Veteran's
Ministry
Coming Home
Collaborative
The Coming Home
Collaborative is an open and growing volunteer
association of people who are concerned with the
psychological and spiritual healing of veterans,
especially those currently re-integrating with their
families and communities. In July of 2005,
Amy Blumenshine, MSW, convened a group of helping
professionals affiliated with Walk-In Counseling Center
and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Our initial report of the
problem – “Soldiers Ongoing Sacrifices: the Challenge of
Coming Home” – was used in support of ELCA resolutions
in both the Minneapolis and St. Paul Areas Synods.
Efforts to address the issue are spreading within the
ELCA and other faith communities. We welcome your
participation.
How can your church can
reach out to newly returning veterans and their
families? Here are some resources available:
If you have questions or
comments about our synod's Veteran's Ministry, please
contact:
Coming Home Collaborative
2315 Chicago Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55404
612-871-2967
ListenToVets@comcast.net
Order your free copy of
Welcome Home
A guide for pastors on the ministry of
support to our most recent veterans
Rev.
John Sippola of Elim Lutheran Church, near Duluth, is
writing a guide filled with invaluable information and
quick tips that help churches provide creative spiritual
care for returning soldiers and their families.
Your
church can order a free copy by e-mailing
welcmelim@aol.com with your church name, shipping
address, contact name, telephone number and email
address.
Rev.
Sippola is a retired Family Assistance Chaplain in the
MN National Guard and has worked extensively with
deployed soldiers and their families. Wheat Ridge
Ministries provided funding for the guide.
Other church
initiatives to help veterans and their families make a
healthy and successful reintegration
Information listed below on activities located
in Bloomington, Golden Valley, St. Anthony Park, and
Prior Lake.
The
role of the church is to hold vets and families in
loving care and concern as they go through the
transition home process and resume the good citizen
lifestyle. Some will make use of church resources as
they address their war experiences.
Minneapolis Area Synod Lutheran churches are active in
working for better outcomes for those recovering from
their confrontation with war in a variety of ways.
A
cluster of eight ELCA Bloomington area churches is
calling on their region for a Community ‘Stand To’
event, Saturday - January 12 at 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at
the Bloomington Armory - 3300 W 98th St. This community
picnic type event is meant to bring together people, not
agencies, to say “thank you and can I help you in
return. “
Explains coordinator Karen Eileen, “A military “Stand
To” means “all personnel to your post.” As a community,
our post is to surround and support those who have
offered to serve us. This special Bloomington event is a
way we can “be community” for our fellow citizens
serving in all the branches of military service whose
dedication to our country has imparted a heavy toll.”
Coordinators Karen Eileen and Pastor John Nelson of
Transfiguration Lutheran Church along with Dennis
Donovan of the Warrior to Citizen Campaign of the Hubert
H. Humphrey Institute and Bloomington Mayor Gene
Winstead are asking service providers to pledge 20-40
hours of help to returning veterans and their families.
They are looking for help with painting. plumbing, money
management workshops, classes to manage stress, resume
coaching, family counseling, mock interviewing
exercises, lawn care, snow removal… “anything you want
to offer as a ‘Welcome Home and Thank You’.”
For
more information on this effort, contact Pastor John D.
F. Nelson at Transfiguration Lutheran, 952-884-2364,
jdnelson@tlcmn.com. The project manager for Warrior
to Citizen in Bloomington is Karen Eileen,
(952-943-0793) -
ke_create@yahoo.com .
The
Stand To event is being organized in conjunction with
The Warrior to Citizen Campaign. The campaign,
originated by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute, is a non
political call to civic action bringing communities
together to assist troops and their families with the
transition home.
Watch
for Karen Eileen’s programs on this initiative on her
Bloomington Cable (Ch. 16) show: Lemonaide Special
Edition- Warrior to Citizen 9 p.m. Thursdays, 5 a.m and
1 p.m. on Fridays.
Gather with other recent veterans
and their families
Calvary
Lutheran in Golden Valley has just started gathering
recent veterans and their families every 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Thursday nights in January. Those gathered separate into
different groups given their shared experiences – as
family members and veterans—for the opportunity to “hear
each other into speech” regarding their concerns.
These groups need some courageous folks to get up and
running. Specialists in recovery after war recommend
the simple practice of talking with folks of like
experience in a safe setting. No counseling and no
evangelizing—the groups will be what those who show up
make them. Come for dinner from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Contact
Jim Almquist (763) 522-8815,
jim@almquist.net, or Skip Reeves (763) 231-2965,
sreeves@calvary.org. Calvary is located at 7600
Golden Valley Road, just off of Highway 55 on Rhode
Island in Golden Valley. |
