Resources for Effective Service and Ministry in the Army, Air Force, and Navy Chaplaincies
I had heard that Commissioned Officer Training was easier than the enlisted side’s Basic Military Training, or even the Officer Training School, because we chaplains were part of the professional corps. In fact, I heard some stories that included tales of playing golf that made COT seem like a club, complete with housekeeping and gourmet …
Continue reading "Guest Blogger: Air Force Commissioned Officer Training"
On a training exercise with my medical unit in Northern Oregon, the troops were divided into two camps. Some of the personnel were at the Biak Training Center near Bend, while the others were more than two hundred miles away, at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center over on the Pacific Coast, not too far …
Sometimes chaplains have just plain fun adventures, like my ride in a training fighter jet...
Building trust among the people in the command is essential for a chaplain who wants to be effective and successful, but it can be tricky. It is a known fact that people in the military will be watching their chaplain, and they’ll determine whether they trust you by what they see and hear. If they …
Continue reading "Friendship, Availability, Character, and Trust: F.A.C.T."
"Interestingly, although the chaplain has to be an ordained representative of an acknowledged faith group, the Chaplain Assistant does not have to be religious at all. We've worked with all kinds of Chaplain Assistants: religious and non-religious, Christian and non-Christian, ministry-minded and non-ministry-minded, personable and stand-offish, good and bad, male and female." ~ Military Ministry: …
I've been fortunate to have some INCREDIBLE Chaplain Assistants/Religious Program Specialists!
I learned that ministry takes many different flavors and provides many different opportunities. It made bringing God to Soldiers and Soldiers to God easier!!!
“Ministry can take many shapes. Some chaplains work in a chapel environment. Some chaplains never preach from behind a pulpit. They might serve communion from the tailgate of a Hummer or a truck….” ~ Military Ministry: Chaplains in the Twenty-First Century (page 187) There hadn’t been a chaplain at the small FOB during the three years …
Some chaplains work in a chapel environment. Some chaplains never preach from behind a pulpit. They might serve communion from the tailgate of a Hummer or a truck....
The personal life of a chaplain cannot be understated. How you manage your personal life is crucial. Linzey and his co-authors list the top 10 ways a chaplain can succeed in their personal life.
