How Faith Communities Can Honor and Celebrate Service Members

The communities of faith found within our cities and neighborhoods provide many people with a valuable source of support. Not only do faith communities satisfy personal spiritual inclinations, they provide a way for people to get to know one another. People often turn to their faith community in times of need; similarly, one family is likely to lend a helping hand to another thanks to the close associations that faith can foster.

Though people might come together for reasons of religious belief and practice, there is likely to be a great deal of diversity within any given community. In fact, if you identify as part of a particular religious group there are likely a number of veterans and military service members that also share membership in the same community. Faith groups are able to provide much-needed support and compassion to the women and men who have served the United States. These are just a few of the ways this can happen.

Creating an Inclusive Atmosphere

There are a number of ways that a faith community can create an atmosphere of inclusivity. One method of adopting this spirit is to offer patriotic themed sermons on the Sunday nearest important national holidays. Discussing the meaning of these holidays and the value of patriotism within a sermon can provide people with a faith-centered perspective on complex and emotional issues.

Scriptural resources provide a number of perspectives on values such as service, loyalty, and patriotism. It is possible to find numerous illuminating commentaries from a wide range of spiritual authorities with which to augment this particular message.

Make Sure That the Needs of Service Members and Their Families are Met

Church leaders that provide pastoral counseling should be certain that they are able to address the supportive needs of service members, veterans, and their families. Additional or updated training may be needed in order to confidently offer these services to people who desire them.

Members of the faith community can also become actively involved in providing for the various needs of veterans and their families as well as the families of active service members. Does your faith community have a list of members on duty? If not, consider making one so that these individuals can be remembered. Make sure that all veterans in the community are also known. Regular visits from neighbors and other members of the community can do a great to deal to ease loneliness and feelings of isolation.

Identify the Needs of Returning Service Members

Service members returning from duties have a host of particular needs that a faith community can help meet. These are just some things that might be included in a welcome home gift basket:

• Greeting cards, photographs, and supportive letters
• Snacks and essential grocery items
• Cleaning supplies
• Basic household goods

The needs of each veteran will vary. Make an effort to find out precisely what is required and then develop ways to provide assistance.

The Power of a Community

A community united in support of veterans, active service members, and families has the power to do a great deal of good. Faith communities in particular are able to provide support and comfort in times of need.

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