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Unitarian Universalist Military Handbook

“Each time I have to stand by the 'Chaplain Corps' table strewn with religious and spiritual information for the National Guard Soldiers I support, I find myself yearning deeply for material that is representative of the open, diverse, nurturing, affirming and accepting ideas of the UU [Unitarian Universalist] tradition.”
—Second Lieutenant Kelly Cummins, Chaplain Candidate

Thanks to your generous contributions, we have exceeded our goal of raising enough funds to send over 20,000 volumes of a revised spiritual guide—free of charge—to service members including those in the National Guard and the Reserves, military chaplains and military chapels across the world. However, many more service members could also benefit from this guide.

During World War II, Beacon Press published a pocket-size collection of poems, prayers and hymns reflecting the values of Unitarian Universalism for Armed Service men and women. This handbook was a vital spiritual guide for service members facing unimaginable challenges and choices during a time of great uncertainty.

Today, while our troops serving overseas may be facing very different challenges, they remain in need of comforting and inspiring words that reflect the openness and acceptance that Unitarian Universalist values represent.

First Lieutenant David Pyle, U.S. Army Chaplain candidate and MOD Minister writes, “In our ministry with the Basic Trainees at the Great Lakes Naval Station, there is a hunger among our recruits for ways that they can identify as Unitarian Universalists… If we had such a devotional collection of liberal faith, our recruits could claim UU identity, have the inspiration they need in the difficult time of Basic Training, and take that inspiration with them into the rest of their military career and life.”

In response to this overwhelming need, Skinner House Books will publish a collection of materials that provide encouragement and comfort to Armed Service men and women in their times of need and will be made available next fall.

You, too, can help our service members with a generous donation to expand the reach of these cherished spiritual guides. A donation of just $12.50 will provide one of these guides for free to a member of our Armed Services.

We will send a copy of this spiritual guide to donors who give a gift of $125 or more and wish to receive it.

Donate Now

For more information contact giftinfo@uua.org.

Last updated on Monday, November 23, 2009.

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