Where do you sit

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jeepnik

jeepnik

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In church?

The church I attend is set up like many others. A door at the rear of the sanctuary and one on either side, roughly in the middle. And of course entrances on either side of the altar.

For decades now I have sat on the right (facing the altar) rear corner. I don't know exactly when I started doing it, but at this church it was when I returned after leaving the service. Sometime after that I obtained a CCW and started to carry to church. No specific reason back then, it just felt right.

I usually attend the same service every week, but sometimes things get in the way and I'll attend another. There is an older fellow who, near as I can tell attends everyone. He sits in the left rear corner. I don't remember when I first noticed that Jas always seemed to be there. At 70+ years old, he is still physically impressive and honestly most folks think he's in his 50's.

Jas hasn't seemed to have lost any of the muscle he developed horsing a big ole motorcycle around. He still carries the same 4" Colt Python he carried for the over two decades he rode those motorcycles.

There are a few others who seem to be sprinkled around, the number does seem to be increasing, and like most folks they have "their" pews.

A while ago we got a new, and seemly very young, Priest. He noticed Jas was always there, always in the same place. It took the young fellow a while to figure out that Jas had a the best "view" of the sanctuary from there.

So after rambling on the question remains. Where do you sit?
 
jeepnik asked:
Where do you sit...
Click to expand...

All over.

I am one of the congregation's elders and as such have a responsibility to make sure everyone is welcome and attended to, so I sit in different places to make sure I get to see everyone across the course of a month or two.

But since I think you're probably asking this because of the shooting in Texas on Sunday, I don't know proximity to the exits would have made much of a difference - especially if it was a situation where you would have had to run over women and children to get out. If you believe in a life after this one, then what do you want to have to say when you arrive there:
"I outlived all my kids and died neglected in a nursing home at age 93 because when I was 44, I trampled a 6 year old and his mother to get away from a church shooter", ​
or
"I died at age 44 using my body to shield a 6 year old and his mother."?​

usually somewhere in the back. ... when I go, I am usually late...
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If you weren't half a continent away, I'd invite you to come visit. We only set out five rows of chairs, so if you arrive late visiting with me, you'd end up on the front row since everyone else would already have the chairs in the back. But that's okay. If you didn't already know someone to sit with, I'd sit with you so you wouldn't feel alone.

Behind the biggest hat so I can snooze.
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That's okay. So long as you don't snore - or drool.
 
Back row, so my wife or I can step out with a daughter if any of them needs to. . . and so I can hear what's going on in the Narthex, where 3 deacons are on watch. Same goes for the ex-sheriff's deputy in the pew opposite us.

We're pretty intentional about this. We're Presbyterian. . . we still remember St. Bart's day.
 
hdwhit said:
All over.

I am one of the congregation's elders and as such have a responsibility to make sure everyone is welcome and attended to, so I sit in different places to make sure I get to see everyone across the course of a month or two.

But since I think you're probably asking this because of the shooting in Texas on Sunday, I don't know proximity to the exits would have made much of a difference - especially if it was a situation where you would have had to run over women and children to get out. If you believe in a life after this one, then what do you want to have to say when you arrive there:
"I outlived all my kids and died neglected in a nursing home at age 93 because when I was 44, I trampled a 6 year old and his mother to get away from a church shooter", ​
or
"I died at age 44 using my body to shield a 6 year old and his mother."?​



If you weren't half a continent away, I'd invite you to come visit. We only set out five rows of chairs, so if you arrive late visiting with me, you'd end up on the front row since everyone else would already have the chairs in the back. But that's okay. If you didn't already know someone to sit with, I'd sit with you so you wouldn't feel alone.



That's okay. So long as you don't snore - or drool.
Click to expand...

Actually Jas and I figure we can cover the entrances and the sanctuary quite well from our locations. Running isn't an option for either of us.
 
hdwhit said:
If you weren't half a continent away, I'd invite you to come visit. We only set out five rows of chairs, so if you arrive late visiting with me, you'd end up on the front row since everyone else would already have the chairs in the back. But that's okay. If you didn't already know someone to sit with, I'd sit with you so you wouldn't feel alone.
Click to expand...

Appreciate it hdwhit!
Even half a continent away, so long as there's folks out there like you, I won't be alone. :)

Maybe someday when I visit TX.

When I do go, it is always with my beautiful wife. She is more of the Church goin' type. She sings and plays guitar so she appreciates the worship music.
As a child during the summer, we always attended outdoor "Chapel" on Sundays.

These days, I find myself a firm believer and a believer in the strength of a community of like-minded individuals looking out for each other... I am just not necessarily big on going to Church.
 
I'm far too seldom in church - but will be travelling to another state for a brief appearance involving grand baby number six this weekend (I have two kids - and each of them has had three now...) in their local church with that little one the star of the moment....

