Posts by Venture Church Network
REST STOP: Reflections of a chaplain approaching the off-ramp
REST STOP: Reflections of a chaplain approaching the off-ramp By Gordon Ruddick, Hospital Chaplain, Oregon I am drawn to wounded people. I am curious when I see the limp, the…
Read MoreUpdate: Long Distance Hiker Chaplain takes a Lunch Break with High Schoolers
Update: Long Distance Hiker Chaplain takes a Lunch Break with High Schoolers By Dennis Newton, Chaplain & Coordinator Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Randy, Thanks for the encouragement. I had a…
Read MoreSettling In: Participating In Korean Memorial Day Ceremony
Settling In: Participating In Korean Memorial Day Ceremony By Chaplain Greg Uvila, US Marine Corps, ROK Military Chaplains change assignments every two to four years. One chaplain recently transferred from…
Read MoreBearing Witness to God’s Word
Hi. My name’s Craig Hardinger. I’m the executive director of VCN Churches in Northern California and Nevada. And I’d like to begin with a song. “The B I B…
Read MoreBiblically Faithful
A few years ago, I was visiting one of our WorldVenture missionaries in western Uganda. I spent the day encouraging and training pastors at their bible college. During our time…
Read MoreGospel Driven
Hi, my name is Steve Engram. I’m the executive director of Venture Church Network Southwest. And I’m excited today to talk about our value that we hold together of being…
Read MoreBold Steps
Hi, I’m John Craft. I’m the regional executive director of the Rocky Mountain Church Network. And I am thrilled and excited to be a part of the Venture Church Network…
Read MoreHappy Holy Week!
I hope you had a wonderful Palm Sunday, and I want to wish you a happy Good Friday and Easter! With war, a pandemic ending, and a radically changing society,…
Read MoreHelping Churches and Leaders
Hi Venture Church family. We often talk about “helping churches and leaders take bold steps” as being our mission. But what does that look like? Let me give you an…
Read MoreUnity in the Gospel
Hi Venture Church Network. I’m in Eau Claire Wisconsin at one of our member churches, Calvary Church, getting ready to meet with our VCN leadership team here in the Midwest.…
Read MorePalm Valley Church Voted Citizen of the Year!
Palm Valley Church is a VCN church in Goodyear, Arizona. The city of Goodyear has recognized them as their 2021 Corporate Citizen of the Year due to their community service and…
Read MorePraise Update from Jim Smith
Hi, I’m Jim Smith, president of Pacific Church Network. We’re a proud member of Venture Church Network. You might be wondering what’s around my face. This is an oxygen tube,…
Read MoreSPIRITUAL RESILIENCY TRIPS: JORDAN AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2020
SPIRITUAL RESILIENCY TRIPS: JORDAN AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2020 By Chaplain Adam Kawaguchi, US Army Reserve “DUDE! BAPTISMS IN THE JORDAN RIVER On the itinerary, the Jordan River, Mount Nebo, Madaba…
Read MoreSubmarine Veterans Chaplain Wins Souls and Saves a Life in the Process
Submarine Veterans Chaplain Wins Souls and Saves a Life in the Process By Assoc. Dir. Andy Meverden & Myra Meverden, RN, Chaplain, Rocky Mountain Submarine Veterans, Denver, Colorado Since January…
Read More“Raise your Right Hand”: One Pastor’s Journey to Commissioning
“Raise your Right Hand”: One Pastor’s Journey to Commissioning By Pastor Ryan Faust, Chaplain, US Navy Reserve Here is my journey: When I was a kid, I always wanted to…
Read MoreLament
Hey Venture Church Network. In our last video, we talked about prayer and the importance of being desperate. Paul Miller in his book, the Praying Life, says prayer is…
Read MoreHelplessness and Prayer
These continue to be challenging days in which to do ministry. What I’d like to know is – are you overwhelmed right now? I remember early on in my…
Read MoreMeasuring Results
If there’s anything these last couple of years has forced us to do, it’s to evaluate. What is ministry all about? What results should we be looking at when we’re…
Read MoreHappy New Year from Venture Church Network!
