Centurion's Guild

about this project

What is Centurion's Guild?

Centurion's Guild is a community of past and present service members from every branch of the US Armed Forces who are wrestling with how to serve God and country (in that order). We engage in conversations about Church & state with fellow soldiers who struggle with what it means to be a Christian in a time of war, particularly in reference to engaging in combat. We try to be a place in which needed conversations can occur so that our brothers and sisters in uniform can live more at peace with their (at times conflicting) allegiances to God and country. 

We are very aware that patriotism can be a polarizing issue for Christians in the military and not; love of country can be a lightning rod for pacifists and patriots alike. This incredible tension often silences our communities -important questions fail to be asked, and those who serve often feel isolated and alone in their moral discernment. Social instability is rampant in the military and veteran populations; suicide, for example, is higher for veterans than it is for any other social demographic in our country, and it is at a higher rate than ever before recorded.

Here at Centurion’s Guild, we are at the front line of this clash of convictions, and we hear time and again that silence is betrayal. In the midst of an increasingly polemicized populace, the Guild exists as a place for deliberate and mutually affirming conversation. We are not here to convert anyone; we're just here to communicate. Sometimes folks are seeking conscientious objector status by the time they are in touch with us, or other times they feel led to as a result of our conversations, but not always. In fact, one of our founders is still actively serving in the US Navy. Our only agenda is sharing information and first hand experience, to promote clarity of thought and to help other warriors find and remain connected to God. We are inclusive of patriots and pacifists alike; we firmly believe that the diversity of Christian witness is a strength, not a stumbling block. The Guild exists in the place between Church and state, between religion and politics, a waypoint for fellow centurions discerning the shades of grey between faith and service.

Why are we Raising Funds?

Several of us have been committed to this ministry since its conception in 2008, but the work load is getting harder and harder to keep pace with. Some of us have studies, families, or deployments that keep us from interacting with other service members of faith as frequently as we'd like. This campaign will help us develop our ad-hoc community into a more concrete ministry capable of supporting fellow military personnel (and, by extension, their families and congregations) who are trying to figure out how to live authentically in the midst of military service. Our primary objective with this campaign in particular is to create an online hub that can inform, enrich, and connect people of faith with an interest in military service.

Money raised here will be put toward developing a web presence and structure capable of spreading the good news that nobody is alone in the effort to live faithfully in the midst of a world at war. Priority will be arranged in this way;

1) Website branding & construction – Currently, all of our online content is spread across a number of sites thrown haphazardly onto our blog (www.centurionsguild.org). For a complete overhaul of our content, digital design and development firm Cross & Crown (www.cacpro.com) has donated the equivalent of over half their fee. Optimizing our online presence will help us connect with more people more effectively, making many of our resources available in one place for individuals and communities.

2) Care packages for the troops – We send care packages to past and present military personnel and their immediate family members throughout the year. We include our tee shirts (http://on.fb.me/tHm0fo) and newsletters (www.scribd.com/centurionsguild) in these packages, as well as other donated goodies like DVDs, CDs, and books, all free to recipients. However, printing hard copies of our community newsletter, and ordering tee shirts cost money. Individual members have covered costs in the past, but with tuition and family related expenses mounting, we could use your help. We’ve heard back from a number of recipients who have told us that these resources gave them things to consider, offered new insights to old questions, and, most importantly, were profoundly encouraging to receive.

3) New resources such as pamphlets, buttons, etc. – We are always thinking through other ways to help those who serve think more deeply about faith and service. Any additional funds we collect will go directly back into developing other initiatives, such as pamphlets, buttons, scholarships, etc. If you have an idea, feel free to share!

You can help!

Of course, you can always donate; your contribution is tax-deductible and goes directly to The Simple Way, our fiscal sponsor. Any money collected over our stated goal will still go to develop existing or potential initiatives that directly support our nation's service men and women. But we need your voice as much as we do other resources. Spread the word about Centurion's Guild to someone in your life that has been affected by their military service; maybe they are a friend or a member of your own family. We all have the ability to positively influence those with hidden wounds of war - Centurion's Guild hopes to magnify those gifts in local communities and congregations, but it starts with you. Whether you give five dollars to us or five minutes to someone you care for, it's all needed and appreciated. We hope you will partner with us in this work.

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• Follow us on Twitter @CenturionsGuild

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