October 2024: Sharing your faith in the military; OCF membership trends; and OCF ministry news

Show Notes

OCF MINISTRY NEWS 

• Job opening at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy: Contact PK Carlton ([email protected]) or Marci Morris ([email protected]) for more info, or visit ocfusa.org/job-openings to learn more about and apply for the opening at USCGA. Applications are open until 31 Oct.  

• In His Service Retreat for women in uniform: Visit events.navigators.org/women-in-uniform-in-his-service-retreat-2024 for more details about this retreat coming up in Jefferson, Texas. 

• OCF Mid-Atlantic & Northeast Fall Retreat: Visit whitesulphursprings.org/events to learn more and register, and email any questions to the Chiaravallottis at [email protected].    

• Winter Retreats at OCF Conference Centers: Visit whitesulphursprings.org/winter-retreat to register for one of White Sulphur Springs’ Winter Retreat sessions, or visit springcanyon.org/winter-retreat to register for one of Spring Canyon’s Winter Retreat sessions. 

ASK OCF 

LTC Ryan Wainwright, USA (Ret.), who serves as the Assistant Director of Field Operations, answered this question from another OCFer: Is our membership expanding or contracting? 

OCF isn’t just for military officers—anyone sincerely able to sign the Statement of Faith and Participation and agree with the OCF Biblical Guidelines for Member Conduct can become a member of OCF. To become a member, first acknowledge your agreement with the Statement of Faith, then visit ocfusa.org/join to fill out the form.  

If you have a question that you want us to consider for a future “Ask OCF” segment, send an email to [email protected]. 

GUEST SPOTLIGHT 

Today’s guest spotlight features Col PK Carlton, USAF (Ret.), who currently serves as OCF's Director of Field Staff. In this role, he focuses on the care and engagement for our Field Staff at the four Service Academies and our Gateway ministries at Leavenworth and Maxwell.  

PK and his wife Lindsey have served as Local Leaders across their Air Force career, later serving as Ministry Team at USAFA that led to them leading the USAFA ministry for two years. They love having cadets over and mentoring young officers and have a heart for the Field Staff and their families that serve our key ministries. 

Earlier this year, PK led a retreat session for USAFA cadets at Spring Canyon (springcanyon.org) to unpack this frequently asked question in OCF circles: “How do I evangelize in uniform?” PK joined us on Crosspoint to share some of the encouragement he gave those cadets and to share his own testimony as well. 

If you would like to share your own story, complete the form on OCF’s “Be a Guest” webpage. Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic we should consider for a future episode of the show, send an email to [email protected]. 

POINTS TO PONDER 

As you listen to this conversation with PK, here are a few questions to ponder in your personal time, with a small group, or with a mentor: 

1. How do you feel about evangelism, and what experiences have shaped your impression?  

2. Why is it important to keep Matthew 5:16 and Romans 10:14 in mind when thinking about sharing your faith? 

3. Who might be able to mentor you in evangelism? 

4. What techniques have you found work well for sharing your own testimony?