I may be out in left field here but I think we'd all be a lot better off if every local church, temple, cathedral, or synagogue was better attended than they are these days. Matter of fact I can't think of a better way for all of us to honor those who lost their lives in the latest outrage....
 
hdwhit said:
But since I think you're probably asking this because of the shooting in Texas on Sunday, I don't know proximity to the exits would have made much of a difference - especially if it was a situation where you would have had to run over women and children to get out. If you believe in a life after this one, then what do you want to have to say when you arrive there:
"I outlived all my kids and died neglected in a nursing home at age 93 because when I was 44, I trampled a 6 year old and his mother to get away from a church shooter", ​
or
"I died at age 44 using my body to shield a 6 year old and his mother."?​
Click to expand...

Amen brother! My dad always said we need to have a loose grasp on this life we live here as it is just a whisper in eternity.
 
We have a gentleman at the rear of the church close to the door. Another one the left (if facing the pulpit) about a third of the way from the rear. The pastor and his CCW are at the pulpit. I am near the front right close to the center aisle.
 
I am in the front row right side. Mrs farmer's mother plays the piano and we sit close so she doesn' have far to walk. I am the first person you'll see if you come in the side door.
Two sheriff's deputies sit on either side of the back row. All three of us carry. We have about 50 in attendance.

Eternity lies just beyond your last heartbeat.
 
Same considerations of any similarly sized and situated auditorium type room. Since my first choice is to escape and evade, quick exits unlikely to be obstructed by unanticipated events are a priority. My family knows to hit them and keep moving if I am delayed confronting a threat to buy them time.

Church has the added complication of an unusually high density of armed citizens serving in both official security capacity and in unofficial capacities. I'm not always confident enough of being recognized as a good guy by all the other armed people in the room if I happen to draw, so I'd prefer not to. Better to duck and cover and get the family to safety unless the problem is a direct threat to my family in close proximity.

I've studied most of the regulars enough to know who is armed and who the better trained ones are, but only a small fraction have noticed me.
 
I'm a Heathen. I have never been to a gathering of our particular faith where I saw anyone unarmed.
 
Our church currently rents space from a school, so I can't carry there and need to leave my gun locked in my car. I sit up front by the closest exit to my car so in the unlikely event I needed to get to my gun I can do so as quickly as possible. I'm on our church's security team, so when I'm working I rotate between the main service and the children's ministry.
 
Up close to the preachers right. I am ten steps from an exit. Several carriers sit to his left. One in far back that runs sound booth is packin also.
Preacher packs sometimes, but he has instructions to yell "gun" and point.
Probably 8-12 ccw's on a given sunday
 
To answer the real question our church has a dedicated security team on duty at each service. We lock all but the main entrance 15 minutes after service starts and post security in the Children's Church area, the Main Lobby, usually one in the sanctuary, an exterior vehicle rover and an interior rover.

To answer the secondary question my wife and I usually sit on the second floor overlooking the sanctuary because we can sit at a table and put our Bibles on the table and take notes.

Unless something happens right in front of me I would be very hesitant to involve myself in a security issue unless I was "on duty" that day.
 
First of all, where will the attacker enter the nave? If there are several doors, consider locking all but one when the services start.

Next, what is the attacker's natural sweep? A right handed man will naturally sweep to the left -- he would have to pivot his whole body to engage someone sitting to the right of the door.

Third, can you find a position where you are out of the attacker's natural sweep AND looking in the direction of the entrance?

Finally, can you arrange things so you have a clear field of fire, without endangering other worshipers?
 
Vern Humphrey said:
First of all, where will the attacker enter the nave? If there are several doors, consider locking all but one when the services start.

Next, what is the attacker's natural sweep? A right handed man will naturally sweep to the left -- he would have to pivot his whole body to engage someone sitting to the right of the door.

Third, can you find a position where you are out of the attacker's natural sweep AND looking in the direction of the entrance?

Finally, can you arrange things so you have a clear field of fire, without endangering other worshipers?
Click to expand...

All good points. Which is why Jas and I like the rear corners. We have, at least initially a clear shot across the rear of the sanctuary and the down the sides. The problem is that if something occurred most would head for the rear door (people tend to run to the door they came in during an emergency). If not dealt with very quickly the threat would be hard to single out in the chaos. In a mass of people trying to take a shot will be difficult.
 
jeepnik said:
All good points. Which is why Jas and I like the rear corners. We have, at least initially a clear shot across the rear of the sanctuary and the down the sides
Click to expand...

Is your Pastor aware that you and Jas have appointed yourselves church security ?
 
Trunk Monkey said:
Is your Pastor aware that you and Jas have appointed yourselves church security ?
Click to expand...

Who's self appointed? We just like to sit where we do. Neither of us has ever done a thing. And, yes, the priests know there are armed folks in the congregation but they don't know who they are. Think of it as Don't ask Don't tell.
 
Our pastor is fond of saying "pity the fool that interupts my service" we have a security team .

Mostly old guys like me that are former LEO. We sit accross the back row on both sides
About 85 people a each service. Only way in is through the back as all the other doors can only be opened from the inside.
Only incident was an unarmed druggie who tried to steal the offering baskets. He got swarmed and cuffed in short order.
 
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