If someone had told you ten years ago that first responders would gather in one place, not for a briefing, not for a call, but to openly worship the Lord together, most of us wouldn’t have believed it. Yet that’s exactly what happened at the 2026 National First Responder Networking Conference, where the theme “Be Bold” came alive in ways no one could have scripted. It was a weekend overflowing with food, worship, prayer, connection, faith, and genuine hope. Hope that can only be found in Jesus!
Thursday night set the tone for everything that followed. First responders and their families poured into the park across from Ridgedale Baptist Church for a National Night Out that felt more like a community homecoming than an event. Fire trucks, police cars, mobile dispatch units, and SWAT vehicles lined up for families to explore and enjoy. Kids bounced in inflatable houses, ran toward face-painting tables, and laughed their way from one activity to the next. The atmosphere shifted as God softened shoulders, quieted minds, and allowed first responders and their families to unwind in His presence.
As worship opened, the tone of the evening changed. God’s presence became unmistakable as Ketryna Wade, joined by her daughter Olivia and an amazing team of musicians, led the crowd in praise and worship. Their voices carried worship across the crowd in a way that felt both intimate and bold. First responders who carry the weight of the job stood with their families, hands lifted and hearts open. Prayer circles formed and conversations turned toward faith and healing. It was worship that didn’t just fill the air; it filled the community. It was a night that reminded everyone why this conference exists; to create a space where first responders and their families can breathe, connect, and encounter the hope of Jesus together.
CONFERENCE
Each morning began the same way, with hearts being prepared in worship and prayer. There was something powerful about watching first responders, chaplains, and ministry leaders stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder, singing, praying, and asking God to move boldly throughout the day. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t routine. It was intentional. It was needed, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
Jeremy Wade: Calling Out the Lies of the Enemy
Jeremy Wade opened the morning sessions with a message that hit home for so many in the room. He spoke honestly about the lies the enemy uses to wear us down, especially the lie of isolation. First responders know that lie well. The enemy whispers that you’re alone, that no one understands, that you have to carry everything by yourself. Jeremy reminded everyone that isolation is one of the enemy’s oldest tricks, and one of the most dangerous.
He walked the room through the difference between tame problems and wicked problems, a concept that resonated deeply with those who face complex, emotionally heavy situations every day. Tame problems have clear solutions, whereas wicked problems do not. They require community, prayer, wisdom, and the courage to keep showing up. Jeremy encouraged everyone to keep living Mission First, and to stay connected to the One who saved you, through the truth and promises in God’s Word. His message wasn’t just teaching; it was grounding. This reminded everyone why they were there: to connect, to be strengthened, and to remember that all hope is found in Jesus.
Sgt. Jason Sery: Boldness in Action
Sgt. Jason Sery stepped forward with a message on boldness that felt strengthened the theme of the weekend. He spoke about what it means to listen when the Holy Spirit nudges your heart, and more importantly, what it means to act. Boldness isn’t loud. It isn’t reckless. It’s obedience. It’s courage. It’s choosing to follow God’s voice even when it feels uncomfortable, and it requires action. Sgt. Sery shared seven reminders that every first responder and ministry leader could carry home:
- Daily discipline: Stay rooted in prayer and Scripture.
- Practice what you preach: Make sure your actions align with what you are asking of others, and live your faith every day.
- Be consistent, present, and prepared: Show up with intention and a servant’s heart.
- Investment and sacrifice: Your time, money, and energy matter. Invest in others.
- Be aware of blind spots: Stay humble and alert to identify what may be missing. Proverbs 25:29
- Multiply: Build others up so they can go out and multiply the mission. Psalm 127
- Surrender and stewardship: The journey is more than a destination. We must stay connected to the one who saved us and rely on the truths and promises in God’s work. Psalm 127
Faith-Based Peer Support Panel: Julie Boyer, Patrick McCurdy, Ricky Jones, Randall Combs
The afternoon continued with a meaningful, powerful, faith-based peer support panel. These leaders didn’t just speak from experience; they spoke from the heart. You could feel the room leaning in as they shared what it truly means to walk alongside first responders who are carrying heavy stories, deep questions, and wounds that don’t always show on the surface. They reminded everyone that peer support can only go so far when the struggles begin touching the deepest parts of a person’s identity; their faith, their belief, their purpose. When someone begins wrestling with questions like “Why did this happen?”, “Where is God in this?”, or “Who am I now?”, the conversation can’t stay surface‑level. It must move into the spiritual. Without addressing the spiritual wounds, you cannot reach full healing.
One of the most powerful reminders came when they encouraged everyone to remember who defines you. Not trauma. Not the job. Not the enemy. But Christ. They spoke boldly about the truth that Satan was defeated the moment Jesus said, “It is finished.” That victory still stands today, even in the darkest calls, the hardest nights, and the moments when first responders feel like they’re carrying more than they can hold. The panel didn’t shy away from the reality that integrating faith into peer support is often the most visible barrier. It can feel uncomfortable and risky, but it is necessary. They encouraged everyone to stand firm in the Word, to fight against the barriers that try to silence faith, and to boldly bring Jesus into the conversations where hope is needed most. Their message was clear: peer support rooted in faith isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. And when first responders are reminded of who they are in Christ, healing becomes possible in ways that human strength alone could never accomplish.