As we enter 2022, I think we can all agree that we have no idea what to expect. But here’s what we can rely on — our un-changing God.…
Read MoreJesus, My Ever-Present Comfort
Are you a pastor in need of advent messages? Use ours for free! Advent 1 Advent 2 Advent 3 Candle #4: Jesus, My Ever-Present Comfort The Prophet Jeremiah wrote a…
Read MoreJesus, the Life
Are you a pastor in need of advent messages? Use ours for free! Advent 1 Advent 2 Candle #3: Jesus, the Life At this point of our Advent readings, we’ve…
Read MoreJesus, the Light of the World
Are you a pastor in need of advent messages? Use ours for free! Advent 1 Candle #2: Jesus, the Light of the World Last week in our first Advent reading,…
Read MoreJesus, the Longing of My Heart
Are you a pastor in need of advent messages? Use ours for free! Candle #1: “Jesus, the Longing of my Heart?” This is the season of Advent. Advent means coming.…
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving from Venture Church Network!
2021 has not been an easy year for ministers to navigate. But I’m in awe of the way I’ve watched you do it. I can honestly say I have…
Read MoreEncourage One Another
Hey Venture Church Network. I’m up at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at a pastor’s gathering of our Midwest VCN region. It’s a beautiful spot, beautiful spot, wish you could be here.…
Read MoreHealing Hero Award: Recently endorsed VCN Chaplain Goes Above and Beyond
Healing Hero Award: Recently endorsed VCN Chaplain Goes Above and Beyond Humbly submitted by Chaplain Scott Boyles, Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, TNorse One of our newly endorsed hospital chaplains…
Read MoreRelationally Committed
One of our values at Venture Church Network is being relationally committed, something we believe is important to the body of Christ. I’d love to share my story of…
Read MoreDiscipling the Next Generation of Leaders
One of our passions at Venture Church Network is to equip and empower the next generation of young people to not only love Jesus but spread that gospel presence…
Read MoreMaking Disciples VS Attendees
In Kyle Idleman’s book, “Not a Fan,” there’s a part where Kyle speaks to a father whose daughter had left the faith. The father says to him, “My wife…
Read MoreEmergency Update on Haiti and Afghanistan
August seems to be a month filled with tragic global news. We’ve seen homes destroyed in Haiti, rocked by an earthquake and rising death count. We’ve been viewing the catastrophe…
Read MoreFun Run for the Son: All American Chapel Team hold Heaven-Class Event
Fun Run for the Son: All American Chapel Team hold Heaven-Class Event By Sean Callahan, Army Chaplain at Fort Bragg, NC On Saturday, 3 July, All American Chapel Protestant Service…
Read MoreApplying the Bible to Every Situation
One of the values that shapes our network is biblical focus. Being biblically focused means we believe the scriptures, God’s word, is our authority for life, godliness, and ministry. Strongly…
Read MoreThe Unchanging Word of God
Being a part of the Venture Church Network means your church is committed to being biblically focused. Our churches preach the Bible, live our lives according to the Bible,…
Read MorePreaching the Gospel to Yourself
For the next few months, we’re focusing on the values of our network. This month, we’re looking at what it means to be gospel-driven. The gospel is the power…
Read MoreThe Hope of the Gospel
Here at Venture Church Network, we want to take the next few months to evaluate our values and ask ourselves if we’re clinging to them. It makes sense that…
Read MoreThank You
As the president of Venture Church Network, I would like to say thank you. It feels like pastors have been through more in the past 16 months than decades…
Read MorePenultimate Chaplain Visit: Chaplain Retires on a Blessing!
Penultimate Chaplain Visit: Chaplain Retires on a Blessing! By Chaplain Jim McMillan & Andy Meverden, Associate Director Good afternoon, Andy, Today I am honored to pray for you, Myra and…
Read MoreWhy We Changed Our Name
On February 16th, we changed our name from Conservative Baptist Association of America to Venture Church Network. This name change was not without careful consideration and a lot of prayer.…
Read MoreBe Strong and of Courage
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” For so many pastors and ministry…
Read MoreSeason of Uncertainty and Trouble: Chaplain shares message of hope with listening ears
Season of Uncertainty and Trouble: Chaplain shares message of hope with listening ears By John Hatfield, Chaplain, Rhode Island National Guard A man has joy by the answer of his…
Read MorePastor Quietly Returns to Pulpit after Military Deployment
Pastor Quietly Returns to Pulpit after Military Deployment By Greg Klein Staff Writer, The Daily Star It is a big deal for a church to send its pastor off on…
Read MoreMaking Airborne Disciples: Paratroopers Dig Deeper in God’s Word
Making Airborne Disciples: Paratroopers Dig Deeper in God’s Word By Sean Callahan, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC Our travel schedule remained as busy as ever for this quarter, but…
Read MoreWould He Have Ridden a Motorcycle? – Chaplain Reaches Bikers for Jesus
Would He Have Ridden a Motorcycle? – Chaplain Reaches Bikers for Jesus By Shawn Taylor, Motorcycle Chaplain, Phoenix, AZ The Christian Motorcycle Association has a pamphlet with the title; “He…
Read Morelessons on ministry longevity
Finishing Well: Associate Director shares lessons on ministry longevity By Andy Meverden, Associate Endorser Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the…
Read MoreNew Law Extends COVID Tax Credit
by Stephen Boersma, Ph.D. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is urging employers (including qualifying nonprofit organizations, to take advantage of the newly extended employer retention credit (ERC) designed to help…
Read MoreEaster 2021
In my 35 plus years of being a pastor, by far my favorite time of the church year is Easter. It’s when we get to gather as a body and…
Read MoreChaplain’s New Book, The Jezebel Syndrome
Chaplain’s New Book, The Jezebel Syndrome, Strikes Nerve at Navy Consolidated Brig, Miramar. By Chaplain Daniel Klender A primary objective of mine since arriving at Navy Consolidated Brig (NAVCONBRIG) Miramar…
Read MorePromoting Daddy: Chaplain’s Family organizes God-honoring celebration.
