The Defender Church Network

Equipping churches to serve military members, veterans, spouses, and families through practical training, biblical care, and military ministry resources.

Become a Partner Church

Understand Military Culture

Learn the unique challenges military families face during deployment, PCS moves, transitions, crisis, and reintegration.

Build Effective Care Ministries

Develop volunteer teams, support systems, and ministry pathways that help military families feel seen, loved, and valued.

Access Ready-to-Use Resources

Download templates, ministry guides, training materials, referral pathways, and practical tools you can implement immediately.

The Defender Church Network gives your church immediate access to military ministry training, care resources, volunteer development tools, and implementation guides designed specifically for churches serving military communities.

What’s Included

  • Military culture, terminology, challenges, and opportunities.

  • How to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and connect families with support.

  • Printableables, forms, social graphics, prayer guides, and ministry templates.

  • Prepare greeters, pastors, care teams, and volunteers to serve military families confidently.

Choose Your Partnership Level

The Defender Church Network is built on partnership, not transactions.

All churches are welcome to access our core training resources regardless of financial capacity. We never want finances to prevent a church from serving military families.

The partnership levels below represent suggested monthly giving amounts for churches that desire to invest in and sustain the mission of Defenders of Resilience while receiving expanded training, coaching, and implementation support.

If your church would like to participate but these giving levels are not currently possible, please contact us. We would be honored to work with you.

Together, we can ensure military families continue receiving life-changing support, care, and hope.

LIBERTY PARTNER

Small Churches

(0–150 average attendance)

✓ Foundations Training

✓ Resource Library

✓ Monthly Updates

Suggested Partnership Gift: $100/month

VALOR PARTNER

Growing Churches

(150–500 attendance)

✓Everything in Liberty plus:

✓Volunteer Training

✓Deployment & Reintegration Training

✓Crisis Awareness Training

✓Military Ministry Planning Tools

✓Quarterly Training Events

Suggested Partnership Gift: $250/month

Established Churches

(500–1500 attendance)

Everything in Valor plus:

✓Military Ministry Launch Framework

✓Care Team Development

✓Small Group Resources

✓Leadership Training Library

✓Quarterly Group Coaching

Suggested Partnership Gift: $500/month

FREEDOM PARTNER

Multi-Campus Churches

Large Churches

Regional Ministry Hubs

Everything in Freedom plus:

✓Annual Strategic Ministry Consultation

✓Priority Support

✓Custom Military Ministry Development Plan

✓Staff Training Session

✓Co-Branded Military Ministry Resources

✓First Access to New Programs

✓Recognition as a Defender Church Network Anchor Partner

Suggested Partnership Gift: $1000/month

PATRIOT PARTNER

LEGACY PARTNER

For churches that want to help build

this nationally.

Includes everything in Patriot plus:

✓Direct relationship with Defenders leadership

✓Annual leadership roundtable

✓National recognition

✓Input on future training resources

✓Priority collaboration opportunities

✓Sponsor military ministry scholarships for smaller churches

Suggested Partnership Gift: $2500/month

Upcoming Events

  • Military Ministry 101 Training

    07.20 7:00-8:00PM

    Learn the fundamentals of military culture, including the unique challenges service members, veterans, spouses, and military children face throughout the military lifecycle. This training equips churches to better understand, connect with, and effectively serve military families in their community. RSVP to join us for our foundation course.

    RSVP

  • Supporting Military Spouses

    8.17 7:00-8:00PM

    Military spouses often carry the weight of deployment, reintegration, frequent relocations, and raising families far from their support systems. This training helps church leaders and volunteers recognize those challenges and create meaningful opportunities for connection, encouragement, and discipleship.

    RSVP

  • Building a Church Care Team

    9.21 7:00-8:00PM

    A strong care ministry creates a culture where people feel seen, supported, and valued during life's most difficult seasons. This training provides a framework for developing volunteers, establishing care pathways, and building a sustainable team equipped to serve military families and the broader church community.

    RSVP

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Defender Church Network is a training and resource platform designed to equip churches to effectively serve active-duty service members, veterans, military spouses, military children, and military families through practical ministry tools, education, and support.

  • Not at all. Many churches begin with little or no experience serving military families. Our training is designed to help churches at every stage, from first steps to fully developed military ministries.

  • No. Military families live and worship in communities across the country. Whether your church is located near a major installation or not, the principles and resources provided through this network can help you better serve military-connected individuals and families.

  • Military families face unique challenges including deployments, frequent relocations, reintegration, isolation, and mental health struggles. The local church has an incredible opportunity to provide stability, discipleship, community, and hope during these seasons.

  • Partner churches receive access to military ministry training, volunteer development resources, care ministry tools, downloadable resources, implementation guides, crisis awareness training, and ongoing support from Defenders of Resilience.

  • No. The partnership levels represent suggested monthly giving amounts based on church size and capacity. Our goal is to remove barriers and equip churches to serve military families well, regardless of financial circumstances.

  • We never want finances to prevent a church from learning how to better serve military families. If your church desires to participate but has financial limitations, please contact us so we can discuss available options.

  • Yes. We encourage pastors, ministry leaders, care team members, volunteers, and church staff to participate in the training together to maximize impact throughout your congregation.

  • Defenders of Resilience provides faith-based pastoral counseling, peer support, crisis intervention, resource navigation, and referrals to licensed clinical professionals when appropriate. We are not a replacement for emergency services or clinical mental health treatment.

  • Absolutely. Our mission includes serving active-duty military members, National Guard, Reservists, veterans, military spouses, military children, and military families.

  • Yes. Our training, resources, and partnership opportunities are specifically designed to help churches build, strengthen, and sustain military-focused ministries and care initiatives.

  • Churches can join The Defender Church Network, participate in training opportunities, support military families within their congregation, partner with Defenders of Resilience, and help expand military ministry efforts within their community.

  • We believe the local church is one of the most effective places for military families to find hope, healing, discipleship, and community. By equipping churches, we can expand support far beyond what any single organization could accomplish alone.