RESOURCES

We have seen the course spread rather rapidly across the UK and used in quite surprising places. YAY!

I produced an A5 advert that captures the essence of the Chaplaincy Everywhere Course. Please feel free to use it to advertise the course in your church.

Download the Chaplaincy Everwhere Course A5 Flyer

One of the great ways we have been able to share a vision for lay chaplaincy is to get the stories from the Chaplaincy Everywhere Exhibition into people’s hands. In the Manchester & Stockport District we printed 1000 A5 booklets and gave them away. It has really encouraged people to think about their own potential to develop as a lay chaplain.

I produced a generic A5 booklet for general release and encourage you to get it printed and share the stories.

Download the Chaplaincy Everywhere A5 Booklet

The Chaplaincy Everywhere Exhibition is now available as a simple PowerPoint presentation.

Download the Chaplaincy Everywhere Exhibition as a PowerPoint file.

You can use which ever stories you want and apply transitions to suit your situation.

Session seven of the Chaplaincy Everywhere Course is an essential guide to setting up and establishing a chaplaincy team. It promises lots of forms. The negotiating access form is the first to be finalised and gives you a flavour of what is to come.

In the spirit of the open source movement, if you notice ways in which the form might be improved then we would love to hear your thoughts.

Download the Negotiating Access form

We have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have been using the Chaplaincy Everywhere Course around the country. We have also been astonished by the real chaplaincy expressions that are resulting from some of the groups working through the material. A few people have asked for a certificate. We have obliged and if you find it helpful then do please download it.

Print it on some nice card and distribute to those who have participated in the course!

Chaplaincy Everywhere Course Certificate

I know that most of you have probably got your Lenten courses sorted! However, in case you were still scrambling around for something then consider working with the first five sessions of the Chaplaincy Everywhere Course. Here are some words that might form the basis of an advert.

The Chaplaincy Everywhere Course: Lenten Study Group

Or, if you think that the word “chaplaincy” is going to alienate people then call it:

The Church Beyond the Walls: Lenten Study Group

This Lenten course consists of five dynamic Bible studies about the church beyond the walls. Each week provides an opportunity for Bible study, personal reflection, group conversation and deep questions. The study course looks at Christ’s ministry, the mission of the early church, the radical beginnings of the Methodist Church and contemporary stories about God’s people in today’s world. The course dispels some of the myths that surround chaplaincy and re-imagines this vibrant ministry for the 21^st century as something every church can participate in.

A small group resource for nurturing engagement in God’s mission through chaplaincy.

The course can now be downloaded for free at www.methodist.org.uk/chaplaincyeverywhere

We are so excited about the potential of the Chaplaincy Everywhere Exhibition to inspire the church around the UK and throughout the rest of the world.

As well as the physical exhibition, which is available to use in your churches, we have put together a simple pdf which features all the stories, insights and images.

The booklet has been designed in a very simple way because we want churches to be able to print and use the stories in small groups and other appropriate settings. We have already been using the stories in small group settings as conversation starters. The stories are prompting some strong reactions as people begin to imagine themselves engaging in chaplaincy in their own community! It has shown us again how powerful simple stories can be.

Download the chaplaincy everywhere exhibition.

The President of the Methodist Conference, Rev Leo Osborn has been speaking a lot about chaplaincy during his presidential year.

At the recent South East District Synod, held on 21st April 2012, Leo used his keynote address to talk about chaplaincy in a church shaped for mission. His notes focus on reading the story of the road to Emmaus through the lens of chaplaincy.

Download the PDF: Chaplaincy in a church shaped for mission by Rev Leo Osborn

Putting chaplaincy in context

It is very easy to place things in the wrong category and therefore miss what that thing truly is! I often think that chaplaincy is misplaced and therefore not seen for exactly what it is. Chaplaincy is AWESOME and should be categorised as such!

The mission of God is the context for everything. The renewal and recreation of the world, reconnecting everything through Christ. This is God’s work in the ongoing life of the universe and our lives are not only caught up in the process of renewal and reconnection but we are also called to participate in God’s mission as co labourers, collaborators, even co-conspirators.

Chaplaincy is therefore a dynamic and vigorous expression of God’s mission - it really is! Not only that, but chaplains might be described as thoughtful, reflective and grounded practitioners. That is how I have come to think of them!

The future of chaplaincy : Four themes

As I dream about future forms of chaplaincy around the United Kingdom and beyond, I see four themes emerging and I believe this is where the innovation in chaplaincy lies. From here on, I will use the language of we, because this is very much the collective dream of those who shape the Chaplaincy Development Project.

Firstly, we have the privilege of meeting chaplains all over the country who find themselves ministering in every kind of situation. We really want to honour established chaplains and chaplaincies and we want to see many more of them in the years ahead! Their stories need to be heard and the insights they share need to be taken to heart. Sadly, chaplains are often isolated from each other and from their local church community. 

We believe that one emerging theme encourages a new openness between the various disciplines of chaplaincy and seeks to synthesise our collective learning and experience. This new perspective will help the church to better respond to new opportunities as we ask the question: In the light of what we have learnt from one another, what does chaplaincy look like here? The first innovation might be describes as encouraging openness across disciplines, synthesis and responsiveness locally.

Secondly,  we want to see much much more  lay led, part time and voluntary chaplaincy. Again, this is not the end of full time paid chaplaincy, and certainly isn’t a response to the tightening of budgets. It is actually about the liberation of the church to be among people beyond the walls of our buildings! Chaplaincy is so malleable and therefore we believe that we will see more people finding a place where they might serve as a chaplain. The second innovation is therefore about the empowerment of people to participate in God’s mission within the understanding and discipline of chaplaincy.  

Thirdly, we want to see chaplaincy emerge from the heart of every congregation! Chaplaincy is a core part of what it means to be a local church in a specific place. We hope that chaplaincy will be understood as being core to Church life, not the peripheral activity of a few. We also want to encourage a culture of chaplaincy in local churches, where the minstry of chaplaincy informs the witness of every disciple of Jesus Christ wherever they find themselves! The third innovation might be described as bringing chaplaincy into the centre of Church life.

Fourthly, we want to see the various streams of chaplaincy connected at a deeper level. Where foundational skills and concepts can be shared and strengthened and where we can learn from the work of one another. We also believe that chaplaincy is done best when it is ecumenical, in other words, as an expression of the church in an area.

We also believe that a broad network of chaplaincy could benefit everyone, especially when the spirit of  open source working practices are alive and well. In other words, we share our best work with one another! In this way we hope that another future innovation of chaplaincy is both seen in collaboration and generosity.

We hope that chaplaincy will spread far and wide among the local church. We certainly believe that it is a powerful expression of the mission of God which will change the chaplain, the church and the world. Let’s spread the word about chaplaincy and engage in God’s mission!