Chaplain Impact and Expanded Vision by Travis Akins
Chaplain Impact
This past year has been mared by so many things: the tragic killings of our beloved officers, communities destroyed by fire, facing cultural/civil unrest, daily shootings/assaults/threats to life, the drastic reduction in the number serving as officers, etc., all while operating within the global pandemic of COVID. Our law enforcement community has faced all of these external stresses while still being our husbands/wives, fathers/mothers, sons/daughters, friends, and neighbors. Many have suffered relationship conflict, divorce, struggling children, financial hardships, relentless overtime, physical injury, losses of so many things, and mental breakdown.
However, there has also been healing. We at RMPC, the chaplains who love and care for our law enforcement community, have been there with each person along the way. We have been there to comfort them in the loss of a child, to pray with them after a horrific sex assault call, answer the calls in the middle of the night when they have no one else to turn to, cry with them when there are no words, laugh with them, and share the most vulnerable moments. We have been blessed to see marriages restored, suicide prevented, careers put back on track, celebrated retirements, welcomed babies into the world, blessed weddings, and rejoiced at justice being served.
Countless hours have been spent at roll calls, in patrol cars, in debriefs, hosting BBQs, sharing meals, doing home repairs together, fixing cars, going fishing/hunting, going to games, all in the name of the ministry of presence. We show up and let God do the rest. We facilitate Bible studies, offer prayer, engage in spiritual conversations, care when others don't, listen when others can't, and offer the Gospel to those seeking the Lord.
For our fellow chaplains, we provide necessary training, offer needed resources, respond to assist in critical incidents, and pray for each other continually. For our Agencies, we help provide guidance on policies, establish new programs, revitalize existing programs, assist in chaplain recruitment, and facilitate critical incident debriefs. As leaders in the law enforcement community and in our faith communities, we have become a recognized go-to organization. We are now instrumental in collaborating with mental health resources, suicide prevention, video resources, overall wellness programs, and a benevolence fund to support officers/families in need.
The past year has been undoubtably one of the most memorable in decades. What a blessing and privilege to have been part of it and in the middle of so many lives that God orchestrated. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support through it all.
RMPC Vision / Expansion
Rocky Mountain Police Chaplains exists to guide chaplains in understanding the mission; by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve with confidence and excellence. We currently serve 80 agencies across Colorado and Wyoming through 175 chaplains...and growing. This is only 24% of the Sheriff Offices, Municipal Agencies, and Colleges/Universities so we have a huge harvest field before us. In the 336 agencies, there are an estimated almost 14,000 sworn officers plus non-sworn staff and families. There is easily 50,000 people that we pray we have the opportunity to share the Gospel with.
Additionally, we have received interest from departments across the country and internationally as chaplains attend our trainings or ask us to help start a chaplain program. We have been invited to participate with the FBI health and wellness program and with the Department of Justice's wellness program.
This year we have been pursued to implement a chaplain program for Fire Agencies across Colorado. Our Board of Directors has been supportive of this direction and if all goes well, we will have Rocky Mountain Fire Chaplains by the end of 2021. RMPC will be able to support these agencies as we have in the law enforcement community as well as recruit and train new Fire Chaplains to support Fire Fighters and their families. We are also prayerfully considering starting an Emergency Medical Service Chaplain program in the future.
Our partnerships continue to grow and mature. We can now offer many qualified mental health professionals that understand law enforcement, ongoing marriage retreats, outdoor therapy environments, video resources, and many more resources. Our dream includes operating a retreat center to offer retreats, trainings, and outdoor activities to facilitate spiritual conversations and healing.
To do all of this requires intentionality, dedication, funding, and the Lord's favor. We have been blessed by the Lord's direction since our beginning in 2014 and continue to walk in His timing. We are praying for additional team members, for current and new chaplains raising ministry support, and for God to provide funding for RMPC through individual/ church/ business donations and grants.
Thank you for your prayers for God's continued movement!