have to invent a response—it simply executes one.

Training begins with mastering the fundamentals. Every safety team member should become thoroughly proficient in drawing safely from concealment, obtaining a proper firing grip, presenting the pistol efficiently, acquiring an acceptable sight picture, and delivering accurate hits under reasonable time constraints. These skills are not glamorous, but they form the foundation upon which every other defensive skill is built.

Beyond basic marksmanship lies an entirely different level of preparation. A church safety team member should understand how to move safely through crowded environments, communicate effectively with fellow team members, recognize available cover and concealment, identify innocent bystanders, avoid crossfire situations, and make lawful decisions under tremendous stress. Every one of those skills can be practiced before they are ever needed.

During the Active Shooter course conducted at our church, both Troy DeHart and Ben Bennett emphasized a principle that has become almost universally accepted among those who study active violence. The quickest way to reduce casualties is to stop the killer through immediate, decisive intervention.

Our goal is not to win a gunfight.

Our goal is to stop the killing.

Those two ideas are related, but they are not identical.

An active murderer may be stopped because he is lawfully incapacitated by defensive gunfire. He may be stopped because he immediately surrenders when confronted by armed resistance. He may abandon his attack and flee the scene. Or, as appears to have happened in Twin Falls, he may recognize that he no longer has access to defenseless victims and takes his own life.

However the attack ends is secondary.

The primary objective remains unchanged.

The killing must stop.

That objective should influence the way church safety teams train. Training should never become an exercise in marksmanship alone. Paper targets do not move. They do not scream. They do not hide behind innocent people. They do not create confusion or uncertainty. And they do not shoot back.  Real-world violence is messy, unpredictable, and emotionally overwhelming. The more training can safely incorporate realistic decision-making, communication, movement, and problem-solving, the better prepared a safety team will be when confronted with genuine evil.

Ultimately, the greatest lesson from Twin Falls may not be the specific handgun the citizen carried or the techniques he employed. It may simply be the reminder that preparation matters. The calmness visible during those few seconds of video was almost certainly not created in the parking lot that afternoon. It was forged long before the attack ever began through deliberate decisions, thoughtful equipment selection, and consistent practice.

Church safety teams should aspire to the same level of preparation. We cannot predict when violence will come to our churches, but we can determine today whether we will be prepared to respond wisely when it does. That preparation is not accomplished by purchasing better equipment alone. It is accomplished by developing the knowledge, judgment, and skill to use whatever equipment we carry in a manner that protects innocent life and honors the tremendous responsibility God has placed upon us.

Be Willing

Being armed without training is dangerous. Training without the proper mindset is equally ineffective. There comes a point where equipment and skill reach their limit, and what remains is the willingness to act.

That may be the most difficult lesson of all.

Every human being is born with a powerful instinct for self-preservation. When unexpected violence erupts, our natural response is to move away from danger, seek cover, protect our families, and survive. There is nothing shameful about that response. In fact, it is precisely why public safety officials have long taught the simple survival strategy, "Run. Hide. Fight." For the average unarmed citizen, it is sound advice. If escape is possible, run. If escape is impossible, hide. If neither option exists, fight with whatever means are available.

Church safety teams, however, occupy a very different role.

The moment you accepted the responsibility of serving on your church's safety team, your priorities changed. You voluntarily accepted a responsibility that extends beyond your own personal safety. You accepted a responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Consider the people gathered inside your church on any given Sunday morning. The toddlers in the nursery cannot run. The elderly widow who depends upon a walker cannot run. The disabled veteran in a wheelchair cannot run. The first-time visitor has no idea where the emergency exits are located. Children attending Sunday school classes are entirely dependent upon the adults responsible for their protection. If evil enters the building, someone must move toward the threat because many of those inside simply cannot move away from it.

That is why a church safety team cannot think like the general public.

Our responsibility is different.

Our mission is different.

Our priorities are different.

For that reason, our mindset must also be different.

Within Safety Team 1 we often summarize that mindset with three simple words:

Fight. Fight. Fight.

That statement is easily misunderstood unless it is carefully explained. It does not mean we are looking for confrontation. It does not mean we are aggressive, reckless, or eager to use force. It certainly does not mean we ignore opportunities to use wisdom, communication, or de-escalation whenever those options remain available.

It simply recognizes a reality that every active shooter event has confirmed.

Until the threat is stopped, the killing will continue.

That is why the objective of a church safety team is not merely to survive.

It is to stop the killing.

Those two objectives are not always the same.

An unarmed citizen may properly choose to escape if escape is possible. A father protecting only his own family may make decisions that are entirely appropriate for his circumstances. A church safety team member, however, has accepted a broader responsibility. He is not merely protecting himself. He is standing watch over an entire congregation. His calling requires him to think beyond his own safety and consider the lives of everyone God has placed under his protection.

That is the biblical picture of a watchman.

In the Old Testament, the watchman was not stationed upon the city wall to ensure his own survival. He stood his post to warn the people and defend the city. If danger approached, his responsibility was not to quietly climb down the wall and protect himself. His responsibility was to sound the alarm and do everything within his power to protect those behind him.

The modern church safety team fulfills a remarkably similar role.

We are not looking for violence.

We pray that we never encounter it.

We work diligently to prevent it whenever possible through visible presence, careful observation, access control, and early intervention. Every situation peacefully resolved before violence begins is a victory. Every suspicious individual identified before he enters the building is a success. Every disturbed person compassionately redirected without force represents the outcome we desire.

But should those efforts fail, and should evil force its way into the church, our responsibility changes immediately.

At that moment there is no longer time to hope someone else will intervene.

We are that someone.

The armed citizen in Twin Falls demonstrated that mindset. While others understandably sought safety, he moved toward the sound of gunfire. He did not know how the encounter would end. He did not know whether he would survive. He knew only one thing: unless someone confronted the attacker, innocent people would continue to die.

That decision was not made in the parking lot.

It had already been made long before the attack ever began.

Every church safety team member should settle that same question long before he ever walks through the church doors wearing a concealed firearm.

Ask yourself honestly: Why do I carry?

If your answer is simply, "To protect myself," then your thinking is incomplete.

A church safety team carries for a greater purpose. We carry because God has entrusted precious lives to our care. We carry because children cannot defend themselves. We carry because many elderly members cannot outrun a rifle. We carry because visitors who have never entered the building before have no idea where safety may be found. We carry because, should the unthinkable ever occur, someone must be willing to move toward danger while everyone else is moving away from it.

That willingness cannot be manufactured in the middle of a gunfight.

It is settled quietly, thoughtfully, and prayerfully long before the first shot is ever fired.

The citizen responder in Twin Falls did not suddenly discover courage that afternoon. His actions revealed convictions that had already been established. Long before he stepped into that parking lot, he had decided that if innocent lives depended upon him, he would act.

Every church safety team member must make that same decision.

Because when evil comes—and we pray it never does—it will be too late to decide whether you are willing.

You will simply act according to the decision you have already made.

The lessons from the In-N-Out active shooter incident are neither complicated nor revolutionary. They simply reaffirm timeless truths that every church safety team should already understand. Effective response is not born in the moment of crisis—it is forged long before the first shot is fired. The citizen responder did not become prepared on the day of the attack; that day merely revealed the preparation that had already taken place. He possessed appropriate equipment, had developed the skill to employ it effectively, and demonstrated the willingness to act when innocent lives depended upon him. Those same qualities should characterize every church safety team member. Carry consistently. Train relentlessly. Settle your resolve before the crisis comes. Because when evil suddenly appears, there will be no time to prepare—only time to respond.

"Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows."  - Nehemiah 4:13