Well, tomorrow marks my six month retirement anniversary.  When I see folks that I haven’t seen for awhile, often their first question is “How’s the ministry thing going?”  My usual response is “Great, but I’m a lot busier than I thought I’d be”.   I pretty much leave it at that, but some of you have asked for more detail so I thought I’d share some details in my next few posts.

I love organization and organizational charts.  However I’m not organized well enough yet to know how to post a chart here so you’ll get the outline version.  Today’s post is going to give an overview of the organization and the different projects I’m spending my time on.

There are three basic components to the ministry:

1 - Business Administration (Not a lot different from what I did as Chief, but the resources and support comes in a whole different package)

2 - Staff Development (Just me for now, but pursuing ordination isn’t a small task)

3 - Ministry Outreach  (The big one, the reason I put up with #1 and #2)

I incorporated Public Safety Ministries as a Minnesota non-profit corporation in May of 2005.  That was the day the ministry was officially born.  Between then and my retirement I spent most of my time being proactively reactive.  I planted a lot of seeds and just dealt with the results as they popped up.  I intended to get more organized once I retired and had more time, but the initial opportunities and the demands that go along with them came fast and furious and I’ve never been one to pass on an opportunity of challenge.  So I’ve continued to stay in that proactive reactive mode.

My goal now is to phase in to a more controlled and defined growth and development plan.  I’ve made several strides in that direction.  I’ll share those details in the next few posts, starting with Business Administration next.  Stand by……..

Wow, time does really fly when you are having fun.   I knew I hadn’t posted for a few days, but didn’t realize the days off were into double digits until I sat down with my coffee this morning. I am approaching the six month mark of my retirement, a self imposed benchmark as to whether or not this ministry idea was going to work.  The short answer is (and I know my short answer usually turns out to be less than short as demonstrated right here between the parentheses) YES!

My goal this coming week is to share some of the developments of the ministry, and show how it has grown and developed.  These past six months have been fairly chaotic, but in a good way.  Lots of activity, lots of opportunities, a little bit of over commitment, an adjustment of working independent without the support of a high quality organization (The EPPD), but a lot of progress.

Just this past week I appointed our first Board of Directors and we had our first board meeting.  Partnerships have been established with an established religious institution, individuals who have provided significant financial support, supporters of my pursuit of candidacy for ordination, public safety organizations and associations, and most significantly, individual public safety professionals from around the state.  “We” have truly evolved into a “we”.

So after making this post, I’m gonna take the day off from work.  I’m goining to fulfil my committment to my wife to get the homefront ready for the wedding shower she is giving for my nephews fiance.  So check in next week if you want a few more details.

As Chaplain for the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, I have the opportunity to serve on the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Task Force.  The task force has the following purpose as stated on the link above:

Bringing Soldiers and Their Families All The Way Home

The Minnesota National Guard has pioneered a program in hopes of changing how Soldiers and Airmen are reintegrated back to their communities. Called Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, the program is named as a reminder that the support of Soldiers cannot end when they return from deployment and the yellow ribbons are untied.

I sit on a sub-group of the task force made up of criminal justice professionals.  Our job is to get information and resources out to our peers so that we can truly support our troops with more than just words.  There is an information vacuum regarding our troops and the Minnesota National Guard is doing an exceptional job trying to get the message out, but it hasn’t been easy.  The following is an excerpt from a brochure our group put together to send to our peers.  I thought I would take the opportunity to share a piece of it with you in hopes of getting this important message out.

A Message for Minnesota Peace Officers, Lawyers and Members of the Judiciary

The topics of war and foreign policy dominate the news and media outlets on a daily basis.  Throughout these reports and discussions, regardless of political orientation or professional affiliation, the country has been  united in delivering a universal message, a  declaration that we must “Support the Troops.”

As individuals we can define and put into action what it means to personally support our military personnel.  We can and should voice our opinions and support causes according to our individual beliefs and values.  But as professional peace officers, lawyers and  members of the judiciary, we also have a responsibility to work together and collectively find ways that our professions can support the troops. 

