Ready, Set, Go: Newly Commissioned Chaplain Flies Downrange to Serve Troops
By Greg Davis, Chaplain, USA Army

On April 7th, 2022, I become an Active-Duty Army Chaplain. Six weeks later, after we settled in our new home and received my issued gear, I said goodbye to my wife, Sarah Jo, and 1-year-old daughter, Ailee, and flew to Poland for my first-ever deployment. I spent 7 months there and returned in December 2022. God did amazing things while I was there. Here are some highlights from my time in Poland serving as the Battalion chaplain to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion.

I arrived right before Memorial Day. And this Memorial Day was incredibly special. We gathered that morning for a competition between the companies. The whole Battalion was there to support us, including our Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major. Before the event started, I had the opportunity to give a Memorial Day prayer. I read from 2 Samuel 1:25-26a where David laments in a poem over his best friend Jonathan, who was killed in battle. I then asked the group to say aloud the names of their fellow soldiers they lost in battle. When they spoke the names of their fallen soldiers out loud, one at a time, a special moment was created. A true memorial of our fallen. Someone told me later that that moment gave them chills. Starting off this way was a blessing from the Lord.

While on this rotation, we had Bible study and chapel every week. I preached through the gospel of Mark, verse by verse, every Sunday. We sang worship songs, read scripture, and recited the Apostles’ Creed. On Mondays, a godly First Lieutenant led our battalion bible study. We studied through Romans and 1 Corinthians while in Poland. God blessed him and his desire to make disciples. I saw him mentor and develop young Soldiers who wanted to learn how to follow Jesus. I am grateful for his faithfulness.

I also met with a few Soldiers one on one for discipleship. One of them professed faith in Christ after I shared the gospel with him. We met a few times, going through a discipleship curriculum to prepare him for baptism. I was greatly saddened when he stopped meeting with me and never returned to chapel. I even felt discouraged. But God was working. He brought another Soldier to our bible study. His name is Alex. I saw God do remarkable things in his heart. And now that we have returned, Alex has been faithfully attending chapel here on post and will be baptized on Easter Sunday. Praise God for his blessings!

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Join us in thanking God for Chaplain Davis’s faithful and fruitful ministry in his first unit of assignment. Pray for the Spirit’s guidance as he leads this ministry team. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to continue bringing in new Chaplain candidates to carry the torch of future ministry.

For more stories by and about Venture Churches’ chaplaincy opportunities, military and civilian, visit Chaplaincy – Venture Church Network (venturechurches.org). For information on endorsement, email Randy Brandt, Director, at r.brandt@venturechurches.org.