Many United Methodist churches have ministries to support members of the military and their families. Ideas for honoring veterans and active duty personnel can be as simple as recognizing these men and women during worship on a Sunday morning. Other ministries are long term. Here are a few ways churches can support our military and veterans.
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Alpharetta First United Methodist in Georgia collects Oreo cookies and handwritten notes for U.S. troops all over the world. Over a decade, they’ve shipped 30 TONS of Oreos!
Boy Scouts at St. Mark’s United Methodist in Lincoln, Nebraska, set up 100 American flags around the church and take them down at dusk on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Patriot Day, and Veterans Day.
Some churches encourage their congregations to foster the pets of deployed military men and women through organizations like Dogs on Deployment.
The Rev. Will Shewey and Shades of Grace United Methodist Church in Kingsport, Tennessee, pay burial expenses and offer funerals for homeless veterans.
Members of Coraopolis United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania deliver Thanksgiving meals to first responders and those working the holiday at the nearby Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station.
St. Paul United Methodist in Abilene, Texas, has a special Sunday school class for veterans. Lead pastor, The Rev. Felicia Hopkins, is a veteran herself.
How does your church support veterans and active members of the military?
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Find more ways to support the military on Veterans Day and beyond.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN.
Media contact is Joe Iovino, jiovino@umcom.org.
This video was first posted on October 31, 2019.
