Dear friends of Braveheart Chaplain Ministry,
It is with great joy that I’m able to announce that the Braveheart board recently voted to bring me on as a chaplain in a half-time salaried position. What started off as a quiet conversation with Drew a year and a half ago has now manifested into a reality.

The role of being a first responder chaplain feels concurrent with other elements currently occurring in my life. Mainly, I’m now in the last year of completing my second master’s degree in Pastoral Care & Counseling with an emphasis on trauma and end-of-life matters. Both my education and direct experience with first responders have produced a deep respect for those that give their lives constantly surrounded by pressure, brokenness, pain, and death. That which is typically an uncommon reality for us is an everyday experience for first responders. For myself, Drew, and the other Braveheart chaplains, supporting those that work and live in the area of tensions is the exact reason that Braveheart exists, both for first responders and all in our community.

this is the true heart of a first responder chaplain; we humbly strive to follow Christ’s command to carry the suffering of our neighbor

I was recently reminded that my patron saint, St. Christopher, would earn a living by carrying others on his shoulders across a deep river in order to bring them safely to the other side. In a similar sense, this is the true heart of a first responder chaplain; we humbly strive to follow Christ’s command to carry the suffering of our neighbor – to do all in our power to help others to the other side of the river.

My extended role with Braveheart is filling a very specific gap within the flow and function of the ministry. As Braveheart has grown over the last couple of years, Chaplain Drew has found himself spending an extensive amount of time keeping the ministry going with more administrative & fundraising duties. As Drew conveyed in his last post, Braveheart now has 7 volunteer chaplains. Thus, the obvious gap that needed attention is having more of a
direct, day-to-day, and immediate presence with first responders. Much to the chagrin of some of them, I’m sure.

Essentially, my role is two-fold:

To help Braveheart continue to multiply.
This translates into more leadership and oversight over the volunteer chaplains, more specifically to KPD & KFD. The beauty of this role is not to micro-manage, but rather to train and resource them and let them loose to do what they do so well as chaplains.

Continued growth & presence with responders with an openness toward pastoral conversations/relationships.
To me, this is very much a sacred space. It’s easy to sometimes forget that our first responders are fully human and have their own lives and hurt to move through. What must it be like to have your own hard issues to carry while at the same time surrounding yourself consistently with the hurt of others? I’m in awe of first responders and see myself (along with the other chaplains) as the emotional and spiritual first responders to the first responders. As they do, we await the call to help those that help others. This is not confined to those that wear uniforms alone, our ministry is to station office staff, dispatch, funeral homes, etc. Anyone who may be exposed to the hard calls and scenes that they encounter. Drew has consistently emphasized to me the necessity of this role within the ministry, whether it is me or someone else!

Because of this, I humbly ask for your prayers and your help as being a first responder chaplain joyfully becomes a larger part of my life. Braveheart has a host of opportunities to give both now and this fall. If you or someone you know is passionate about this ministry and its work, please sign up as a volunteer, give financially, or share this post with people. Braveheart is growing; more importantly, Braveheart is positioning itself throughout the entire Flathead Valley to provide comfort and spiritual care to those in need.

Thank you for the many ways you allow us to do this great work.

May this post find you well, and may the God of all power and comfort redeem you in all the ways you could never do for yourself.

Yours, In Christ,
Chris Messenger