[…]you want to conduct outreaches that impact your unit, you need the chapel. Location and command “sponsorship” are the vital links. The chapel is not only strategically located where the troops are but also carries with it the authority of the command. The chapel is the spiritual center for unit-wide outreach. Lost Opportunities Officers make a decisive impact upon their units. The chapel is the only church body that is a part of the unit. Since it is part of the command, officers can enthusiastically support events that it conducts. Another noteworthy dynamic occurs when an officer attends chapel. Usually […]
[…]program. Who really is responsible for the religious program on any base? The answer is: the commanding officer. Every commander, regardless of his personal convictions, is responsible for the welfare, including the spiritual welfare, of his personnel. That responsibility extends to insuring appropriate programs are provided. He is responsible for what occurs on his base. This means he will want to know and exercise approval or disapproval of programs. The special staff professional who is provided to assist him is the chaplain. Officers’ Christian Fellowship groups meeting or advertising on any base (including quarters areas) should submit to the military […]
[…]was elected to the OCF Council Class of 2002. Stu culminated a 23 year career with battalion command, and retired 1 August 2001. Stu, wife Kay and son Logan reside in Copperas Cove, Texas. Their other two children, Stuart IV and Erin, attend the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, […]
[…]Finally it came to be his turn—for three weeks. There, in the Japanese P.O.W. camp, he read and read—and eventually came to understand that the Bible’s message was relevant to him right there in his cell. The dynamic power of Christ changed DeShazer’s attitude toward his captors. His hatred turned to love and concern, and he resolved that should he be liberated, he would someday return to Japan to introduce others to this life-changing book. Looking for Answers The peaceful motivation I read about was exactly what I was seeking. Since the American found it in the Bible, I decided […]
[…]end, returning military men and women and their families will be challenged with unique deployment and re-entry issues. Ilene Stubbs offers suggestions–and the timelessness of God’s wisdom–for managing the process of reunion and readjustment. Normal has changed for everyone. Be patient–it takes time to get into a routine. Soldiers haven’t been on a vacation. Expect your household to be different. Keep life as routine as possible. Take time to re-adjust to one another. Go slowly. Communicate feelings. Anxiety is normal. Discuss frustrations. Accept that we are all different. Initial discomfort in adjusting doesn’t mean your spouse is unhappy with […]
[…]the ways in which their Daddy is doing God’s will where he is, remind them of God’s care and faithfulness to them while their father is away, and encourage each of them to pray daily for their father. If you have a very young child who can’t comprehend why Daddy is gone, you might encourage your husband to select and gift wrap a number of inexpensive trinkets before he leaves, and these can be given out from time to time to reassure the child that Daddy is thinking of him. If your husband can correlate the giving of these gifts […]
[…]have unique opportunities to share the truth and love of Jesus Christ. The line of decision and command responsibility runs through the line officer. As staff officers, chaplains recommend and advise. Even their spiritual ministry, however, is justified by the military as part of The Command Religious Program. On the other hand, as line officers you make decisions influencing the lives of everyone in your unit. I praise God for Christians like you who provide leadership both for mission accomplishment and to help the personnel in your unit. Our nation needs leaders like you to make command decisions — and […]
