Invite Me In by Jeremy Frenzen

On a typical Sunday, in my typical pew I felt the prompting of God; “invite me in”.

At the time, I was a newly promoted sergeant with 18 years with the Boulder Police Department.  I had felt the calling to serve the fine men and women of the BPD, and to support/encourage them on the daily journey of being in the policing business.  The idea of exploring a Chaplaincy within the walls of our department made sense when it came to another way to accomplish that.  However, I wasn’t sure it made sense given the often challenging political environment we experience in Boulder.  I was challenged and reminded that God is bigger than any political climate and he is sovereign over all.

Through a few simple conversations, I was directed to contact Rocky Mountain Police Chaplains (RMPC) as they have had experience helping dozens of agencies throughout the region to implement chaplain programs.  Little did I know that several years before this prompting for me, RMPC had already received their own prompting to begin this important work.  They had the knowledge, the experience, and the confidence to guide our steps as we began the process of creating BPD’s very first Chaplaincy.

God was invited in.  The timing of that invitation was the very end of 2019, and the very beginning of 2020.  As members of RMPC and I met in our designated café for multiple times of discussion, goal-setting, and prayer…we had no idea what 2020 was going to bring.  We had no idea that God had already tapped the shoulders of 5 amazing pastors/leaders in Boulder County.  Those 5 servant hearts also had no idea what 2020 would bring, but they were willing to follow God’s lead.  Throughout one of the darkest and most difficult years of most of our lives, our 5 BPD Chaplains have blessed, served, and encouraged us.  They have brought light into a dark place.  They have provided HOPE and LOVE.  They have quickly earned the respect of the officers, they have established trust with the department command staff, and they have successfully navigated their first year of chaplaincy…even with all the curve balls 2020 has thrown.

God’s timing is always perfect.  What started as a prompting on that typical Sunday, turned into one of the few bright spots for our department in a very ATYPICAL year. 

Thank you to Chaplains Brian, Ashley, Paul, Steve, and Tyler. Thank you to RMPC.  Thank you to the leadership at BPD who were open to this idea.  And to God be the glory for all.

Sergeant Jeremy Frenzen
Boulder Police Department