Promoting Daddy: Chaplain’s Family organizes God-honoring celebration. By Andy Meverden, Associate Endorser In Romans 12:15, Paul wrote:“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” 2020 was a uniquely…
Read MoreSpecial Announcement from our President
Throughout Scripture and history we see that when there was a time of uncertainty and fear, God often moved in amazing ways, demonstrating his power, transforming people and nations, taking…
Read MoreSpiritual Reality: Chaplain Leads Soldier to Christ Virtually
2020 was a difficult year for the students at The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) at the Presidio of Monterey (POM). Starting mid-March 2020, all the classes were…
Read MoreMinistry in Austerity: Making the Most out of a Difficult Situation
By Chaplain Sean Callahan, US Army, Middle East The greatest blessing this quarter has been to minister to our Paratroopers in a very austere environment in the Middle East. There…
Read MoreVeterans Day Ministry: Retired/Redeployed Chaplains Wear the Uniform with Pride
By Andy Meverden with updates from Chaplains, Colonel (Retired) Bob Hicks & Wylie Johnson One of my continuing duties as Associate Director of Chaplaincy is to scan chaplain reports and…
Read MoreMotorcycle Chaplain Vies for Dream Chopper: How cool is this?
By Shawn Taylor, Motorcycle Club Chaplain, Phoenix, AZ Brothers and Sisters in Christ I need your vote! I recently entered and was accepted for the chance to win a custom…
Read MoreInfantry Chaplain Still on Point: Trail Chaplain seeks the Lost on America’s Great TrailsBy
Dennis Newton, Chaplain, Colonel, US Army, Retired, current Trail Chaplain Chaplain Dennis Newton is known around the Appalachian Trail as “Trail Pilgrim.” After his retirement in 2015 from 35 years…
Read MoreKeeping Short Accounts: Chaplain on a Mission to Make Things Right
Chaplain Jason Dong, Oregon Army National Guard, Kosovo Dear Friends, “At least it wasn’t a person”. Those were the kind words of a Kosovo Serbian living in Southern Kosovo after…
Read MoreMobilized for Ministry: Guard Chaplain Points Soldiers to the Master
By Chaplain John Hatfield, Rhode Island National Guard Matthew 8:27 “… even the winds and the sea obey him!” This past quarter I have been blessed by the LORD in…
Read MoreDeployed Chaplain Encourages Local Missionary-Pastor in War-torn Balkans
By Chaplain Jason Dong, Oregon Army National Guard, Kosovo Dear Friends, Greetings! I hope this finds you well and standing on the promises of God day by day. COVID cases among…
Read MoreGrowing Through Adversity
”Growing Through Adversity” is a documentary in which several couples share their personal, often challenging, marriage experiences, to provide encouragement to others who want to build strong marriages. U.S. Army…
Read MoreC19 Prison Ministry Impact: Change of Pace and Venue
By Joel Van Sant, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Fort Dix, NJ Over the past 6 months, I have experienced a lot of change at Fort Dix. At the beginning of…
Read MoreCB Chaplains Team Up to Provide Ministry in Middle East
By Chaplain Tim Miller, New York Army National Guard, Middle East This quarter I was able to answer the call from CH (MAJ) Adam Kawaguchi to help provide religious support…
Read MoreLiving With the End in View: A Timely Book for the Miramar Brig
By Chaplain Dan Klender, USN, Miramar Marine Corps Naval Air Station While transiting back to the states from the British Indian Ocean Territories in October 2018, I spent ten days…
Read MorePandemic Ministry: Air Force Chaplains baptize and disciple despite challenges
By Chaplain Steve Kim, USAF, Sheppard AFB, TX Greetings Sir/Gentlemen, I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!!! The base commander had a fireworks show on base where we…
Read MoreRESPONSE TO RACIAL INJUSTICE
I have grieved over the murder of George Floyd and grieved for his family as he was laid to rest this past week. Outrage over the incident has spread across…
Read MoreCOVID19 Ministry: Reaching Airmen through Innovative Means
