Becoming a Veteran Becoming a Veteran Friendly CongregationFriendly Congregation

How to Make a Difference in and for Your Congregation

Develop a Ministry with and for Develop a Ministry with and for Veterans in your CongregationVeterans in your Congregation

You can make a differenceYou can make a difference

Educate

Make your congregation accessible

Provide space

Pray

Educate about PTSI and Educate about PTSI and Spiritual InjurySpiritual Injury

Can not handle being in a crowd

Feel unsafe

Afraid of someone sneaking up on them

Hyper vigilant

Sudden noises

Bring in a Guest SpeakerBring in a Guest SpeakerMake it a

community event – invite the media

Make it a fundraiser by adding a dinner and silent auction

Have a potluck for your congregation

Can an injured veteran Can an injured veteran make it through your make it through your

door?door?

Is your congregation accessible for the veteran returning from the experience of war?

How do you answer his grief?How do you answer his grief?

Dealing with Loss of Dealing with Loss of InnocenceInnocence

YouthYouthIntimacyIntimacy

FaithFaith

What would it take?What would it take?

Common problems within the Common problems within the worship areasworship areas

Crowds or people gathered

People sitting behind them

Need to view all exits

The “Peace”

Keep open spaces available

Seating available against walls in view of exits

Educate

How about regular services How about regular services that meet in the open?that meet in the open?

Most feel more comfortable outdoors

Schedule Veteran Services monthly and promote it

Describe Your Coffee HourDescribe Your Coffee Hour

Does this sound like your Coffee Does this sound like your Coffee Hour?Hour?

Lots of tables

Lots of noise

Lots of groups of gathering people blocking the door

No open space

What can you do?What can you do?Extend your Coffee

Hour to outdoors areas

Open up entry ways by clearing the chairs and encouraging people to gather away from food areas and doorways

Rearrange where the food is so it is easily accessible

Make sure there are tables easy to get to where no one walks behind and exits are viewable

Take it outsideTake it outside

Allow for open areasAllow for open areas

Provide Space for MeetingProvide Space for Meeting

Support meetings for families of Support meetings for families of returning or deployed veteransreturning or deployed veteransBring in speakers

Offer child care or activities for children

Bring in counselors

Allow time for networking

Remember:

This is also an opportunity to bring young people into

the church!

What about the Liturgy?What about the Liturgy?Veterans want to

know what to expect

The Episcopal Liturgy offers no surprises.

This is a big Bonus for offering safety and healing to our veterans

Connect With Local Veterans Connect With Local Veterans OrganizationsOrganizations

Participate in ActivitiesParticipate in Activities

Packing Parties

Writing letters

Stand Downs

Fundraise

Raise a Puppy

Adopt a local family

Minister Minister withwith Veterans Veterans

Assets they bring to youGroup loyaltyDependabilityConstancyLeadership

• Humanitarian reliefBuilt infrastructureCared for children and orphansProvided security

Become a Veteran Become a Veteran Friendly CongregationFriendly Congregation

Spread the Word to other Congregations

Join Care For The Troops (it’s free)◦www.CarefortheTroops.org

PrayPray

Remember to Pray for our Men Remember to Pray for our Men and Women serving overseas…and Women serving overseas… Start a Prayer List and

display it or distribute it to your congregation

Include them in the weekly Prayers of the People

Light a candle for every person deployed from your congregation

And those who are struggling here And those who are struggling here on the home fronton the home front

www.CareForTheTroops.org

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Enabling communities to better support veterans, civilian contractors,

and their extended families

This meeting is intended to learn about the Veteran Friendly Congregation (VFC) initiative, and establish a Military

Ministry in your congregation and nearby Congregations as well

Approach

Person in need of support

Spouse

Siblings Grandparents

Parents

Children

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MilitaryMember

Programs

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A Comprehensive Web Site Feeds and Supports

Our Programs

Clinicians / Therapists Congregations / Clergy

Military Culture 101Conference WorkshopsEMDR Weekends 1 & 2On-Line TrainingTraining CalendarInformation ResourcesArticles / Reports / PresentationsTherapist DatabaseEquine Assisted Therapy Centers

Information WorkshopsMilitary Ministry Programs-Veteran Friendly Congregation-Lead Congregation-Program GuidebookClergy/Lay Leader Training - Signs of Trauma and Spiritual Wounds - Referral Source InformationFinancial Planning Information

What is a Veteran Friendly Congregation (VFC)?

