Do you want to show your appreciation for Service members, Veterans and their families and help them transition home?
Ready to be a Veteran Champion?
Let’s get started.
Contact Vanguard Veteran to discuss how your place of worship can create a “Military Ministry” and be a part of the win! All faiths are encouraged to participate.
Contact us by clicking, here. Sign up for Vanguard Veteran’s monthly e-newsletter by clicking, here.
Why?
Vanguard Veteran’s White Paper: 14APR19_White Paper_Expand Faith Community Support for Military_
Spirituality concerns Veterans may face.
Challenges Veterans face transitioning from military service to civilian life.
For Most Vets, PTSD Isn’t The Problem, ‘Transition Stress’ is. Here’s What That Means.
The faith community is especially well-suited to serve military families due to:
- The sense of belonging and connections that places of worship provide.
- The spiritual nature of Veteran’s concerns. Some Veterans experience a sense of brokenness and alienation from God – and others – as a fairly predictable consequence of war.
- Clergy’s role as community leaders with a wide influence on public opinion and behavior.
- The unique social institution religious organizations provides makes multi-generational support possible.
- The perception of confidentiality for those who currently serve. Clergy is viewed as “off the record” and not associated with the military chain of command.
In society in general, up to one-fourth of people who seek help for a mental health problem seek help from clergy. This is significantly higher than those seeking help from psychiatrists (16.7 percent) or primary care doctors (16.7 percent).
Sources:
- Goalder, Jim, Wing, Kristen, Sullivan, Steve, Ethridge, Keith and Cook, Jeni. Community Clergy Training Program Facilitators Guide and Toolkit. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health. 2016.
- Sipploa, John, Blumenshine, Amy, Tubesing, Donald and Yancey, Valerie. Welcome Them Home, Help Them Heal. Whole Person Associates. 2009.
- Werber, Laura, Derose, Kathryn, Rudnick, Mollie, Harrell, Margaret, and Naranjo, Diana. “Faith-Based Organizations and Veteran Reintegration: Enriching the Web of Support.” RAND Corporation. 2015.
A mother comforts her wounded warrior son.
Do you know someone in your neighborhood who cares for a loved one with visible or invisible wounds of war?
Resources:
How to Connect with Service Members & Veterans
What to say and what not say to:
- Someone who has served in the military
- A military spouse.
Talking with a Veteran in Crisis.
National Center for PTSD: What is PTSD.
Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Families of Military Members.
Military children:
Christian Prayer Guide for those who support Military, Veterans and their Families.
The Clergy Connection newsletter. Produced by the Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health and the National VA Chaplain Center “Community Clergy Training Program.” To subscribe, click here.
Examples of military ministries lead by volunteer faith community leaders.
Meet U.S. Air Force Veteran and combat Veteran, Nichole Coleman who is also a County Veteran Services Officer in Ohio. She overviews in 30 minutes how she started a nondenominational Military Ministry in her place of worship.
It’s an inspiring story that demonstrates the impact of a Military Ministry.
Vanguard Veteran 