There will be over 2500 National Guard Officers, Soldiers, Airmen and other reserve components returning to our communities during the summer of 2007.  Additionally, there are military service personnel, active duty and reserve, from every military branch, continually returning to our communities.  The need for our professions to prepare and train for interaction with these returning veterans is great. 

The “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Task Force” is made up of six sub-groups addressing:
- Health Care
- Employment
- Families and Children
- Criminal Justice
- Crisis Care
- Higher Education
Our sub-group is made up of Criminal Justice professionals committed to the task force and its reintegration mission.

There are some very predictable behaviors that veterans may display upon returning home.  There are many variables involved, and the vast majority  of veterans return and reintegrate very effectively, provided they are given the proper time and support to do so.   However there will be a significant number who will return and display behaviors that were acceptable in deployment but are unacceptable in our communities.  There will also be a small percentage that we will encounter that will be in crisis and will need informed criminal justice professionals to effectively and safely intervene.

As Criminal Justice System professionals, we are in the position to identify and recognize inappropriate behaviors in their early stages.  With public safety as our top priority, early intervention and a solid understanding of contributing factors and support resources are very effective tools for minimizing the negative impact of inappropriate behavior.  

We must also recognize that there will be a significant number of veterans returning to careers in the public safety professions.  It is essential that they are reintegrated into their previous jobs effectively and deliberately.  The professional skills they learned in combat may prove to be a double edged sword.  While many of these skills will be of value and utilized on the job, the rules of engagement in combat are vastly different from the policies and procedures of Minnesota Law Enforcement.  Defined policies and job reintegration programs are essential to support these returning service personnel.

Time, planning and quality training are critical components  of successful reintegration.  Our goal as the Criminal Justice System sub-committee is to provide the quality information and resources  that are needed to make this project successful. Please take the time to learn more about this project and how it impacts your community and your profession. 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

The members of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Task Force: Criminal Justice sub-group.

For additional information regarding this project please visit the Minnesota National Guard: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon website at: www.minnesotanationalguard.org

Or contact one of our group members listed below.

Captain Matt Christian Minnesota National Guard JAG Matthew.Christian@us.army.mil

Chaplain Dan Carlson Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association chaplain@mnchiefs.org

Fred Karasov Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Fred.Karasov@co.hennepin.mn.us

Hon. Renee Worke Minnesota Court of Appeals Renee.Worke@courts.state.mn.us

Lieutenant Mark Peterson Minnesota State Patrol Mark.Peterson@state.mn.us

Paul Monteen Minnesota P.O.S.T. Board
paul.monteen@state.mn.us 

For additional information regarding this project please visit the Minnesota National Guard: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon website at: www.minnesotanationalguard.org Or contact one of our group members listed below. Captain Matt Christian Minnesota National Guard JAG Matthew.Christian@us.army.mil Chaplain Dan Carlson Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association chaplain@mnchiefs.org Fred Karasov Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Fred.Karasov@co.hennepin.mn.us Hon. Renee Worke Minnesota Court of Appeals Renee.Worke@courts.state.mn.us Lieutenant Mark Peterson Minnesota State Patrol Mark.Peterson@state.mn.us Paul Monteen Minnesota P.O.S.T. Board paul.monteen@state.mn.us

I thought I’d share a few words from John Wesley this morning. The message is from “A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People”

Be serious and frequent in the examination of your heart and life…..Every evening review your carriage through the day; what you have done or thought that was unbecoming your character; whether your heart has been instant on religion and indifferent to the world? Have a special care of two portions of time, namely morning and evening; the morning to forethink what you have to do, and the evening to examine whether you have done what you ought.

Let every action have reference to your whole life, and not to a part only. Let all your subordinate ends be suitable to the great end of your living. Exercise yourself unto godliness.

Have a great day before the 4th, and have a safe holiday tomorrow, especially those who will be spending the day protecting so that the rest of us can enjoy our freedoms.