Chaplain Torrey Garrison, USAFR, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS Chaplain Torrey Garrison is a United States Air Force Reserve Chaplain Major assigned to RAF Mildenhall north of London. He is married…
Read MoreNew Dress Code for Hospital Chaplains: COVID-19 PPE
By Chaplain Gordon Ruddick, Peace Health Medical Center, Springfield, Oregon As chaplains, we’ve always been required to wear “business casual” to work. Still true. Now, though,  there’s a new addition.…
Read MoreHe Was There
Chaplain response to NAS Pensacola terrorist attack By Chaplain Nick Dewhurst, US Navy Reserve, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida On Friday December 6, 2019, there was an attack on students…
Read MoreIt’s Who You Know
Retired Chaplain Rivals the Energizer Bunny By Chaplain Bob Hicks, USAF, Retired & FBI Volunteer Cars, Taxis, & Walking CRU International Report 2019 Unlike years’ past, this 2019 found me…
Read MoreChat with Chaplain
Finding Hope in the Midst of Crisis By Chaplain Evan Spencer, Salem VA Medical Center, Salem, Virginia Here’s how one VA chaplain reaches out to confined patients…through closed circuit TV…
Read MoreKeeping Distance in Kosovo
COVID-19 impact on life and ministry By Chaplain Jason Dong, Oregon Army National Guard, Deployed Greetings from Kosovo! Unfortunately, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 occurred on one of our…
Read MoreJesus our Hero
Pastor-friend’s long-term prayer for chaplain-friend By Chaplain Greg Uvila, LCDR, US Navy,Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, WA Recently at the CBNW annual enrichment conference we experienced phenomenal preaching…
Read MoreMinistry in the Balkans
Guard chaplain supports peacekeepers in Kosovo By Chaplain Jason Dong, Oregon Army National Guard, Deployed Greetings from Kosovo! I hope this finds you in peace and good health. We arrived…
Read MoreLingering Longer with the Lord
Chaplain preps himself for divine duty By Chaplain Dan Wilton, Illinois Air National Guard, Deployed My first deployment was full of many wonderful demonstrations of God’s faithful presence and gracious…
Read MoreLittle Eyes Are Watching
How a Navy Chaplain’s wife supports her husband By Chaplain Jonathan Stephens, US Navy, 7th Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan When her first child was only six months old, Melissa’s husband received…
Read MoreLast-minute Good-byes
Text reply from recently released inmate By Jerry Levizon, Chaplain to female inmates, Pacific Northwest This New Year’s Day I woke up early to take Misty to the train station…
Read MorePersing Pioneer
by Phil Persing Whew! 2019 is now history! Reflecting on the past year,  it’s difficult to imagine that God could have packed any more excitement into it for our family. …
Read MoreUnorthodox Thanksgiving
Ten-hour Pass during Ranger School By Chaplain Sean Callahan, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina This year, Thanksgiving was quite unorthodox, both for our family and our ministry. I…
Read MoreWhere Do I Start?
From Local Church Ministry to Prison Chaplaincy By Chaplain Joel Van Sant, Federal Bureau of Prisons Where Do I Start? This is the question that was in the front of…
Read MoreOn the Verge of Something Great
Army Chaplains launch new ministry outreach By Chaplains Sean Callahan and Daniel Werho, US Army, Fort Bragg, NC Our greatest blessing this quarter has been the new Verge service launched…
Read MoreThe Highs and the Lows
Chaplain Reflects on Blessings and Challenges By Chaplain Roy Fondren, USN/USMC, Okinawa Greatest blessing of quarter… There are many; but I’ll zone in on one. As a former Marine Infantry…
Read MoreTouching Letters…Touching Lives
Ministry’s light in life’s darkest moments Subject: Touching Letters Dear Chaplain Meverden, Of all the thank-you letters I have received, this has touched me the most. The family requested me…
Read MoreG’day Mate!
US Navy Chaplain Ministers Down Under By Chaplain Ted Shields, US Navy, Australia “G’day mate!,” was the greeting I received when I walked in the chapel tent at Tiger Hill.…
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