New faith-based organization launches 11-11-11 campaign

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Bethany Lutheran School celebrates Veterans Day last year. | Submitted by Bethany Lutheran School

Updated: January 3, 2012 1:44AM

Area churches looking for ways to recognize those who serve in the military are getting a boost from the new faith-based organization Military Outreach of Greater Chicago.

The group recently launched its 11-11-11 campaign, which invites churches to honor Veterans Day by inserting a flier with a message and prayer into their services or bulletins.

“We want them to know that we appreciate what they’re doing and the sacrifices they’ve made, but also to know that we’re here to help them,” founder Jim Mukoyama said.

Grace Pointe Church of Naperville is participating. Mukoyama hopes that additional churches will join them.

“It’s a perfect opportunity for churches to acknowledge people within their congregations and communities who selflessly serve our nation, defending our freedoms,” he said. “We’re helping pastors and churches to do that. We want to thank them and pray for them.

“Prayer is huge. Just to know people are praying for you is uplifting.”

The five-year goal of the organization is to help 500 churches establish outreach programs recognizing veterans, military personnel and their family members.

Mukoyama said that, because the country has been at war for 10 years, the military is stretched, resulting in problems for service members. Those issues include increasing rates of divorce, homelessness, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide among veterans. With an all-voluntary military, Mukoyama said, we have fewer people among our population serving resulsting in repeat deployments.

“Our government is not resourced to meet the needs of our veterans and military people and families,” he said. “Our churches are perfectly positioned in our communities to meet those needs.”

Military ministry

Some area churches have coordinated Veterans Day events and military support programs independently of Military Outreach.

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church will host a Veterans Day eve prayer service Nov. 10. Member Gail Krema said that the parish, which has a strong commitment to honoring and supporting veterans and active military personnel, started a military ministry two years ago.

Candy Rice, director of high school youth ministry, launched the program as she saw the young people she had served through the years start enlisting in the armed forces.

“She felt like she wanted to stay connected with them and started the military ministry,” Krema said.

The group coordinates several projects each year, and also prays for service people.

“We’re trying to make parishioners mindful that people are out there now, serving, so that we can go on with the freedom that we have,” Krema said.

This year’s Veterans Day speaker will be a WWII veteran talking about his experience on a recent honor flight.

“We need to recognize and honor those who have served their country and carried that with them their whole lives,” Krema said.

Recognizing service

Calvary Church of Naperville will serve a Veterans Day banquet Nov. 11, which will include guest speaker Bob Gruver. The highly decorated Air Force veteran who fought in Vietnam and Operation Desert Shield/Storm is the lead pastor of the Assembly of God Church in Albemarle, N.C.

Pat Steward, the assistant to the administrator at Calvary, said this is the second year the church is holding the Veterans Day event.

“Pastor Mark Burgund is a Vietnam veteran and is concerned that we recognize veterans,” she said. “... I personally have a nephew in the military, and I want to make sure that we honor our service people and that we don’t forget the sacrifices that they make in order to protect our freedom.”

Grateful for freedom

Aimee Walsh, the admissions director for Bethany Lutheran School in Naperville, said the church’s annual Veterans Day event this year will be combined with their Grandparents’ Day celebration. The observance will include special services, activity stations, and the school band performing patriotic songs.

“(Students) talk about how grateful we are to the veterans,” she said. “We talk about the freedoms that we have and how we get to have those freedoms because our veterans have fought for them.”

Mukoyama said that Veterans Day is an excellent opportunity to step back and think about what Americans typically take for granted.

“People need a reminder or prodding about the sacrifices that veterans, service men and women and families have made,” he said. “And most importantly, we want to demonstrate God’s love to our military.”