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This page was set up in
a frequently asked question (FAQ) format. It can be effectively used by
any Para-church organization. By clicking on the questions you are
interested in you will move to a concise response. You may also elect to
scroll down the page. Several answers include links to additional pages
or worksheets that can be opened and then printed off using Adobe
Acrobat. Additionally Executive or Area directors may desire to pose
their own questions or responses utilizing the feed back link at the top
of the page.
As you ponder
these FAQ's consider these two lessons learned;
Whatever happens it will never go farther than the investment and
accountability that begins locally in the vision, planning and efforts
of adults.
Military teens are hungry for the Good News of Jesus Christ, and they
will respond to caring, nurturing and authentic adults.
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What are some "need to know" facts about the military and military
youth culture?
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What are chaplains and why are they so important?
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What could I expect from military
youth, families and congregations?
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What if I have a military Installation in my town? Where would I
start?
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What
are the best three steps I could take to expand or become more
effective with the military community?
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What
does a YFC ministry center have to offer a military youth ministry situation
and vice versa?
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What are three things I could do
to shoot myself in the foot?
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What could I do to raise money to
either enhance or expand ministry to military students?
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What
could be my top 5 challenges or short cut temptations?
1. What are some "need to know" facts about
the military and military youth culture?
If you're an executive director
(or other Para-church leader) and you have little to no experience with
the military you could think of your local installation as its own town.
The mayor would be titled something like installation commander.
Installations usually have two parts; the garrison, a few units of
people, buildings, property etc... Basically everything that would stay
if the "tenant" units went elsewhere. The second group is the tenant
organizations. These are the units who would deploy if called away.
Within the installation you have a base or post exchange which would be
like the Wal-Mart. The super market is called the commissary. The
installation probably has it's own pool, housing, medical facility, fire
station, theater etc... Somewhere on the installation is a chapel (s)
you can think of as a church! It's like its own town!
Virtually every installation has
a installation chaplain and a building (s) called a chapel. Depending on
the size of the installation, there maybe multiple chaplains and even
multiple chapels. The good news is there is probably one chaplain
responsible for the entire installation. And even though there maybe
many chapels only a few will serve the whole family. Can you imagine a city where
there is one single pastor able to speak for all religious activity?
Additional information will be available in "What are chaplains and why
are they so important?"
An excellent reference for
finding out more information about a particular installation is their
installation website. Just do a Google search. What you are particularly
looking for are indicators for potential ministry. Examples of ministry
indicators are number of dependents, schools, housing areas, etc...
Additionally here are some
general facts about the military family you might find interesting. For
reference you can look at the
Military Family Resource Center.
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The active duty force has one
officer for every 5.3 enlisted personnel
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Over one-third (35.8%) of
active duty members identify themselves as a minority. Minorities over
5% are African American (20%) and Hispanic (9%).
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There are fewer active Duty
members than family members.
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The largest group of active
Duty Dependants is from 0 to 5, and there are about 300,972 between
the ages of 12 though 18 years old.
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The ranks with the most
children between 12 and 18 are, mid level officers and (04-06) and
medium to senior enlisted (E5-E9)
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85% of active duty members are
located in the US or US Territories.
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The average age of military
members 36 and older is about 21% of the active duty and they
represent the primary group with students 12 and above.
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Only 39% of spouses are not in
the work force so about 61% of military families are either dual
military or have both parents involved in the work force.
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2. What are chaplains and chapels, and why are they so
important in the youth ministry equation?
Chaplains are the key to the
religious activity of the entire installation. The Chaplains serve as
special staff officers to their respective commanders. The function of
chaplains is to ensure the religious rights of every military member and
their dependants. In this regard they function as pastors, counselors
and special needs chaplains.
