Lessons from New Life Church - The Attack That Shaped this Endeavor
- Keynote
- the Sanctuary
- October 17 2026 8:10 AM - 9:00 AM
On December 9, 2007, an armed attacker entered New Life Church in Colorado Springs with the intent to commit mass murder. What unfolded in the minutes that followed forever changed the conversation surrounding ministry security.
Drawing from his firsthand experience as a member of the church's Life Safety Team, Carl Chinn shares the events of that day, the lessons learned, and how one tragic incident accelerated a national movement toward intentional preparedness in houses of worship.
This keynote traces Carl's journey from responding to violent attacks at Focus on the Family to helping establish one of the nation's first comprehensive church security ministries and ultimately founding the Faith-Based Security Network. More than a historical account, this session challenges attendees to understand why preparation matters and why every ministry has a responsibility to protect those entrusted to its care.
This opening session also lays the foundation for the afternoon plenary series, The Anatomy of a Critical Incident, where an attack will be examined through each stage of a critical incident—from the initial crisis, to the arrival of law enforcement, to the realities of recovery after the gunfight.
