Two families in our fellowship are in special need of our prayer support and practical family help. We are thankful for godly young men who pursue avenues to serve God and engage unbelief in ways that most of us cannot. Adam King and Nathan Jones and their families are in focus here. Let me express deep gratitude to you who have already stepped up in meaningful ways to help these families during this season of separation.
I have included a letter from Adam, assistant pastor of education, to give the church a clear picture of this opportunity for the next three months:
Dear family of Grace,
I wanted to give you an update on how God is using me in the Army National Guard, specifically during this summer season.
If you did not know, I have been pursuing chaplaincy in the National Guard since October of 2022. I have been in what is called a “candidate” status while I complete my Master of Divinity studies at Liberty University. In order to move from candidate status into being pinned as a bona fide chaplain, I am required to complete a three-month Army schoolhouse training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina in addition to completing my M.Div. degree. By God’s grace, I will complete both the M.Div. and this schoolhouse training this summer. Because of the requirements of the schoolhouse training, I will be absent for at least one month of Sundays because, for some Army chaplains attending this training, this will be their first Army experience and they will need to learn drill, ceremony, and Army culture. The first month will be like basic training for them, and something of a refresher course for me, which is why we are required to stay at Fort Jackson for the entirety of that initial phase. After that, we will be permitted to leave for the weekends.
Please be in prayer for Karleigh and our three girls during my absence. Their endurance and patience during this time is something that only comes by God’s grace. Please keep Nathan & Michelle Jones and their children in your prayers as well. Nathan is also an Army chaplain candidate and will be completing this same training alongside me. Nathan and I are thankful for a church family who we know will take care of our wives and families in our time apart from them.
Finally, I want to assure you that for me, this training is not a step toward full-time active duty service in the Army. Upon completion of the required training, I will continue in a “drill” status as is normal for me, where I am with my unit for one weekend per month and two weeks each summer. These times I spend fulfilling my obligations to the Army provide me with the opportunity to engage unbelief and to minister to a unique people group: American Soldiers. On my drill weekends, I have the opportunity to preach to the soldiers in our religious services, provide pastoral counsel, and participate in caring for the souls of the men and women with whom I serve. I deeply appreciate all the support that the church shows me in this effort to reach soldiers with the gospel of grace.
Sincerely,
Pastor Adam
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