They can serve across a broad
spectrum of positions like; pastor, administrators, funds managers,
counselors, hospital chaplains, chapel pastors etc...They are from
multiple denominations and in their capacity as chaplains are present to
either perform or provide religious service to all faith
expressions. Statistically most chaplains are Christian, but every
chaplain is responsible to ensure the free expression of the religious
rights of military member and their dependants. All Chaplains wear two
hats. They are military officers but they are also endorsed by their
denomination as a denominational representative. Because of these dual
hats chaplains would never be asked to compromise the essential tenants
of their denomination. However they are also asked to work congenially
with all other faith groups. Many military chaplains love their role and
enjoy the culture and opportunities represented by their service in the
military.
Chapels are the buildings
normally associated with the religious community of an installation. It
is not uncommon for a chapel to be associated with several
congregations, each with their own style of worship. Protestants tend to
be loosely "lumped" together. The variety of services can include
mainline, seeker, contemporary, high church or Gospel expression.
Some Chapels are very old,
historic, and reflect the architecture and decorum of a particular
denomination. Newer chapels were built to be multi-purpose and value
denominational neutrality. They can also be anywhere in between. An
example would be that many times the Crosses in the front of the
sanctuary are multipurpose. They can be completely removed, or on one
side of the cross it is plain, while on the other side there is a
crucifix. The cross then can be removed or turned around, depending on
the congregation!
None of this is wrong it's just
probably different for you if you've never experienced the military!
Please read, "The CHAPLAIN is the key." Some will try to
go around this through influential active duty or retired individuals,
but they will learn, "Chaplains are the Key."
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3. What could I expect from military
youth, families and congregations?
Military youth, ages 12-18, are
like most students you encounter everyday. They are in that part of
life where they are figuring out who they are. Individually they have
entered a stage of life where they are "separating" from their families.
They did not choose the military life like their parents. But because
their parents are military, they could well have lived in a different
home every 2 to three years until they became teenagers. Families
desperately need for their children to experience support and adult
connections that come from being stabilized in a community. Youth
ministry can be one of those support systems. It is safe to say that the
majority of Military students would have never experienced quality and
dynamic youth ministry.
Youth could generally be
described as somewhat affluent with a kind of suburban/urban mind set.
These students are so diverse! If as an executive director you were to
begin to undertake a strategy with chaplains to "engage" this niche
ministry the beginning place would be as a new club start. There is no
exact template for every situation. Military students would need to be
"taught" to be involved and you would find that in many instances their
parents would also be fairly new to the idea of supporting youth
ministry efforts.
Military families are the best.
Forget post modern, think modern and traditional. They do believe in
right and wrong. They are highly patriotic and loyal. They are also
displaced and constantly in transitions. As a generalization they run
the array from home schooled mega-conservatives with the family values
of the Cleavers to multi-divorced single parent homes where alcohol has
intertwined itself into the fabric of their enmeshed chaos. Multiply
either scenario by the circumstances of increased operational tempo,
families relocating every 2-3 years, absence of grand parents, overseas
assignments, deployments to war and you begin to get the picture.
There is no single military
family model. However you would find an unbelievable amount of family
services and initiatives by the military to assist the military family.
A local ministry center could become one of these initiatives. The motivation
comes from the top leadership of the military. Military leaders love
these men and women who have given their all to serve their country.
They also know that quality of life for families is a key contributor to
retention. Chaplains are one of the resources commanders use in their
initiatives. That is why so often chaplains desire youth ministry as a
component of their religious programming. Commanders and Chaplains know
what executive directors know on a daily basis, "Families are desperate
to help their children with life tools." Faith is one of those
essential tools to balanced life. If you're in a military town that
dominants the city/town culture why aren't you asking chaplains if they
would be interested in working together on behalf of youth? "OH and by
the way Chaplain, our public schools are filled with your kids!"
However one of the challenges of
attempting to provide youth ministry in the military is that families
will have forgotten or probably not be familiar with how to support a
youth ministry effort. Parents may have had great youth ministry
opportunities as a high school student but they also experienced youth
ministry when they were younger. Then they entered the military, maybe
by marriage, and didn't need or desire youth ministry for over twelve
years. Chapels and families will need to be taught how to support and
benefit from a youth ministry. If the Chaplain and other support
systems are not invested or don't understand how to help it's a tough
road.
