The Strong Blue Line
On my desk is a name plate that was handcrafted for me by Officer Steven Prescott. Steve is one of eight officers who worked for me on the 8 pm to 4 am Downtown Bike Patrol shift from 1999 to 2002. Steve and the guys presented me the name plate when I transferred out. Late last year, two Bexar County (San Antonio, Texas) deputies were involved in a shooting in which a stray bullet struck and killed a six-year-old boy; the young boy was Officer Prescott’s grandson. Please pray for the Prescott family and the deputies involved in the shooting.
Detective Dubs (who also worked with Officer Prescott and me years ago) called me and said in the wake of this tragic shooting, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar was interested in ordering several copies of Winning a Gunfight for his agency. I called Sheriff Salazar and he put me in touch with Chief Deputy James Serrato who said their agency was interested in ordering at least 100 copies to distribute to their deputies. Please pray the order is approved and the book ministers to the deputies of Bexar County.
On February 3, The Strong Blue Line held a church security seminar at Watersprings Church in Idaho Falls, based on my book Pistol in the Pulpit. Nearly 100 people from more than 20 churches attended the five-hour seminar that addressed questions such as: Does a local church or organization have a duty to protect? What does Scripture say about self-defense? What type of response should a church have to an active shooter? Uniform Division Captain Royce Clements (Idaho Falls PD), SWAT team commander Lieutenant Kevin Casper (Bonneville County SO), Jefferson County Prosecutor Paul Butikofer, and Barth Williams (Church Mutual Insurance) attended and sat on a Q&A panel. The panel did a great job fielding questions about liability, training, use-of-force, and legal issues.
The seminar was well received and raised money to support The Strong Blue Line ministry. Heritage Alliance also hosted the seminar on February 17th in Twin Falls, ID with an equally receptive audience. Pray that these seminars will help to keep God’s people safe as they worship and will move the ministry forward.
Anchor Nate Eaton of East Idaho News.Com interviewed me for their weekly “Newsmakers” show about church security. Click here to see the interview.
On February 6th I presented the Winning a Gunfight seminar in Meridian at the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training facility. Seventeen law enforcement officers from seven agencies attended the eight-hour training. The training was well received, and I was encouraged by the comments received. One older deputy from Minidoka County said he was involved in a gunfight several years ago and experienced some of the same perceptual distortions I talked about in class.
Cop Church
Alliance International Worker (missionary) Jeremy Bergevin spoke at Cop Church with a challenging message entitled “Peculiar People Pack Heat.” Jeremy gave a report of his work in Mongolia and spoke to Cop Church from his heart citing some of his adventures with Mongolian officers and his personal testimony. To hear Jeremy’s message click on Cop Church Sermons in the sidebar.
At the end of the Winning a Gunfight seminar in Meridian, a young deputy from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office talked to be about possibly starting a Cop Church in the Boise area. Likewise, several people in Twin Falls asked about starting one in their area. Please keep the possibility of multiplying Cop Churches across the country in prayer. I’ve been in contact with Cop Church Chattanooga founder Jonathan Parker about where the Lord is leading.
The last few years I’ve preached a few first-person sermons in which I take the role of a character in the Bible and tell his story. A couple of these have been preached at Cop Church. I’ve had several requests that I put them in a book. Over the last year, with the editing help of Mrs. Trish Randall and art work by my daughter Emily and Alyssa Hedlund Warriors for the Faith is finished and available on Amazon.
Please consider reviewing my books on Amazon, you can write a review even if you didn’t purchase the book from Amazon. Click here to review a book.
Pray for your police.
