| Chaplains, for a variety of reasons, can often feel isolated and/or on the margins. They may be the only chaplain in an institution or other setting, and even those in larger teams often end up lone working. In episodes of the Chaplaincy Chain Podcast we have heard chaplains talking about the difficulty of working out whose ground they stand on (negotiating relationships within the institution or context of their work as well as the faith and belief communities that send or authorise them) and how, often, much of the distinctive nature of a chaplain’s work can be perceived as one of liminality. With this in mind, we wanted to offer an opportunity for learning, sharing and networking. With a particular focus on newer areas of chaplaincy, we invited educators and researchers, leaders in chaplaincy-focused organisations and leaders with a responsibility for overseeing chaplaincy in their denominations or groups to come together for a day at Free Churches House in London. There was an air of anticipation, and lots of conversation, as about 30 people gathered for hot drinks and pastries before moving into the Board Room for the opening session. Chaplains from retail settings, waterways and GP surgeries mingled with denominational leads, researchers and tutors from universities and theological colleges, talking about their ministries and sharing experiences. We were excited to have The Revd Canon Mark Birch, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, with us to introduce the day. Mark has been a chaplain in a university, a school for children and young people with severe disabilities, and a children’s hospice, as well as a Canon at Westminster Abbey. Sharing some of his ministerial journey, he drew out thoughts about the value of chaplaincy, and the unique opportunities and privileges of chaplaincy as a ministry. In answering questions about his own ministry, Mark was able to talk about the importance of chaplains caring for themselves and having pastoral and spiritual support available to them. The buzz of conversation continued through lunch, which was planned as an unhurried break in the day, to allow people to continue to mingle, exchange ideas and to encourage each other. Our afternoon began with three Pecha Kucha presentations. Pecha Kucha originated in Japan and is a style of presentation where the presenter creates 20 PowerPoint slides, which are each displayed for 20 seconds. It is quite a discipline to be able to keep to the time limit, but the three brave chaplains who volunteered to talk about the work of Anna Chaplaincy, theAssociation of Chaplains in General Practice and Waterways Chaplaincy did an excellent job. The presentations both informed us of the joys and challenges of their particular context as well as connecting their experience with some bigger chaplaincy concerns. One of the bigger concerns we identified together was the question of how we might go about assessing the impact of chaplaincy. This was addressed in our final presentation by Sue Miller and Dr Christopher Stephens, from Southlands College at Roehampton University. Sue and Christopher shared their research amongst University chaplains, which provoked some lively discussion. The day ended with a a conversation about what might happen next. There was warm appreciation for the opportunity to be together. We hope to be able to organise a CoNNECT day at least once a year and are exploring creating a newsletter to complement the Chaplaincy Hub section of the FCG website. |
Post expires on May 25th, 2025
