Family Support
|
Supporting the families of soldiers is a derived ministry from supporting soldiers. However, it is far from an afterthought ministry. Providing pastoral care to a soldier's family connects people into a community where families support families. The military seems to attract those who are more willing to help a neighbor or offer a kind word to a stranger, however, religious connection can build even more strong bonds. This means when times are challenging, such as during a deployment or crisis, or during everyday errands when a sitter is needed, you may feel more connected with the community. Through the range of pastoral care ministries of the UMT, the families of soldiers can expect to have spiritual needs met. Pre-marital, marital, individual, and family counseling are all available from either the unit's UMT or at the family life center. Also, regular unit events for families coordinated by the UMT encourage unit cohesion and family connectedness. Likewise, the availability of weekly religious education allows families to grow with others of similar faith. The UMT also teams up with Family Readiness Groups (FRG's) to assist in concerns relating to deployment. The FRG's resources and links to useful information substantially eases difficulty during deployments. Each family should contribute some effort to the FRG. We desire to keep marriages a priority. Although there are special circumstances in which separation is the better option, we continue to encourage soldiers to be strong in their commitments. Likewise to the spouse, we commit to providing pastoral care and encourage staying firm in commitments and working toward an ever more healthy marriage. Regular opportunities, such as the Building Strong and Ready Family program, equip marriage partners with tools to assist in conflict resolution, open greater avenues of communication, and establish confidence in the benefits of marriage. |
