How this ministry began
The Prayer Postcards 4 Police Ministry was conceived on Sunday, July 24, 2016. Janice and Ken Sadler were visiting Hiway Church in Barrie while on vacation. Rev. Gerry McMillan, who happens to be a Chaplain to the OPP, RCMP, and The Canadian Legion, was the speaker that morning. He spoke about the challenges officers face and how he tries to help them in his role as a Chaplain. At the end of his message, he suggested that everyone should be thanking and praying for police officers.
Janice’s heart had been strangely broken. She did not know any officers or have any in her family. Over the following week, the Prayer Postcard was developed as part of a crystal clear and extremely specific mission of God’s ministry to police was laid out for her. Trusting and obeying, she moved the ministry forward one step at a time.
The Prayer Postcard 4 Police Ministry was confirmed (born), three months later at the 2016 Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast. Previously unbeknown to Janice, an Ottawa Police Officer, read aloud from the platform, a Prayer Postcard that a fellow officer had received (Prayer Postcard #39).
The people behind this ministry
Our ministry partners
Throughout this journey, many have supported and encouraged us with their love, prayers, time, skill sets, and financial contribution.
One Way Ministries
We are official partners of this Ottawa-based ministry that seeks to advance the Gospel, by investing in the lives of Kingdom leaders. They support both the inward and outward journey of ministry leaders. Prayer Postcards 4 Police is under the Pray Ottawa Banner.
Prayer Postcard 4 Police Team
Our team also consists of a group of people who are prayer intercessors for police. They prepare the postcards by praying and colouring. There are other team members who handwrite the personal message on Prayer Postcards and those that intercede for individual officers after they sign our Intercessor’s Covenant.
The Metropolitan Bible Church ("The Met")
Our contact at The Met is Sandra Tharakan, Coordinator, City Outreach.
Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
Ron Mostrey, the FCPO Canadian President, has been a great mentor regarding the police world and the needs of officers. He has helped us by providing Christian literature, written to support officers and by encouraging our outreach to officers everywhere.
Ottawa Police Contact
Detective Carl DeJong, Ottawa Police Service
“I’m excited not only because some police officers are sending in prayer requests, but also, I’m imagining how situations on the ground are being changed by answers to prayer.”
Scripture we rely on
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
– Romans 13:1 (NIV)
We love because He first loved us.
– 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
– 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God.
– Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
Our mission
To lift up all police officers everywhere;
- By personally thanking every armed police officer, for their service and protection, regardless of their faith.
- By providing each officer with an ongoing invitation to personal prayer.
- By invitation, establish a praying relationship with officers that ultimately brings officers into the family of God.
- To lead all people to reach out to police officers with love, respect, and thanks.
- To lead and motivate all Christians to cover all police officers with prayer.
- To provide a prayer postcard as a reminder to every police officer that they are treasured.
- To focus on Ottawa, then Ontario, the rest of Canada and finally, the rest of the world.
Our vision
We envision, encouraging the oneness and unity of the community of Christ, through the interdenominational involvement with this ministry:
- By creating prayer/colouring, and scribing teams to prepare the Prayer Postcards;
- By creating delivery teams for the personal delivery of Prayer Postcards;
- By creating covenant prayer teams to pray for prayer requests received;
- By creating teams that make opportunities and occasions to invite officers to celebrate at churches both in their church services and in their special events;
- By extending the mission of Prayer Postcards to fire fighters, by-law officers, paramedics and perhaps 911 operators and the military;
- By partnering with Christian associations (i.e., One Way Ministries- Pray Ottawa and Love Ottawa, Associations of Chaplaincy i.e. Billy Graham Ministries, FCPO (Fellowship of Canadian Peace Officers).
- By partnering with police associations.
Our core values
1. We magnify and glorify God alone.
2. We value people without Christ, to whom we owe the compassion of Christ, and an opportunity to receive the Gospel and enter into Christian fellowship (from, Eastern District – PAOC, Core Values).
3. We accomplish the will of God through dependence on the LORD. We walk by faith and trust and are obedient. His assignments come one moment at a time. We seek Him continually.
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”
– Isaiah 46:10-11 (NIV)
4. We understand that what unites each church denomination to another is far more important than what divides us: That we are saved by faith through Jesus Christ.
5. God will equip us for His will to accomplish all He has called us to do.
6. We recognize that God leads us like a gentle breeze.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
– Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
7. We are servants, mouldable and adaptable.
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
– Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
Our Ministry Partners and Links
Pray Ottawa
One Way Ministries
Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
CHRI Radio
The Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast
Address
89 Auriga Drive
Ottawa, ON K2E 7Z2
©2022 Prayer Postcards 4 Police