One of the most focused places
families gather together in the military, are military chapels. These
congregations are very diverse. You can go to a unit chapel and see
three servicemen who just "always" go to church or you can go to a
thriving family friendly chapel where multiple services are conducted
because of the demand. Generally every chapel is run by a chaplain who
is the pastor or priest of that congregation. Some chapels also have
parish councils or advisory groups. Regardless the chapel pastor is held
completely responsible for whatever happens or does not happen by the
installation chaplain and their commander.
Generally speaking one area that
struggles for adult leadership is the chapel youth for ages 12-18.
There are a lot of reasons chapel youth groups struggle; inexperience,
training, lack of continuity or resources, continual transition of adult
leadership and/or volunteers etc? Each of these "reasons" represents an
opportunity for a ministry center to assist chaplains in their desire to help
military families or support military youth. Secondly in twenty years I
have never seen an intentional and sustained ministry effort directed at
military students who do not attend the chapel.
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4. What if I have a military Installation in
my town? Where would I start?
The very best thing you could
ever do is solid ministry in local schools. Gaining and building
momentum and community visibility is the way to go. In the US the vast
majority of military students go to public schools. Place yourself in a
position to understand what your already doing or would desire to do for
the military before you go to chaplains to begin a relationship. There
are currently 210 military installations in the US. Over half have a
Para-church ministry in the same town or within 25 miles. Only 7% of
these installations have contracted outreach services with
organizations.
At a point of organizational
health when it would be timely to make the connection with chaplains
begin to think of a relationship. All starting places begin with
dialogue. Begin in you're board, not with chaplains. If you are in a
military town it is very likely that your board's circle of influence
contains significant connections with the military. Explore those
connections. Develop a board champion and point person for this
initiative. Eventually they will go with you to visit the chaplain.
Begin to think through what a win-win situation for your ministry center would
look like. I have provided a chart that will help you see what chaplains
generally expect and some of the limitations you will encounter. See;
Working together with the Military. Between understanding what your
already doing for the military in local schools, a "champion" for this
initiative, and a framework for what military chaplains would expect
your in an excellent position to start.
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5. What are four steps I could take to
expand or become more effective with the military community?
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Begin to pray and vision cast.
Share your direction with others. What are you willing to be a part
of, risk, or invest, etc?
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Consider reading the page
titled, "Chaplains Page."
Examine some issues and factors that come into play for chaplains.
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Watch the movie; "When we were
Soldiers" with Mel Gibson. A link is provided to further examine some
of the insights and statements this movie is making about the military
family and culture.
www.weweresoldiers.com/ or
www.hollywoodjesus.com/we_were_soldiers.htm
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Watch a documentary called,
"Brats Our Journey home" which can be purchased at
bratsourjourneyhome.com
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Identify 10 families through
your board and consider asking them to support this ministry through
prayer and finances. Top of Page
6. What does a YFC ministry center have to offer a
military youth ministry situation and vice versa?
The following are some "broad
strokes" that are about possibilities. They could serve as the
conclusions of dialogue between executive directors and chaplains as
they decided to move forward together because of the mutual benefits.
Youth Ministry is not new to the military; they have contracted youth
ministry services in Europe for over 25 years. There are at least two
organizations that do ministry with military students exclusively. The
model that is currently used is primarily a contractual model for
services rendered. However since the nature of this ministry is
contracted services, military chaplains and parents have fallen into a
paradigm of ministry that doesn't recognize the potential for ministry
below contracting. Anything listed below could be accomplished without a
contract.
5 Things a local YFC ministry
center
could offer a Military Chaplain
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A chapel connected and school
focused outreach ministry
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Youth ministry training for
Volunteers who help in military chapels
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Invitations to YFC Regional
and local events
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Ministry continuity in a very
transitional community
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Opportunities for connection
between Campus Life and CLMS and chapel youth ministry efforts
5 Things a Military Chapel
Connection could do for a local YFC ministry center
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Provide inroads and access
into the military community in your town
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Promotional visibility
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Financial support through
designated offerings
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Opportunities for highly
qualified and skilled leaders and volunteers
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Special Project support
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of Page
7. What are three things I could do
to shoot myself in the foot?
