Veterans' Ministry

Veterans’ Ministry at St. Andrew United Methodist Church,

Toms River, NJ

Serving Those Who Served Our Country

Great love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ~ John 15:13

The Veterans' Ministry of St. Andrew UMC, Toms River, NJ is a volunteer based Christian outreach program that strives to serve, honor and support our veterans.

We understand that military life can be stressful, so we strive to eliminate communication barriers and create an opportunity to unite all veterans.

We want to provide high-quality, compassionate and comprehensive services to all our veterans and their families by offering a wide range of services such as sending active military needed items to boost their morale. We will host discussions on cultivating good citizenship and principles of leadership in addition to reading scripture and praying for God’s guidance in our mission.

We want to extend to veterans our personal thanks and sincere appreciation for their contribution of honorable service to our country. May they know that their devotion to duty and a spirit of sacrifice in keeping with the proud tradition of military service is recognized, respected, and is a reflection of the type of personal character of the members we hope will join our mission.

Veterans Ministry News

There are some new and exciting things happening with the St. Andrew Veterans Ministry, and we are happy to share them with you!

Winter Warmth for Military Families: The Veterans Ministry is partnering with the Knit Wits to provide warm winter hats and scarves to military families at Joint Base Lakehurst, NJ. We invite all members of our congregation to participate in this special initiative by donating store-purchased hats and scarves by Sunday, November 8. Items may be for any age, from baby through adult. Donations may be placed in the bin located in the narthex clearly labeled for this purpose. Pastor will offer a special blessing for these gifts during our Veterans Day Ceremony on Sunday, November 8. Following the ceremony, Chaplain Mike Schaffer will deliver the donations to the base.

Cards of Thanks for Our Active Military: The Veterans Ministry is also asking members of our congregation to consider signing a card with a few heartfelt words of love, appreciation, and praise for the brave men and women who protect our freedom every day. Beginning Sunday, October 11 baskets containing cards and pens will be placed on each table in the rear of the church. Please feel free to take a card, write a personal message, and return the completed card to the basket. These cards will also receive a special blessing during our Veterans Day Ceremony. They will then be given to Operation Jersey Cares, where they will be included in care parcels sent to our active military members.

Patriotic Paint Party Fundraiser: Come join us for some fun and creativity at the St. Andrew Veterans Ministry Paint Party on Saturday, November 7, at 12:00 noon. The cost is $25.00, which includes all painting supplies and light refreshments. Wear messy clothes or bring an apron and get ready to create a patriotic canvas to proudly display in your home! No special artistic skills are required—just come ready to have fun! All proceeds from this fundraiser will be donated to the Wesley Theological Seminary Military Chaplaincy Program, helping support the education and preparation of those called to serve our military communities through chaplaincy.

Veterans Day Ceremony: This year's Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 8, at 10:00. Please bring your favorite veteran and/or a special photo or piece of memorabilia belonging to you or a veteran to share on the table in the narthex.

Veterans Ministry Atlantic City

Prime Time Travel hosted our Veterans at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on December 7,2025. What a wonderful occasion to honor our Veterans. Thank you goes out to Susan C. Camuso the President of Prime Time Travel for doing a fantastic job every year. Our Veterans “thank you” and see you next year on December 6, 2026. God bless our Veterans

Veterans' Ministry Brochure

St. Andrew UMC Serves, Honors and Supports Veterans

Click to Read the Article in The Relay on page 9

Our Veterans' Ministry is OPEN to all.

The Veterans’ Ministry strives to serve all military personnel, current and past. One way we accomplish this is to partner with veterans organizations. Three of these organizations are listed below. If you would like to financially support our Veterans' Ministry at St. Andrew UMC, you may choose to specify one of these programs or allow us to use your donation where we see fit.

Operations Jersey Cares mission is to help our troops overseas as well as the returning soldiers and Marines who have been wounded in combat. OJC sends packages to our men and women to let them know that America is behind their efforts and is also dedicated to helping the wounded. OJC is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit and a collection site for items requested by our troops. Items collected are included in care packages for our troops and veterans.

www.operationjerseycares.org

US War Dogs/K-9 Vets - War Dog Association seeks to support current and retired war dogs and their handlers through various venues including financial assistance, and support issues. They are a 501(c)( 3) nonprofit that collect items needed for our four legged service members.

www.uswardogs.org

Community Hope - helps veterans and their families overcome mental illness, addiction, homelessness, and poverty by providing housing and support services. Since 1985 they have restored hope to thousands.

www.communityhope-nj.org

Who We Are

The Veterans' Ministry had its beginning at St. John’s UMC in Hazlet, NJ, at a church service on Veterans Day, November 14, 2010. These wonderful events that remember and thank our veterans for their service continue every year and will now take place at St. Andrew UMC.

Founded by Sgt. David Nordt, US Army

What We Do

The Veterans’ Ministry takes pride in the commitment its members have to supporting, helping, and honoring all service members and families through the following activities:

Letters/Cards - our members write and send letters, as well as holiday cards to current military personnel. They also recruit others, such as school children, to participate

Visitations- St.Andrew Veterans' Ministry members schedule visits to home bound/institutionalized veterans

Services- special Sunday services that honor our military are planned and presented for Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day

Funerals - Presentations honoring their loved one are made to family members of deceased St. Andrew UMC veterans.

Our Veterans' Ministry strives to cultivate awareness of a variety of veterans causes and organizations.