attend services in the communities near the
installation when their particular faith group is
not represented aboard the command; or the
commanding officer may invite a civilian member
of the clergy to conduct services on the station
to meet the needs of these individuals; or lay
reader programs may be authorized.
SPECIAL RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Occasionally the use of command chapel
facilities may be authorized for special religious
services, such as weddings, special memorial
services, or funerals. When these events are
planned in advance, they can be given both
financial support by the appropriated fund and
personnel support by the chaplain and RP staff.
If some types of services cannot be planned in
advance, such as a funeral service or a special
memorial service, many details may need to be
attended to quickly, and normal office routine
may be interrupted. For example, based on
previous similar experiences, the leading RP may
need to assign all RPs to certain duties on short
notice or call personnel back from leave or
liberty. The exact cost of these special services
cannot be calculated ahead of time; therefore, the
amount budgeted should be based on the average
amount of money required for these services in
previous years.
SEASONAL RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Seasonal religious services, such as Yom
Kippur, Passover, Holy Days of Obligation, Lent,
Advent, and Christmas, should be planned well
in advance. Watch bills, leave schedules, budgets,
and other planning are all affected by seasonal
religious services.
RELIGIOUS LITERATURE
PROGRAM
The religious literature program is a very
valuable part of the Command Religious
Program. The literature provided should be
monitored by the chaplain and Religious Program
Specialists to ensure that the types of books,
pamphlets, and tracts supplied are meeting the
desires and needs of the people. Decisions and
plans involving life, religious faith, career,
finances, marriage, or personal relationships are
often influenced by something an individual reads
at the time he or she is trying to determine the
proper course of action. The religious literature
program can be helpful and effective only if it
meets the needs of all of the people it serves. The
following procedures should be employed to make
the religious literature program more effective.
l Offer a variety of material in strategic
places, such as Navy Exchange bulletin boards,
literature racks in work spaces, lounge areas,
passageways, and waiting areas at hospitals and
clinics.
l Change the material often. Make sure that
the material displays are well organized and
appealing to the eyes.
l Monitor supply and usage so that money
will not be spent on materials that will not be used.
l Provide a system whereby personnel can
comment on the type of literature provided. A
note box near the literature racks with some type
of response form or questionnaire similar to the
one in figure 2-1 is an effective method. This will
enable individuals to indicate whether the material
meets their needs or to request material in other
areas of interest to them.
PASTORAL VISITATION
Command-directed pastoral visitation pro-
grams should include visits to command personnel
in the hospital, in the brig, and to those assigned
in the field. The leading RP should assist the
chaplain in scheduling these visits so that they
effectively support planned military objectives.
Flexibility is required, because many times these
visits are necessary on short notice; for example,
a command member maybe confined to the brig
from Captains Mast, or a command member may
be involved in an automobile accident and be
hospitalized for treatment. The chaplain may
schedule blocks of time on a regular basis,
specifically for visiting the work space or for
visiting personnel in the hospital or brig.
PASTORAL COUNSELING
The chaplain is concerned with the well-being
of all command personnel and their families and
is available to counsel and advise individuals on
religious, personal, and morale matters as well as
other areas of concern. In the performance of
their duties, chaplains provide counseling to
personnel and their families to assist them in times
of bereavement, domestic crisis, and when
2-3