Have you ever thought about the fact that there are 30.1 million veterans and their family members living in the United States right now — and most of them have never been invited to church? One 82-year-old Army veteran named Sonny put it plainly after he finally heard the gospel: “I went 82 years of my life. These people are supposed to be giving me the gospel.”

That statement should stop every one of us in our tracks.

The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 commands us to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Veterans are a mission field hiding in plain sight — and the church has largely missed them.

The Problem: We’re Not Reaching Veterans

Veterans make up about 6% of the national population. If the percentage of veterans sitting in your church pews is lower than that, it means we’re not reaching the veterans in our area. And we need to work on that.

Here’s what makes this even more urgent: there are more than 45,501 veteran-specific organizations in the United States. The VFW, the DAV, the American Legion, the Marine Corps League — they’ve all recognized this distinct subculture. The courts have recognized it, creating more than 600 veteran courts across the country. There’s an entire hospital system that exists largely because of the distinct difference in veteran healthcare needs. Even Bible colleges are beginning to recognize it, with institutions like Boston Baptist College now offering a degree path with an emphasis on veteran ministries.

And then there’s this sobering reality: the fastest growing religion among active duty and veteran populations is the Nordic religion — because it places an emphasis on the warrior mentality. Meanwhile, our Bible tells us specifically in Ephesians 6:12 that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” We are in a literal war, and we need people with a warrior mentality in our churches to press forward in that fight. We’re losing them to the enemy, and we can’t afford to stay silent.

Why Veterans Are “Low Hanging Fruit”

It’s been said — and rightly so — that veterans wear military hats and shirts out in the community not for recognition, but so they can identify each other. That built-in connection is a soul winner’s dream.

Think about the most difficult part of soul winning today — building a genuine relationship with someone that opens the door to share the gospel. For veterans, that precursor is already built in. Walk up to someone wearing an Army cap, ask where they served, when they were there, maybe razz them a little — and the door is already open. Hand them an invite card and say something like, “It’s nothing more than a bunch of veterans getting together, looking at the Bible, drinking coffee, and lying to each other most of the time. But we’d love to have you come out.”

Nine times out of ten, you’ll see them — because they’re looking for that same camaraderie.

The Numbers Make the Case

Consider this: youth ministries across the country serve approximately 25 million young people — and most every church has one. The veteran population, when you include spouses and children living at home, is larger than that. We’re talking about 15.8 million veterans, 11.8 million spouses, and 2.5 million children. That’s 30.1 million people.

And here’s the thing — when a veteran family comes to church, every ministry grows. The youth group grows. The children’s ministry grows. The ladies’ groups grow. It feeds every other ministry of the church.

Real Stories, Real Results

Sonny is a perfect example of low hanging fruit. Shortly after beginning the Disciple Veteran ministry at one local church, a veteran named Larry was out at Lowe’s wearing his ball cap. Sonny was walking around wearing his Army ball cap. Larry walked up, struck up a conversation, and handed Sonny an invite card with the plan of salvation printed on the back.

Sonny’s wife Paula asked him, “Sonny, you’re 82 years old. You’ve never gone to church before. Why now?” He said, “Because nobody’s ever invited me to church before.”

Two weeks after attending his first Disciple Veteran meeting, Sonny got saved. And now he’s at every service, growing in the Lord — and a little fired up about the 82 years he went without anyone sharing the gospel with him.

Then there’s Stephen — a Marine veteran dealing with tumors from firefighting foam exposure, who had already been through eight brain surgeries. He was desperate enough that he Googled “veteran and hope.” He found the Disciple Veteran ministry website. When someone went to visit him face to face, they discovered Stephen had a gun in his hand, ready to end his life. Through the ministry, through relationship-building, Stephen trusted Christ as his Savior. His wife — a pastor’s kid who had drifted from the Lord — got right with God. They were both baptized and are now faithfully plugged into their local church.

There is a Sonny, a Stephen, and a Larry in every single one of our communities. They’re not going to come to us. But if we throw the net out through this ministry, we’re going to see not just veterans, but their entire families — a whole subculture we haven’t been reaching.

How to Get Started

The good news is you don’t have to figure this out alone. Disciple Veteran began in 2017 out of necessity, and today there are approximately 70 different ministries across the country in various stages of operation. Everything provided through Disciple Veteran is completely free to churches — the curriculum, the resources, the training — all of it.

Here’s a simple path forward:

  1. Identify your leader. He’s going to be a little rough around the edges. He’s solid in his beliefs, but he may not be the guy you’d pick to lead a children’s Sunday school class — and that’s okay. You want someone who can relate to veterans, someone who can grab a guy by the collar and say, “Hey, where were you at on Sunday?” — and have that guy do the same right back.
  2. Use the resources available. The Disciple Veteran website provides a step-by-step guide to starting a ministry, a county-by-county veteran population map, printable invite cards with the plan of salvation on the back, referral cards for your congregation to fill out with names of unchurched veterans they know, and 81 lessons across six different studies — all written in veteran lingo, in the King James Bible, and available for free download.
  3. Connect and stay connected. You are not doing this alone. Disciple Veteran leaders are available around the clock to answer questions, help vet potential leaders, and even make phone introductions to local agencies on your behalf.

Life Application: Next Steps for Your Church

  1. Pray specifically for the veterans in your community by name, if you know them — and ask God to open your eyes to those you haven’t met yet.
  2. Look up your county on the Disciple Veteran website to find out how many veterans live in your area and whether your church is reaching them proportionally.
  3. Carry an invite card. Put it in your pocket. Go to Lowe’s. Look for the ball caps. You already have more in common with that veteran than you think.
  4. Fill out a referral card at your church. Every person reading this knows at least one unchurched veteran. Write down their name and give your church’s veteran ministry leader a ready-made list of people to visit.
  5. Talk to your pastor about starting or supporting a Disciple Veteran ministry. It costs nothing. It feeds every ministry in the church. And it may be the reason someone like Sonny finally hears the gospel before it’s too late.

We owe it to them — not only because of the Great Commission, but because but for the grace of God and the service of these veterans, we wouldn’t have the freedom to have these conversations at all. Let’s go get them.