Kendal town centre lay chaplaincy
The Chaplaincy Development Project is an initiative of the Methodist Church encouraging “Chaplaincy Everywhere”. The project is working with the Cumbria District for one year in order to promote and initiate new expressions of chaplaincy from local congregations as well as to affirm and support existing chaplaincy work.
We are seeking to encourage members of local congregations to volunteer a few hours on a regular basis to work in chaplaincy teams outside Church buildings by getting alongside people wherever they may gather or work within their local community, such as in retail centres, schools, colleges, leisure and health centres or homes that support vulnerable people as well as with local employers.
The project can resource local chaplaincy teams with specialist knowledge and experience, training, identifying volunteers, practical help which may include budgeting and establishing funds, access to national chaplaincy networks and resources, examples of ‘good practice’ and creative approaches to evaluating the ministry of chaplaincy. The main resource is the presence of a Chaplaincy Development Project Officer, who walks alongside churches and circuits seeking to establish chaplaincy from the heart of the congregation.
Chaplains are guests within organisations and other defined communities and so we support people locally to put in place everything that results in well-equipped and supported volunteers and which provides chaplaincy ‘hosts’ (such as College Principals etc.) with the confidence that the chaplaincy will be of value to them. This can include help in negotiating access to settings in which a small team might minister.
We work with local churches, circuits and the District to establish, embed and support chaplaincy so that what we do in the short, but intensive year will be sustained far beyond the involvement of the project.
One of the aims of the project is to help to encourage experienced and accredited chaplains to mentor and support volunteer lay chaplains. There may be existing regional chaplaincy networks and we seek to link local churches with these supportive communities.
We also work with established chaplaincies to reflect upon their ministry and assist in their consideration of future vision and direction. We have developed innovative ways of evaluating work through the use of narrative, story-telling techniques and would be pleased to work with existing chaplaincies to help them reflect on what they are doing by telling stories as a way to evaluate the work.
In all cases we seek to transform the relationship between ‘the Church’ and chaplaincy. This means that not only are chaplains affirmed, well-supported and recognised as a core part of the mission of God, but also that the experience and the story of chaplaincy ministry is available for the Church to draw-on in reflecting on what it means ‘to be Church’ amidst our world today. The aim is that local churches and local communities become the place where chaplaincy begins and flourishes; where God’s presence is known in new ways
If you would like to start up a chaplaincy project in your church, or are just interested in knowing more, please contact:
Karen Balmer
Chaplaincy Development Officer:
chaplaincydevelopment@outlook.com
07956117712
