Visit Lovedenver.org for stories and testimonies.

DENVER, Colo. (BP) – When the Democratic National Convention meets at Denver’s Pepsi Center Aug. 25-28, the “mile-high” city will suddenly absorb 225,000 new visitors – only 5,000 of them official, credentialed delegates. The other estimated 220,000 will include the uninvited – from protesters to prostitutes. Local law enforcement is readying for the challenge.

As a way to minister during the convention to Denver’s law enforcement and first responders – including firefighters and emergency medical service personnel – the Southern Baptist Convention’s Riverside Baptist Church, Bear Valley Church, First Southern Baptist Westminster Church and the Mile High Baptist Association will launch “Love Denver.” The North American Mission Board is coming along side the effort with funding assistance.

The “Love Denver” ministry --10 months in the planning, staffing and funding – will provide law enforcement personnel with hot meals, sandwich meals, snacks, bottled water and other drinks not only during the four-day convention itself, but in the days right before and afterward.

Dr. Jim Shaddix, pastor of Riverside Baptist in the heart of downtown, said, “we hope the outcome will be a lot of public servants in the City of Denver seeing Baptists’ desire to be servants and reflecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Our desire is to minister to the law enforcement personnel and first responders – saying to them, “we care about you, love you and want to be here for you.” Shaddix said the concept was not optional but mandatory when his church found out about the DNC coming to Denver. “We felt it was one of those assignments from the Lord,” said Shaddix.

“Riverside, Bear Valley and the association wanted to come up with a ministry to support law enforcement in Denver long after the dust of the Democratic Convention has cleared,” said Bob Ryan, team leader with the Mile High Baptist Association.
Ryan said Southern Baptists, in partnership with the City of Denver and the federal government, will prepare and serve 7,600 meals a day between Aug. 23 and Aug. 29. An estimated 135,000 bottles of water have been ordered and will be distributed.
Hot meals will be served each day between 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. in 19 different “zones” throughout the downtown Denver area. Most of the zones are in downtown hotel conference rooms, where officers can come to eat or take a snack-break during their shift or when their shift is over. The facilities will be open around the clock for all law enforcement personnel, who won’t be able to leave the downtown area while on duty.
In addition to food and refreshments for the city’s officers and firefighters, the “Love Denver” sites will also provide Southern Baptist chaplains in each zone. Ryan said it will take 76 chaplains a day, each working six-hour shifts at each of the 19 sites.
“In all, we’ll have 500-700 volunteers working at the 19 locations during the convention,” Ryan said. “I’d feel more comfortable with 1,000. We’ll just have to be more intense with less.
Ryan said hot food preparation will be handled by volunteers using the commercial kitchen at Riverside Baptist Church, a stone’s throw from INVESCO Field. Baptists will also use an Oklahoma Baptist disaster relief feeding unit to be stationed at the Mile High Baptist Association office. Each kitchen facility will prepare 1,600 meals every 12 hours.
On Thursday night of the convention, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama – leaving the Pepsi Center -- is scheduled to give his acceptance speech outside before 77,000 at INVESCO Field at Mile-High, an unprecedented move which will greatly stretch law enforcement personnel handling security and traffic in downtown Denver.
Ryan said the “Love Denver” ministry project still needs volunteers. Those interested in volunteering – particularly those qualified as existing chaplains and drivers with commercial licenses – can go to www.saturatecolorado.com to sign up.
“If a pastor wants to feel appreciated, this is the way to do it, to volunteer to serve during the convention,” Ryan said.
“Southern Baptists everywhere need to know that they’re playing a part in this effort,” said Ryan. “The North American Mission Board contributed $60,000 toward the project’s overall budget of $284,000. Every Baptist is participating because of their gifts to the Cooperative Program.”
For additional information on “Love Denver,” call the Mile High Baptist Association at 303-433-9100 or e-mail mhbaoffice@milehighbaptist.org.