The Strong Blue Line
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 was the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Several Idaho Falls businesses showed their appreciation for officers in our community by offering discounts and expressing their support for law enforcement. The day before the event, I found an invitation stuck in my office door to a law enforcement appreciation coffee and donuts gathering hosted by First Evangelical Lutheran Church. I immediately called the church office to see if I could bring copies of Winning a Gunfight to give to officers and invite them to Cop Church. They welcomed me with open arms. Several officers from the Idaho Falls PD, Idaho State Troopers, and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office dropped by for a cup of coffee or a snack. I was encouraged to find nearly all the officers already received a copy of Winning a Gunfight and were very thankful for them. The few who didn’t have a copy were given one.
One officer in attendance was the patrol commander of the Idaho Falls PD. I asked him if he needed any more copies of Winning a Gunfight for his officers. He was happy I asked and said in the last 18 months the department has hired nearly 20 officers. At his request, I delivered 20 books to the IFPD. The commander assured me he would distribute the books to officers who didn’t have them.
Next month, some 250 sheriffs will gather in Reno, NV for the Western States Sheriff’s Association’s annual conference. This conference marks their 25th. The Strong Blue Line would like to provide enough copies of Winning a Gunfight for each sheriff’s office that is represented (we’ll need about $2500 to fund this initiative). If you or your church (or other organization) would like to help in this effort, please donate here. For tax-deductible donations, please send a check to The Strong Blue Line, 4625 Stanfield Lane, Idaho Falls, ID 83404. (please make checks payable to, “Great Commission Ministries, Inc.”).
The InterMountain Christian News is a regional Christian newspaper I contacted about advertising the upcoming Pistol in the Pulpit church security seminars. The editor agreed to publish an article I wrote about the presence of God when evil strikes shortly after the Sutherland Springs massacre. You’ll find my article When Evil Strikes—Where is God? on page 19.
Cop Church
God is using the horrific shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX last November to bring people into his kingdom! I called Pastor Frank Pomeroy (First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs) to see how he and Sherri were recovering. Frank gave an encouraging report of the Lord working among the people in his community. Frank reported that that 26 people who were murdered (including his own daughter) were all key people and leaders in the church and he didn’t know how he was going to be able to continue. But people from his congregation have stepped up and answered the call of God.
Frank said many have come to the Lord for salvation and others have committed to service and ministry. A company out of Dallas provided a temporary tent shelter and the average church attendance has gone from 65 to over 200. Please continue to pray for Pastor Frank, his wife Sherri, and rest of the family at Sutherland Springs.
For our February Cop Church service, Jeremy Bergevin (Alliance International Worker to Mongolia) will be our guest speaker. Jeremy has a unique ministry working with children, using his love for basketball to teach young people about life, team work, and having true life in Christ. He has entitled his sermon, “Peculiar People Pack Heat” sounds interesting.
Pray for your police.
