A Ministry of Support and Service to those in the Public Safety Community
Firewalker Ministries is dedicated to the purpose of ministering to the public safety community and to their families, those who walk through the fire, both literally and figuratively, to protect our lives and freedoms …
As a firefighter myself, I have long said I don’t consider myself to be a hero for doing this job but someone who has been blessed to work alongside of heroes … The vision for Firewalker began in 2009 while I was attending the annual memorial service at the Michigan Firemen’s Memorial in Roscommon, Michigan. As I stood there and looked around me at the hundreds of firefighters, as well as members of the EMS and Police services, gathered to honor those who had passed on, I knew that “these are my people.” These people are second family to me – the firefighters, medics, law enforcement officers, and dispatchers who respond to someone’s worst day …
But this life takes its toll … Suicide among first responders is a growing tragic trend – in the last few years more first responders have committed suicide than died in the line of duty … first responder marriages suffer divorce and estrangement at a higher rate than civilians … Cancer, ambush, life and death struggles with criminals and trauma. The worst that humanity can do and the worst that can happen to humanity. These things affect our perspective and our mental health. It’s not always easy to put it aside and move on. Add to these things the daily stresses of life that we all face in one form or another simply as human beings, and sometimes we just need some help or just to get away for a bit. So we want to offer something to help them.
Simply put, this ministry will serve as a catalyst to connect first responders and their families with horses – horse assisted recreation, learning, personal development, and therapies …
Anyone who knows me personally has probably picked up on the fact that I enjoy riding horses. An interesting fact I’ve learned while riding – if I start out the ride with my stirrups at a comfortable length, by the end of the ride they are too short and uncomfortable. If I start with them one hole too long, by the end of the ride they feel great. I am convinced that this is a result of releasing stress and my body relaxing, letting go, and thus letting out rather than pulling in … a quote that I adapted from Louis L’Amour (one of my favorite authors): “There’s something about the outside of a horse that does something wonderful for the inside of a man” (The quote, “There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse,” was originally spoken by Winston Churchill.)
We offer everything from special events and recreational “day away” trail rides to get away and enjoy nature and relax with the family, to lessons in interacting with horses, to Equine Assisted Therapy sessions with help from a trained professional who can help them deal with the diseases and demons they fight … to do this we will be partnering with organizations, ministries and individuals who have the training and resources to accomplish the necessary task, and will serve as the catalyst, connecting individuals and families with those sources. (What We Offer)
These are my brothers and sisters, and I want to give them what I can – Chaplain Mick