1. Becoming a Veteran Friendly Congregation How to Make a Difference in and for Your Congregation

2. Develop a Ministry with and for Veterans in your Congregation

3. You can make a difference Educate Make your congregation accessible Provide space Pray

4. Educate about PTSI and Spiritual Injury Can not handle being in a crowd Feel unsafe Afraid of someone sneaking up on them Hyper vigilant Sudden noises

5. Bring in a Guest Speaker Make it a community event – invite the media Make it a fundraiser by adding a dinner and silent auction Have a potluck for your congregation

6. Can an injured veteran make it through your door? Is your congregation accessible for the veteran returning from the experience of war?

7. How do you answer his grief?

8. Dealing with Loss of Innocence Youth Intimacy Faith

9. What would it take?

10. Common problems within the worship 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

11. How about regular services that meet in the open? Most feel more comfortable outdoors Schedule Veteran Services monthly and promote it

12. Describe Your Coffee Hour

13. Does this sound like your Coffee Hour? Lots of tables Lots of noise Lots of groups of gathering people blocking the door No open space

14. 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

15. Take it outside

16. Allow for open areas

17. Provide Space for Meeting

18. Support meetings for families of returning or deployed veterans Bring 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!

19. 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

20. Connect With Local Veterans Organizations

21. Participate in Activities Packing Parties Writing letters Stand Downs Fundraise Raise a Puppy Adopt a local family

22. Minister with Veterans Assets they bring to you  Group loyalty  Dependability  Constancy  Leadership Humanitarian relief  Built infrastructure  Cared for children and orphans  Provided security

23. Become a Veteran Friendly Congregation Spread the Word to other Congregations Join Care For The Troops (it’s free) ◦www.CarefortheTroops.org

24. Pray

25. Remember to Pray for our Men 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

26. And those who are struggling here on the home front

27. www.CareForTheTroops.org 27 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

28. Approach Person in need of support Spouse SiblingsGrandparents Parents Children 28 Military Member

29. Programs 29 A Comprehensive Web Site Feeds and Supports Our Programs Clinicians / TherapistsCongregations / Clergy Military Culture 101 Conference Workshops EMDR Weekends 1 & 2 On-Line Training Training Calendar Information Resources Articles / Reports / Presentations Therapist Database Equine Assisted Therapy Centers Information Workshops Military Ministry Programs -Veteran Friendly Congregation -Lead Congregation -Program Guidebook Clergy/Lay Leader Training - Signs of Trauma and Spiritual Wounds - Referral Source Information Financial Planning Information

30. What is a Veteran Friendly Congregation (VFC)? 30 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.

31. 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.

32. Military Ministry 32 Purpose The 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.

33. VFC & Military Ministry Programs - Examples 33 St Peter Chanel Catholic Church Website – Roswell www.stpeterchanel.org/ministry/military/index.htmlwww.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

34. Military Ministry 34 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

35. Suggested NEXT STEPS …put forth to start a discussion What are the steps involved in making this decision 1.Gain Agreement from the Congregations’s Leadership for the Ministry 2.Recruit and Assign a Lay Ministry Leader 3.Sign-up as a CFTT VFC 4.Recruit and Form a “team”, “group”, “committee” 5.Decide which Programs to begin and/or enhance 6.Consider being a Lead Congregation and work with CFTT 35