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Serve A Public
Servant
It H.E.L.P.S.
Helping
Encourage
Local
Public
Servants
Mission and
Planning
Mission:
The mission
of the "Serve A Public Servant" program is three-fold:
1.
For a church to provide
genuine, Christ-like care and support to its local public
servants, i.e. law enforcement,
firefighters, ems through
various opportunities and activities.
2.
To improve lines of
communication between the church and its local
public servants.
3.
To actively pursue opportunities to show
public servants, in real and tangible ways, that the
community they
serve appreciates them.
Planning:
The strategy of the "Serve A Public Servant" program
consists of four steps:
Step I — Introduction:
The first step in getting "Serve A Public Servant" off the
ground, in a new area, is "Introduction." Before presenting
"Serve A Public Servant" to local public service
organizations, area churches must be recruited. The number
of participating churches will
vary depending on the size of
community and the level of interest within the public
services community.
Participating churches should identify a
"Serve A Public Servant" coordinator from within the
congregation, preferably an individual who
is a member of
the emergency services. The "Serve A Public Servant"
coordinator will also be responsible for coordinating the
church’s
public servant’s outreach and appreciation efforts.
We believe that having an emergency worker, or a member of Firefighter Ministries, serving as the Coordinator, will help make this program
more effective. A public servant, or someone who has had regular, positive contact with the emergency services community will be more
familiar and more comfortable with both the overt and subtle nuances of the emergency services sub-culture.
Once the church has committed to the program
and the Coordinator has been identified, then contact should
be made with the local public
service communities. Start
involving public service workers who are already members of
the church to get this program started. These
individuals
will be the key to bringing in more emergency service
workers. The second step should be to determine if there is
a chaplain
serving the portion of the community you are
trying to reach, i.e. a fire chaplain, police chaplain. If
there is, then the chaplain should be the
first point of
contact, at the station level. In the absence of a Chaplain,
the Station Commander or Chief should be contacted directly.
Step 2 — Building The Base:
The second step in the process is building the base of the
program. Recruitment of individuals into the
program should
be done in a fairly gentle manner. If an individual shows
up for a Small group Session, or for a special event, the
Coordinator
or another group leader should start the process
of making that individual feel welcome. This needs to be
done without making the individual
feel pressured to either
participate in the small group or to join either the group
or the church. The purpose of “Serve A Servant” is to help
introduce public servants to the church as well as providing
another safe, supportive group.
The Coordinator should maintain a list of
individuals who attend events. The file should only be
accessible to designated church leaders, and
not accessible
to general administrative staff. If the church is partnering
with "Firefighter Ministries," then contact information
should also be
sent to Firefighter Ministries.
Participating churches are encouraged to
identify the emergency service workers within their own
church families and recruit them for the
"Serve A Public
Servant" program. Once they see how the program works and
understands that the church cares for their specific needs
and wants to help support them, they will hopefully talk to
their co-workers and other emergency service workers about
the program and
encourage them to become involved.
Step 3 — Small Group Gatherings: The third step in the process is one of the most important components of the "Serve A Servant"
program: "Small Group Gathering." The Small Group Gatherings will bring together this special group of individuals and give them a chance
to interact with others in a safe environment. The Small Groups will focus on a particular topic that affects the emergency worker, like Post
Traumatic Stress or dealing with death. The topic will be discussed amongst the attendees and then the leader will lead a Bible study that
will coincide with the topic. After the Bible study, resources will be made available on that particular topic.
Many emergency service workers can be
intensely private people—particularly when dealing with
those outside of their emergency services community.
Confidentiality is crucial in the “Serve A Public
Servant”. Sensitive topics and issues will be discussed,
personal stories will be shared, and sometimes, graphic
situations are talked about. Discussions, information that
is shared, and prayer requests that are submitted are not
for church-wide and/or public discussion. These Small
Groups should also be limited to those who are affiliated
with the emergency service workers, and the pastor. This
will help build and maintain trust between the church and
the emergency service worker.
Check out our Beyond the Lights and Sirens series. These are
perfect for small groups.
Step 4 — Showing Your Appreciation:
This last step will allow the members of your church to show
their appreciation to the emergency service workers for the
work they do and the sacrifices they make. These gestures
of appreciation will help the church establish tangible and
important relationships with their local emergency
community. These gestures should take place several times a
year. For example activities during EMS week, Fire
Prevention week, and Police week can draw the interest of
these individuals.
Here are some ideas that the church can
implement:
1.
Appreciation Services — The
church can set aside a Sunday service to show their
appreciation for the emergency services community, by
recognizing the emergency workers within their own
congregation. During these services, guest speakers
(chaplains, organization leaders) who have a direct
connection to the emergency services community can be
invited to preach, bringing messages that not only reach the
emergency workers, but gives the congregation a greater
awareness of the issues, struggles, and values of the
emergency services community. This type of services is an
excellent opportunity for emergency workers within the
congregation to invite their fellow workers to hear the Word
and to fellowship with the body of Christ.
2.
Food Parties — Emergency
workers love to eat! Give them food and they will come.
The church can arrange to sponsor meals at the church,
where on and off duty emergency workers can come for a good
meal and fellowship.
Members of
the church can host a block party within their community.
This works especially well during ‘National Night Out’ when
the police officers and firefighters are out visiting their
communities. Church members can organize a barbeque. Those
organizing the Block Party can then call the local fire,
EMS, and police stations to let them know that they are
having a party on their street. When you make the call, let
them know that you are inviting their emergency workers in
the area to stop by for a free barbeque dinner. As the
emergency workers arrive, feed them well and thank them for
the work they do.
The church
can put together a special Prayer Breakfast where members of
the emergency services can come together for a good meal, a
special guest speaker to encourage them, and a blessing from
the pastor. Saturday mornings often make the best time for
this event.
3.
Candlelight Vigils/Memorials —
Memorial services are very important to the emergency
service workers. To make such a sacrifice for their
community should never go unnoticed or unappreciated by the
church. Also, when some time passes after the initial
incident, it is good to let the emergency workers and their
families know that you have not forgotten about their loss.
Organizing a special evening to hold a memorial service will
be a wonderful way to reach out and serve the public
servant.
4.
Awards/Commendations — Being a public servant
is often a thankless job. Most of the time, the emergency
worker is left without a simple word of gratitude from the
individual they have helped. Many times, complaints are
filed instead of gratitude’s. Most emergency workers have
the opinion that people in the community are far quicker to
complain about the work they do than praise them for the
work they do. One way the church can share their gratitude
is to organize an award banquet, during which the church can
single out outstanding public servants for their work in the
community. The emergency services community not only
appreciates events such as these, but it also gives the
church the opportunity to work directly with these agencies
in the selection process.
5.
Blessing of the Public Servant
— Hold a special service, or commit a part of
a regular service to have a time to give each firefighter,
emt, paramedic that attends a personal blessing. Most
emergency service workers are aware of the Catholic Patron
Saints and draw comfort from having items with those saints.
Each area of service also has a personal prayer, such as the
Firefighter's Prayer that is used for comfort.
Emergency workers consider these two things personal
blessings for protection. During 9/11, Chaplain
and Ministers would lay their hands on the head or the
shoulder of emergency workers and recite a blessing.
This gives the emergency not only a sense of comfort and
peace but also of strength. A favorite blessing is the
Bible verse: "May
the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face
to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. May the Lord
lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26 It is important that emergency
workers continue to feel God's blessings on their lives and
in their work.
Downloads & Brochures
Serve a Public Servant Flyer
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