If you managed to have some time off, I hope it was enjoyable and that you are back relaxed and ready for everything 2013 will bring.
Things remain tense in Northern Ireland and our thoughts and prayers for safety are particularly for colleagues there. Meanwhile trust and confidence in the police has been questioned by Keith Vaz MP in ‘a dangerous cocktail of controversies’. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Our mission hasn’t changed and after an encouraging 2012 seeing more branches established, and again in the year over 100 taking up membership, we are looking forward to this year. Four years ago we set a target of seeing ‘an active and growing branch of CPA in every Police Service in the UK’ by the end of 2013. We are not far off and are setting our sights on Durham, Northumbria, North & South Yorkshire, North Wales and Sussex. Our National Conference at Stockton on Tees 5-7th April will bring
encouragement to the north east and I hope you can join us.
John The Baptist said he was a voice calling people to allow Jesus a pathway into their lives (John 1:23) and a finger pointing people to the One who can forgive their sins (John 1:29). Individually and corporately in CPA we are a voice in the police service up and down the land, and a finger pointing to Jesus through what we do and what we say.
If you are looking to catch the wind of God’s spirit in your sail to go again in 2013, and be reminded of how God really can change lives, the wonderful testimony of Darrell Tunningley from Yorkshire, who was a violent drugs dealer and came to Christ in prison via Alpha, may help as it has done for me. His testimony is incredibly powerful. Here he is at HTBhttp://www.youtube.com/
On behalf of national CPA, All the best for 2013!
Paul Bright, Assistant Director