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www.CareForTheTroops.org/about_programs.php

A VFC is making a commitment to have a Military Ministry that provides support to the veterans and their families

A VFC means making the following 3 commitments: • Agree to adopt or implement one or more Military Ministry Programs.

• Agree to communicate the existence of the Military Ministry Program(s) at least twice a month

• Annually, renew your commitment with the two provisions above

A VFC will receive a certificate, suitable for framing and display in a prominent location so that it can be seen by all. Also, 1 copy of the book “Welcome Them Home, Help Them Heal” is provided that helps one understand a military family’s needs and how congregations can respond.

What is a Veteran Friendly Congregation (VFC)?

31

www.CareForTheTroops.org/about_programs.php

A VFC is making a commitment to have a Military Ministry that provides support to the veterans and their families

A VFC means making the following 3 commitments: • Agree to adopt or implement one or more Military Ministry Programs.

• Agree to communicate the existence of the Military Ministry Program(s) at least twice a month

• Annually, renew your commitment with the two provisions above

A VFC will receive a certificate, suitable for framing and display in a prominent location so that it can be seen by all. Also, 1 copy of the book “Welcome Them Home, Help Them Heal” is provided that helps one understand a military family’s needs and how congregations can respond.

Military Ministry

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PurposeThe ministry approach is intended to address all the extended family members associated with the person that is or has been in the military. The ministry has the following goals:

•Help the congregation members maintain an awareness of the existence and needs of those sacrificing their time and effort to support our country

•Create an environment of acceptance within the congregation for any extended family member who worships or visits the congregation; acceptance of their needs (physical, material, and spiritual), and a willingness to join in their struggles, whatever they might be

A Military Ministry is a commitment by the congregation to the military families and to themselves to provide support. It is not a commitment to

the CareForTheTroops organization.

VFC & Military Ministry Programs - Examples

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• St Peter Chanel Catholic Church Website – Roswell www.stpeterchanel.org/ministry/military/index.html• St Thomas Aquinas – Blue Star Group Banner and Care Packages

Sample of Existing Veteran Friendly Congregations

• St Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, Richmond Hill, GA• Episcopal Church St. Peter and St. Paul, Marietta, GA• Episcopal Church of Good Shepherd, Covington, GA• First Presbyterian Church, Savannah GA• Smyrna First United Methodist Church, Smyrna, GA• Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Marietta, GA• St Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Columbus, GA• St Ann's Catholic Church, Marietta, GA• Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, Jasper, GA• Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, GA• First Baptist Church of Augusta, Augusta, GA• Christ Tabernacle Of Faith Church, Hinesville, GA

A Complete Directory Listing is at:http://www.careforthetroops.org/congregation_directory.php

Military Ministry

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Each Congregation Can Act on Their Own(or in collaboration with nearby congregations)

The way this is setup:•no faith has to act in any way like another faith•no congregation has to act like another congregation•no congregation has to have a Ministry like any other congregation•every Military Ministry is completely customizable to each congregation's desire to act

Suggested NEXT STEPS …put forth to start a discussion

What are the steps involved in making this decision1. Gain Agreement from the Congregations’s

Leadership for the Ministry2. Recruit and Assign a Lay Ministry Leader3. Sign-up as a CFTT VFC4. Recruit and Form a “team”, “group”,

“committee”5. Decide which Programs to begin and/or

enhance6. Consider being a Lead Congregation and

work with CFTT35