Most of you know that I attended a conference this last week. While I suspect that most of you don’t want to know all the details, I would like to share a few highlights with you. First, the conference was intended for police chaplains, which has been an area of interest to me. Don’t worry, it’s a voluntary thing that doesn't necessarily take up a lot of time (unless there is a crisis to deal with). Specifically, I would like to work with the Michigan State Police, and there may be an opportunity to serve the Sandusky (MI) Post. Please pray that God would open that door if it’s His will.
While the discussions were specifically tailored for working with police officers, the topics (for the most part) were just as applicable for ministry in this broken world: death notification, suicide, substance abuse, stress management, burnout, and responding to a crisis—to name a few. While a pastor never looks forward to dealing with these kinds of things, we need to be prepared. And, I can tell you, I’m more prepared than I was a week ago.
Secondly, since most of the people there for the conference were also pastors, I had the privilege of fellowshipping and praying with some of them. At one lunch break, three of us reflected on God’s provision at various times in our lives. In many ways, we had a little worship service at that Wendy’s Restaurant. Another time, I prayed with a Michigan State Police Chaplain and an Inkster PD Chaplain in a common area of the hotel. These men truly had a passion for God and ministry, and their prayers reflected that. The Spirit was definitely there in these moments.
So, all in all, the conference far exceeded my expectations on many levels. Thanks for recognizing that pastors need to get away from our normal settings and find refreshment from time to time!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
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