Christian music group Kutless is partnering with Samaritan’s Purse veteran support program Operation Heal Our Patriots, creating Kutless Military Mission.
The Kutless Military Mission Project is a two-fold ministry. They have formed a program to give away free concert tickets for active and retired military members and their spouses. It is the band’s hope that these tickets will give these military families an opportunity to be encouraged and refreshed as they enjoy the concert.
Secondly, Kutless will be donating Read more…
As noted many times here before, the integrity of marriage is something the US military and some outside organizations attempt to strengthen. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan Purse is starting Operation Heal Our Patriots to join the fight to defend military marriages, focusing specifically on the marriages of those who return wounded from combat.
The marriage enrichment program, featuring weeklong retreats to a remote, refurbished fishing camp in Alaska, begins next month Read more…
Many churches have areas of intentional “focus.” Some emphasize foreign missions, others local charity, others discipleship, etc. Central Baptist Church in Clovis, NM, has made the conscious decision to focus on serving the military.
Central Baptist Church in Clovis is making an effort to serve military members by transitioning into becoming a military-focused church.
Associate Pastor Dick Ross is Read more…
JewsinGreen notes that KosherTroops.com, an external ministry to US servicemembers, has begun collecting names to receive their care packages in support of the upcoming holiday of Chanukah (Hanukkah), which will be celebrated from 20-28 December this year.
The packages must be delivered to individuals or chaplains, so those interested should contact them through their website to sign up.
The American arm of the ministry known as “Campus Crusade for Christ” will begin phasing out that name and officially become “Cru” over the next year or so.
Amazingly, that’s been big news, even at Fox, CNN, and the Washington Post.
In a classic case of “can’t win,” critics from both sides have blasted the organization. Some supporters are disappointed to see what they feel is bowing to political correctness. Some detractors think it is a weak attempt to mask the ‘true mission’ of evangelizing the world.
“Cru” is already used Read more…
MCF-Australia will be hosting the “Faith under Fire” seminar in September of this year:
Faith Under Fire will encourage and equip Defence personnel to increase their faith and prepare them to overcome physical and spiritual attacks in the line of fire. To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. Historically, faith has strengthened the resolve of armed forces to achieve extraordinary results under the most trying of circumstances.
One of their speakers includes LtGen David Hurley, Vice Chief of the Defence Read more…
The Frontline Faith Project, started by local Catholic parishioner Cheri Lamonte, is distributing mp3 players to American servicemembers with homilies, religious music, readings, and prayers:
Cheri Lomonte started the grassroots Frontline Faith effort last spring after learning that some servicemen and women can go months without having access to a military chaplain.
“The soldiers in the field … once they get it, they want their best friend to have it too…. And the feedback we are getting is: “I get to hear Mass every day” or ” I get to hear these prayers.”
Importantly, the CNN article notes the FFP is not Read more…
Mary Gray is the wife of a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. She was “looking for something special” to send to her deployed son when she found a bandana with Psalm 91 on it. The bandanas, made with the same camouflage pattern as military uniforms, have been in high demand since and have become the product of Operation Bandanas. While some use them for their “function” (a rag between their helmet and their head), others have used them for their spiritual value, and just had them in their pocket over their heart.
Gray’s OpBan is registered as a non-profit and is seeking donations to cover the thousands of requests they have received. The bandanas are currently available in the Army ACU, Desert Camo, and USMC digi patterns.
For those who may be curious: Read more…
An article describes Campus Crusade’s Military Ministry, which provides support for members of the military and their families through deployments and re-integration, as well as Christian-based help in coping with PTSD.
US Army MajGen(ret.) Bob Dees has a unique take on their mission; he describes actively caring for or about servicemembers in all circumstances as part of their contribution to the Great Commission.
A Fort Leavenworth chapel program is using a Biblical approach to helping returning Soldiers and their families “reunite” for the long term. The program is called “Faith-Based Solutions to the Combat Experience” and uses two Military Ministry (links) products: When War Comes Home and The Combat Trauma Healing Manual.
The program is open to all and is purely a military Chapel function. The goal isn’t psychological healing, but an intimate and faith-based effort to strengthen family relationships:
Facilitators are looking at reintegration into society after combat from a personal, faith-based perspective.
Chaplain (LtCol) Mike Thompson lauded the value of faith in the approach, Read more…
A unique ministry of Back to the Bible allows military members to sign up to receive a text message or a one minute phone call that includes a message about the “peace and hope found in God.”
411God Hope for Heroes was aimed at US military members, many of whom have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. It is part of the larger 411God ministry, which was geared toward a general audience.
Via the Christian Post.
Campus Crusade for Christ (see links) recently hosted a large-scale event near Fort Campbell (which straddles the state line between Kentucky and Tennessee) to provide resources to help Soldiers and the local community come to grips with the realities and challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The seminar was led by Maj Gen (Ret) Bob Dees, who the article notes is the former commander of the 3rd BCT and the current executive director of CCC.
One person who presented his story of PTSD described the ability of the church to support Soldiers and their families:
“Church can provide compassion, comfort and understanding,” said Stephen Dorner, who along with his wife Karen was one of three couples who provided first-hand tales of fighting through combat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
CCC has been unfairly criticized, going back before 2007, for its work Read more…
A local church has a unique ministry for the soldiers departing for war from Fort Hood:
All soldiers deployed from Fort Hood are asked before heading overseas whether they would like someone to pray for them, through arrangements Pray FAST (“Pray For A Soldier Team”) coordinator Cecil Wolfe made through proper channels with the support of the chaplains. Those who request prayer fill out cards with their personal information and prayer requests, and the information is forwarded to [Skyline Baptist Church] prayer warriors.
Cecil Wolfe retired from a 30-year career in the Army.
Apparently, Skyline’s ministry has resonated:
[The] desire for prayer has spread, with as many as 85 percent of all soldiers deployed from Fort Hood now requesting a prayer partner.
As reported here last year, a church in Del Rio, Texas, has a similar objective. Operation M’Brace provides metal bracelets with the names of military members, which are worn as a reminder to those who pray for them.
A local paper covered the social support system of Christian Military Wives, a ministry of the Christian Military Fellowship (see links). The article recounts the challenges of the wives left behind by husbands deploying for multiple combat tours–in one case, four times in five years. Besides providing a spiritual resource for like-minded wives, the group also helps with the physical needs of military wives:
Part of the group’s mission is to provide physical needs like babysitting, lawn care, meals or home repairs for military wives “who come to this area, and they don’t have those connections yet,” Fitzgerald said. Scotts Hill Baptist plans to host a Military Wives Conference on May 15 to connect families with resources in the area.
The motivation behind the ministry is fairly simple, and it demonstrates both the family spirit and the relevance of faith to the military culture:
I feel like God calls us to help one another.
That straightforward statement of faith in action should serve as a sentiment that many Christians should seek to share.
Similar to the military “Biblestick” provided by Faith Comes By Hearing, Charles Stanley’s In Touch ministries has provided a solar powered audio player (called Messengers) for US service men and women since 2007. The players, called Messengers, contain Dr. Stanley’s instructional sermons.
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