NEWS

Sara Iles 6/10/20 Sara Iles 6/10/20

SOME MORE RESOURCES SHARED HERE, TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR MINISTRY...

Revd Meg Burton, Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Free Churches, has been writing, gathering in, compiling and sharing a range of supportive and informative communications with Healthcare Chaplains. Although these are primarily aimed at those working in healthcare chaplaincy, many others may find the content encouraging and helpful in their life and ministry.

There is:

Hope in Crisis
Bereavement Toolkit [in the context of COVID-19]
Losing a colleague during the Coronavirus outbreak (from NHS England)
Leading during bereavement and complex grief (NHS guidance)

You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.

Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.

(photo courtesy of Imam Abiyyu at Unsplash)

Sara Iles 6/10/20 Sara Iles 6/10/20

Hope in Crisis

Vivienne Manley, a Specialist Maternity Services & Palliative Care Services Chaplain, has shared a newly produced booklet, entitled Hope in Crisis, with our Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy, Revd Meg Burton.

The booklet has been carefully put together and sensitively written; it has already been a great comfort to many.

Concerning the booklet, Revd Ian Inglis (a hospital chaplain) writes: “It’s such a beautifully presented booklet and [healthcare] staff have found it a joy and inspiration, even when they personally haven’t lost someone, but they are coping with the pain, suffering and loss of patients on the wards so much. I suspect that some have also found the booklets helpful when we have lost staff members as well.”

We are grateful to Vivienne for sharing this resource with us. Please feel free to share this booklet and may it be a comfort to those it reaches.

(photo courtesy of Arto Marttinen at Unsplash)

Sara Iles 6/4/20 Sara Iles 6/4/20

Some more resources shared here, to support you in your ministry...

There is:

an adaptation of Psalm 23 for health staff;

a poem based on the hymn ‘I cannot tell’;

a poignant reflection entitled ‘The visitor’.

You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.

Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.

(photo courtesy of Flash Alexander at Unsplash)

Thandar Tun 6/3/20 Thandar Tun 6/3/20

Webinar: Reflective Practice: a Pathway to the Heart

““Thanks very much for this helpful and encouraging session.””

We’ve talked to a lot of chaplains and other leaders recently, and understand something of the range of new pressures that the Coronavirus pandemic has brought with it. These pressures and challenges have opened up new opportunities for many people, but there has been little time to stop and reflect.

On 2nd June, the Free Churches Group held a webinar on Reflective Practice, attended by over 60 chaplains and pastoral workers from a range of setting. Even if you were unable to attend the event earlier in June, you still have the chance to take some time out and reflect on your own work. You will find the link below to recording of the webinar session. This will hopefully give you the opportunity to take a bit of time out for yourself – time to ponder, time to think, and time to learn how to embed reflective practice in your ministry. Here’s some feedback from those who took part:

“The session made me look again at the way I’ve been working over the last few months, and I realised I just haven’t stopped. Now I know I need to stop: I need to make space to reflect and to find the hooks on which to hang the bags I’ve been carrying.”

“I would have burnt out in ministry a long time ago had it not been for reflective practice/supervision. I'd encourage people to find the places and safe spaces that are possible for them.”

If you missed the live webinar, you can now watch the recording, using the link HERE. You will need to use this password: 1n#7=O$e

It’s about 80 minutes long, with the main presentation lasting about an hour.

Documents to accompany the webinar are available here, including copies of the PowerPoint slides used in the presentation.
Participants’ Guide
Clouds document
Reflective Practice PowerPoint
Reflective Practice Pdf of PowerPoint

Who is it for? Chaplains in healthcare, prison or education settings, or any other setting; Christian leaders; anyone who is interested in ways of engaging with others in a pastoral situation.

Our presenter: Mark Stobert is Lead Chaplain to Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) and came into post in November 2018 having previously been a healthcare chaplain for over 25 years in the West Midlands. Mark is currently studying for a Doctorate in Practical Theology (DPT) using critical reflection to explore the chaplaincy practice of creating ‘Safe Space for Slow Questions’ with patients, visitors and staff of CUH.

“A ‘Slow question’ is a question that can’t be replied to by a fast answer. Sometimes there are no answers but in asking it can be enough just to be understood. Sometimes the slow question is simply, ‘Why?’ Sometimes it is the nagging or delicate thought that can only be voiced when it is safe to do so.”

““Thank you for the Reflective Practice Session. I thoroughly enjoyed it.””

““Very beneficial””

Thandar Tun 5/20/20 Thandar Tun 5/20/20

The Law Around Organ Donation is Changing

The law around organ donation is changing and providing the key details on:
• The law change and how it will change organ donation and transplantation
• What the law change will mean in the current context of COVID-19
• What we’ve been doing to reassure people who want their faith/beliefs to be respected if their family were approached about organ donation.

We’re asking all stakeholders to show their support by sharing assets, like the video and other assets available at this link.

The details is available to download here.