How can a church start to develop a ministry to military families? The Military Ministry of Campus Crusade (www.militaryministry.org) offers the free Church Guide for Ministering to the Military, and Military Missions Network (www.militarymissionsnetwork.com) sponsors conferences at which churches with military ministries gather to discuss best practices.
The basic strategy for starting a military ministry, however, typically involves:
1. Self-assessment - what are our strengths and resources, and what are the needs of the military families in our church?
2. Creating a team of volunteers with a passion for the military.
3. Discerning best practices by dialoging with other churches doing military ministry.
4. Prayerfully setting goals and developing a mission statement, involving the congregation, and recruiting partners in the community.
5. Ministering to the Military in your midst!
Starting a Military Ministry requires an understanding of, and prayerful consideration of how to minister to military families in the three phases of the military life cycle:
A. Pre-Deployment - helping military families build the necessary spiritual resiliency to see them through the stresses of separation.
B. Deployment - supporting military families in prayer, providing practical help when needed, and anticipating the deployed member's return by learning about Combat Trauma and the other rigors of reintegration.
C. Post Deployment - being prepared to lovingly come along side military families during the process of reunification, and to explore ways to facilitate spiritual healing for those afflicted by Combat Trauma.