Breakout #1: First Responder Marriages with Tim & Kyle Goode
Breakout #2: Formed Through the Fire – Post Traumatic Growth, God’s Design All Along with Chaplain Eric Kitchen
Breakout #3: Leaders Roundtable with Jeremy Wade
DARIN KINDER: Bury Me in a Dirty Suit
The room grew quiet when Darin Kinder, former U.S. Secret Service Agent and author of Bury Me in a Dirty Suit, stepped forward to share his story, out of deep respect for someone who walked through an unimaginable incident. Darin spoke about his experience inside the World Trade Center on 9/11, a day that changed the nation and forever marked the lives of those who were there. He described the chaos, the smoke, the fear, and the instinct that drove him back into the building to search for survivors. He didn’t sugarcoat the reality. He didn’t dramatize it. He simply told the truth of what it means to run toward danger. He shared how, in the middle of the devastation, he found a pay phone and managed to call his wife, a moment of connection that became a lifeline. But then hours passed with no contact, no updates, no reassurance. This is a reminder about the faith it takes to be the spouse of a first responder, the courage required to face the unknown, and the strength that only God can provide in moments when fear tries to take over.
His message wasn’t just about surviving the attack. It was about moving through it. He talked about “doing the next thing,” even when you don’t know what the next thing is supposed to be. Sometimes it’s taking one step. Sometimes it’s choosing one small win. Sometimes it’s simply walking toward the light when everything around you is dark. Darin shared how he learned to recognize the moments when God says, “It’s time to move.” And how trusting that voice, or the squeeze of the shoulder, becomes the path forward. He reminded everyone that faith is the generator of courage. He encouraged first responders to “shoot to the head of fear” by memorizing Scripture, and to speak the active, living Word of God into their hearts until truth becomes louder than fear. He reminded the room that the love of Christ casts out all fear, not by removing the hard moments, but by strengthening the heart that walks through them. Darin’s message was raw, honest, and deeply anchored in hope. It was a reminder that even in the darkest moments, God is present. And when faith becomes the foundation, courage follows.
Panel on Moral Injury: Randall Combs, Scott McPherson, and Chris Gibson
Building on the foundation of faith‑based peer support, this panel moved into a deep and vulnerable topic, moral injury. It felt like the perfect continuation of the earlier panel, because once you begin talking about faith, identity, and spiritual wounds, you inevitably reach the places where the soul hurts the most. The leaders on the moral injury panel stepped into that space with honesty, compassion, and a deep understanding of what first responders carry. They defined moral injury as a soul-wound of service, the kind of wound that forms when someone experiences, witnesses, or is part of something that violates their deeply held moral beliefs. It’s not just emotional pain; it’s spiritual pain. And if it’s not addressed, they reminded everyone, healing remains incomplete.
Moral injury often triggers a powerful mix of guilt and shame, even when the responder did nothing wrong. Sometimes violations are perceived. Sometimes they are real. Either way, the weight feels the same. And just like the peer support panel emphasized, one of the biggest barriers to talking about these wounds is pride. This is not arrogance, but the quiet belief that “I should be able to handle this,” or “I don’t want to burden anyone.” The panel challenged that mindset with compassion and truth.
They encouraged everyone to meet moral injury with presence and love, and to show up with authenticity. Healing requires people who are consistent, confidential, empathetic, and willing to sit in the hard moments without rushing them. It requires avoiding distractions and giving someone your full attention, because moral injury doesn’t need quick fixes, it needs safe people. They grounded the conversation in Matthew 22:37-39, reminding everyone that while we are called to love God and to love our neighbor, but many first responders forget the part that is also important; Learning to love yourself. Without that, healing can’t reach the deepest places of the soul. The panel’s message was clear: moral injury is real, it is heavy, and it is deeply spiritual. And when we meet it with presence, compassion, and the love of Christ, healing becomes possible.
Max Gomez: Bold Leadership
Max Gomez closed the sessions with a powerful recap and teaching from 1 Kings 17, reminding everyone not to get stuck in a fixed mindset because God’s truth is bigger than fear. He taught that Satan wants us to question God’s Word, His work, and our worth, but we must remember that we are God’s workmanship, and His Spirit dwells within us. Max challenged the room to have the courage to be disliked, to refuse to panic when circumstances shift, and to remember that bold leaders pivot. When we focus on who God is, He will take care of the how. God led Elijah to the brook knowing it would dry up (1 Kings 17:7), yet Elijah’s confidence remained in the One who sent him. Max urged everyone to be leaders who lead leaders, to stay rooted in the Word of God, and to remember that our worth comes from who we are in Christ.
As the weekend came to a close, one truth stood out above everything else: relationships are essential to the work God has called us to do. They are the foundation of mentorship, the heartbeat of discipleship, and the way faith is carried faithfully from one generation to the next. Throughout the weekend, we were reminded that this mission is not about us. It is about Jesus. He calls us to invest in others, to build them up, and to multiply the Kingdom through every act of obedience and every step of courage. We are to be bold, to move forward together as one team, and to stay on mission, for His glory.
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with at Mission First Alliance, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope. Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
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