|
Welcome to The Chaplain's SWAT Team. |
|
Written by Ray Fairman
|
|
 Chaplain (Col) Ray Fairman
This site is dedicated to developing the kind of leadership God ordained in both the Military and Law Enforcement professions. Those are the areas of missionary service in which I spent my last 40 + years. I spent those years actually doing those jobs and being impacted by them, and not, as you may be thinking as a Chaplain. Until I had finished overlapping careers as a US Marine and a Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer and retired, I failed to completely see where God was leading me.
I have since realized that we are directed by Our Lord and Savior to make use of all the life experience and wisdom He provides to make the path to Salvation more visible and accessible to others. We are also directed to help others grow as Christians through "Discipleship". Many congregations (there is but one church and Jesus Christ is it's head) are doing an acceptable job of recruiting for God's army but all too few instill true spiritual leadership and discipleship training in those recruits. These "recruits" are often left trying to learn on their own. If this was such a great way to learn then we would use it to let our children teach themselves and our cops, soldiers and the rest of the world train themselves. I would hate to think of that outcome.
I have now directed my efforts toward developing and helping others strengthen their own understanding and witness by allowing God to direct my knowledge and experiences gained as a Christian working under His guidance in foreign and domestic combat and garrison duties in both the law enforcement and military operational environments toward His goals as a Police Chaplain.
Please use the "Sounding Off" link to read some informational, encouraging and I hope inspirational articles. You can use the contact link to send me comments or to submit articles and testimonies.
Colonel (Chaplain) Ray Fairman
Winterville (GA) Police Dept
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Ray Fairman
|
|
To read my second book
"Are You Destined To Lead"
use the Leadership Lessons Tab to the right.
A new chapter will be added every other week until I run out of them.
To read comments and Prayer requests from other law enforcement and military personnel, check out the Feedback and Prayer Request Links .
To offer your own feedback or ask a question or send a prayer request or if you would like to request Chaplain Fairman speak to your group or church, or if you need him to respond in times of extreme crisis he or Chaplain Davison can be contacted through the Winterville GA Police Department or Living Word Baptist Church or you may use the "Contact" tab above. To find out more, keep reading.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Chapter XII Joshua (The Art of Influencing Others) |
|
Written by Ray Fairman
|
|
From Numbers 14:6-9 we can learn a little
about a man named Joshua. Joshua was a leader who really understood the
importance of being able to influence, not manipulate, others. Joshua was a man
who understood that it took a period of time to become a very influential
leader, a fact all too often overlooked (sometimes intentionally) by many people
who are seeking positions of leadership in our current “fast food society”.
Time, I believe, is a key factor in developing the “Principle
of Influence”. I have meet too many leaders in both my military and law
enforcement careers who felt command, control, authority or power would be the
only real evidence of leadership their subordinates and superiors alike could
recognize. While power and leadership are definitively not mutually exclusive,
there is an old military proverb that clarifies the difference quite
emphatically. It simple states what should be the obvious and goes like this, “Leadership is power, but power is
not leadership”. I learned a lot more in my climb toward humility and leadership. It has been a tough climb with few rest areas so lets keep going.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Chapter XI Jethro (Insight) |
|
Written by Ray Fairman
|
|
If you take the time to read Exodus 18:1-24, you can
learn a valuable lesson about a critical leadership component from Jethro the
Bible identifies as a very intuitive leader.
Possessing superior intuition is definitely a valuable asset
to a leader, but where does a person acquire a highly tuned intuition? Well, in
my humble opinion, it comes primarily from two sources. The first source is
directly as a gift from God. This is exemplified through one's inherently natural
ability and the second (which is also a requirement for fine tuning the
intuition received directly as a heavenly endowment) is from experience,
training, mentoring and the acquiring of skills through extensive practical
application.
The acquisition of this Trait of Insight or intuition is
really a process that begins at birth and continues to develop throughout a
person's entire life. An accomplished and intuitive leader will continue to read,
study and learn, not merely from books, but from all the people with whom they
interact as well.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Boxing Your Moral Compass |
|
Written by Ray Fairman
|
|
Ephesians: God's battle Plan For Spiritual Warfare is available (see below) in paperback and eBook formats from iuniverse publishing. It is also available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel's website and Books-a-million's website and Book Stores or other locations in your area should be able to order it for you. You may also request ordering information via the contact tab onthis website.
The following article is based on a book review written by Wayne Ford of the Athens Banner Herald and published in the "Living" Section of that newspaper on 22 May 2006. It has been edited for composition but not for content, Click Read More to continue...
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