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Start without the Chaplains
understanding and permission on their installation! Whatever you do
off the installation is not really an issue. But, and you won't
understand this until you see the incredible way the military is
networked, you cannot effectively engage the military community
without the Chaplains permission and investment.
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Another cliff to walk off is
to promise or try to become something you don't already do well. If
you don't have "show and tell" ministry going or your really not ready
for "niche" ministry. Look at the sample document of what a Win, Win,
relationship might look like for a local ministry center called, "Working
together with the Military."
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Allow the conversation or
relationship to start with money. Talk ministry! Eventually financing
the ministry will come about and then it's time to be honest about
costs and understand your own thresholds. Examples;
I
can do this level of ministry at no cost because I'm doing it anyway.
If
you want to send volunteers or students to this event this is the
cost.
If
you want the focused effort of an individual this would be my costs.
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8. What could I do to raise money to
either enhance or expand ministry to military students?
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Ministry costs money and the
real cost for ministry should be identified and pursued. Initially you
may consider using your military ministry champion within your board
and ask them to assist you in raising those resources within
interested community supporters. This should be done by connecting the
appeal to either a goal; expanding ministry, or; enhancing ministry.
In the beginning the finances might be quite small but as ministry
expands and finally a staff person is needed the financial requirement
will be much greater.
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At some point as the
relationship with the chaplains grows they can be asked to participate
by giving a designated offering. This is the money given on a Sunday
morning in chapel. This can be done on an individual chapel or
installation wide level, depending on the chaplain's interest.
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Eventually ministry might lead
to discussions about contracts. This is usually because the chaplains desire a particular level of
service that would best be provided for by a contract. The primary
advantages of a contract is they "formalize" the relationship.
There are also disadvantages such as responsibility, tasks etc...
But contracts do provide for acce ss, stability and financial
resources. YFC
has a long standing partnership with a
military youth serving organization called
Military Communities Youth Ministry (MCYM). MCYM is the YFC/USA
contracting agent for military contracts and can serve chaplains and
ministry centers in maneuvering
the contracting process.
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For the chaplains there is a
learning curve that will come when it comes to the financing youth
ministry. Many chaplains are not aware of the costs of Para-church
ministry. They are primarily shielded because those costs are incurred
by adult supporters. This is especially true for adult serving
ministries which operate in the military. It will be necessary to
educate chaplains as to the true cost of ministry. For example a
chaplain may think they are being very generous by underwriting the
entire cost of a retreat but never even consider the staff person
raised their salary to lead the retreat.
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Chaplains have financial
resources. Anything they ask for they should be asked to support by
being financially involved. You don't want to get in the
situation where you basically teach them that the ministry center will pick up
the tab. The converse is if it's things your asking to do for the
installation, say for publicity or promotion purposes, the ministry
center
should pick up that tab.
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Chaplains can be involved in
many levels. Outright they can do contracts, designated offerings, and
scholarship military students directly. In the background they can be
supportive of off base fundraising events, encouraging families to
become involved in monthly support, identifying key adults for boards
etc...
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9. What will be my top challenges or short cut
temptations?
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"The chaplain doesn't want a
relationship so I'll just go around." This doesn't work in the
military. You may get your way short term because you know a "Christian" commander. When they leave, and they will, the chaplains
will still be there. It's better to just wait; the next chaplain could
be different.
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"I'll figure out how to pay
for it later." Yeah, right. Be honest through the process. Keep your
board with you and make sure chaplains understand the real cost of
ministry as it moves forward.
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Here is an attitude that will
not serve you well, "It's just like out in town." It's not. The
military has it's own rules and culture. Think of "7 Habits of
Highly Effective" to the max, accountability and a fierce
commitment to integrity. The only way to survive is planning,
sensitivity, and having a commitment to being a "listening learner"
and you'll do fine.
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