How Much Do You Practice Your Guitar Playing?

Editor’s Note: Cody Blocker, Certified Protection Specialist, is the founding member and past president of the Midwest Church Security Coalition, author of  Protecting Your Church: Thoughts on Church Security and Leadership, founder of Safety Systems Group self-defense training company, and lead instructor and training coordinator at Serving Watchmen, a biblically-based and ministry-focused training company helping churches develop policies, train people, and build the programs leaders need to protect their congregation.

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With his permission, we have published below his email newsletter message about the importance of practicing (training) to develop sharp security skills. When you download his free resource, Church Security Playbook, you’ll receive regular email messages by Cody describing best practices to lead a security ministry with excellence.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Cody Blocker, Certified Protection Specialist ]

If you were asked to play a guitar solo on stage during your next church service in front of the entire congregation…could you?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Bible Verses Applicable to Self-Defense and Church Security ]

If the church was going to ask you to lead the entire congregation in a solo worship experience, you’d want to do a great job, correct? I don’t know anything about music, and I can’t carry a tune to save my life. So, I’m glad they haven’t asked me to play the guitar.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Scriptural Principles for Church Security Volunteers ]

However, when I enjoy worship on Sundays, I’m entirely grateful that the people on stage are really good with music and their instruments. Because they’re SO GOOD at playing music and singing, I get to enjoy the worship experience. But the expertise those musicians have isn’t an accident.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of MEDICAL ]

Your worship leader didn’t just decide yesterday to pick up the guitar. I guarantee they have YEARS of music practice. I guarantee they have a high-quality guitar. I guarantee they practiced with their worship team during the week to make sure they sound good together.

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

Worship is a high and holy calling. Worship leaders bring us right into the throne room of God so we can glorify him together. This doesn’t happen by accident. The worship leader doesn’t just sit around all week and “HOPE” they’ll hit the right notes. No. They’re intentional. They train. They practice. And when they’re done practicing, they practice some more.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Enroll in the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification Program ]

Next time you’re benefiting from your worship team’s practice, ask yourself these questions:

• How many hours did the worship team practice this week to get the notes right?
• Do they own a really cheap guitar, or a high-quality guitar?
• How many years has this worship leader been practicing and learning music?
• How many people practiced this week altogether to make sure the worship is high quality (sound, lighting, song, music, etc.)?
• How much money did they spend on music teachers, tutors, or classes over the years?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Ministry of Protection: Why Church Safety Teams Matter and How Serving in the Ministry of Protection Brings Clarity to the Calling ]

How does all of this apply to church security? Ask yourself the same questions.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Biblical Case Why Every Church Needs Armed Security ]

If people dedicate this much time and practice to playing a guitar, how much time should we dedicate to practicing our life-saving security skills?

• If you carry a gun, when was the last time you practiced?
• If you are responsible for medical response, when was the last time you practiced putting on a tourniquet?
• If you are supposed to help when someone needs verbal de-escalation, how many hours did you practice this week?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

If you are responsible for others’ safety, there will be a time when you are asked to demonstrate your skills on demand, with no warning, and you will HAVE to hit all the notes PERFECTLY!

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Demands a Higher Standard Than Mere Every Day Carry ]

Be honest with yourself. How well could you perform the skills tomorrow?

Get out there and train.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of TRAINING ]

— Get the SemperVerus booklet, The Case for Biblical Self-Defense —

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