Today marks the fifth anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Army Times published an interesting “by the numbers” article in this week’s edition. To see their breakdown of war costs, operations, material support, personnel support, and Iraq infrastructure over the past five years, click here.
To all who have served in Iraq or supported those who have, thank you very much for your sacrifice, service, and support!
A while a go, my pastor asked me to put together a summary of what we are doing at FBCB for our military families. This is what I came up with, and I hope it can help or encourage others to start up their own military ministry at the local church. This is definitely not the “be all, end all” of military ministry, but it is a start and deals with some of the basic needs our military families have. If you have any questions, would like to add your own suggestions, or share what you are doing at your church please leave a comment. Thanks! Read the rest of this entry »
Here is a home video of Trent Monk performing live his song “What Soldiers Do”. This video was taken at our church last night. I apologize for it being so shaky, but it was one of those last second things. Enjoy!
If you like the song, check out Monk & Neagle’s album “The Twenty-First Time”. You can read more about it here.
Last night I returned from a 3 day conference in Norfolk, Virginia where I had the opportunity to meet others who share my passion for military ministry. Individuals from local churches, para-church organizations, and military chaplaincy gathered at First Baptist Church, Norfolk for the second annual Military Missions Network Flagship Church Conference. The focus or theme for this year’s conference was “Touching the World through Missional Military Ministry,” and we had the opportunity to hear from speakers, learn from other’s experiences in 4 different Think Tank presentations, and discuss the issues, challenges, and solutions of each topic in small groups. The four topic areas we focused on were Read the rest of this entry »
I have heard Psalm 91 be referred to as “The Soldier’s Psalm.” In this passage of scripture, the psalmist takes the reader through every type of attack that can come our way as children of God, and reminds us in the first two verses that
“1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.”
This passage brings a lot of comfort to those who find themselves face to face with the enemy in combat. A couple of days a go I met a woman who has started a ministry in the Ft. Bragg area that distributes Psalm 91 bandanas to our deployed military me and women. As the word about these bandanas spread through the Bragg community, the ministry has grown to touch many other military communities. To read more about “Operation Bandanas for Bragg” and how you can purchase these bandanas please go to www.braggbandanas.org. These become a convenient reminder of the support back home, and have often become useful tools on the battlefield. Being light weight, and durable, these bandanas are possibly the most useful and helpful way we can show our support to the military men and women we love so dearly.
… and a reminder to continue to pray for them while seeking ways to show them our love and gratitude.
I apologize to those who have continued to check this blog faithfully over the past couple of months and have not seen anything new. After a busy fall semester, I got out of sync, but I hope to get back on track with one or two posts a week. I’ve got some catching up to do, so please continue to check back in over the next few days. Thank you, and may God continue to bless our military and those who minister to them!
Last summer I had the opportunity to go to the first “annual” camp for sons of fallen soldiers, as a mentor to a boy at our church who lost his father in Iraq (April 1, 2006) when his apache was shot down. The idea of the camp is to help these boys begin the healing process and build a relationship with a mentor figure. We had 15 boys attend last year, some with a grandfather, uncle, step-father, or church leader. Others didn’t have mentors come with them, but counselors were there to fill in during the week. Throughout our time there, we did guy things such as canoeing, rock climbing, swimming, fishing, and throwing tomahawks to name a few, but we also spent time allowing the boys to share their emotions, thoughts, and concerns about losing their father’s so suddenly and tragically. On the last night of the camp, we held an awards ceremony where the boys were “knighted” by a local pastor (in knight’s armor) and given a family crest to signify the completion of the camp and the progress they had made during that week. For some of the boys, this week was the first time in years they had talked about their fathers, how tough it was for them, and how much they missed them. Others had adjusted better, but still appreciated the opportunity to share what was on their hearts and ask some really tough questions. Overall it was a huge success and the boys who attended couldn’t wait to come back again in 2008.
Since then the camp’s founder, Maj. Steven Harrold, has turned it into a non-profit organization and is looking to get the word out to other military installations and military ministries for participation and financial support. Last year, each boy, mentor, and family was flown to Denver, Colorado and sustained throughout the week. The boys and mentors spent the week at Peaceful Valley Boy Scout Camp outside of Colorado Springs, and the mothers and daughters stayed with family members from the sponsoring church, Journey Chapel (www.journeychapel.org). Meals, shelter, registration, and travel are all provided by donors, including Focus on the Family. In fact, the mothers stopped by the Focus headquarters for a tour and ended up doing a radio interview with Dr. Bill Maier. This year, the camp will be held June 16-21 and is open to sons of fallen soldiers between the ages of 8 and 16. There is no cost, and the entire staff/counselors are Christian men committed to these boys and their future. If you know of someone who would be interested in attending this camp, would like to fund a full or partial scholarship, or would like to learn more, please go to their website at www.knightsofheroes.org and see the attached brochure. I would also be happy to share more about my experience, thoughts, and memories from last year’s camp. Thanks, and I hope each of you had a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
By Scott Gurley (Relevant Magazine)
About a year ago I had the chance to go to Kabul, Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment with the U.S. Army. The experience was much different than I’d expected. I anticipated regularly engaging in firefights with insurgents and having to deal with rigorous and dangerous conditions. Instead, it was the spiritual battles and lessons learned that affected me most.
I’d been out of the U.S. before, but I’d never seen a place like Afghanistan. As un-politically correct as it sounds, I really believe that conditions there have as much to do with a spiritual war as they do physical ones. It is the sixth poorest country in the world, and its people are accustomed to corruption, violence and poverty at a level I’ve never experienced before. …
Military Ministry
