Community of Hope
 The Community of Hope trains and supports lay people for pastoral ministry within and beyond their congregations. Lay chaplains are taught to be present, open and attentive, to their care receivers, to ‘listen with the ear of the heart’ in a compassionate, non-controlling manner to an individual or group for the purpose of nurturing their spiritual needs, helping them identify the presence of God, and bringing comfort and healing to those in need.
To sustain themselves in ministry after their initial training, lay chaplains commit to a rule of life based on the monastic Rule of St. Benedict. This spiritual discipline includes daily reading and prayer, weekly worship, monthly Circle of Care meetings for debriefing and accountability in their ministries, and four half- or whole-day retreats yearly.
Grace-Kirkwood is now the third accredited Community of Hope center in the diocese, in addition to the Church of St. Michael and St. George-Clayton, and Christ Church Cathedral.
We are united in prayer, shaped by Benedictine spirituality and equipped for and serving in pastoral care ministries.-Community of Hope Mission
After training and commissioning, lay pastoral caregivers select a community in which to offer a pastoral care ministry. The setting might be parish outreach to homebound or hospitalized members; or regular visits to a nursing home, prison, medical or hospice setting; or to a site serving those in need such as the homeless or abused.
Lay chaplains continue to be nurtured in an ongoing community that meets each month; a Circle of Care is part debriefing, part continuing education, part prayer and fellowship. Having several diocesan centers and Circles of Care gives CoH chaplains more opportunity for ongoing sharing and support.
Next Diocesan Training at Grace Kirkwood
The training this fall (2010) will be held at Grace-Kirkwood and requires a commitment on Monday evenings 6-8:30 p.m. from Sept. 13th through Nov. 15th, several Saturdays, and Sunday, Nov. 21st
Session topics include:
- Spiritual Gifts
- Theology of Pastoral Care
- Benedictine Spirituality
- Listening Skills
- Prayer, Christian Meditation and Silence
- The Pastoral Visit, Boundaries and Pastoral Identity
- Confidentiality and Debriefing
- Grief: Coping with Loss
- Pastoral Care
- Family Systems
- Commitment to Ministry
Sessions are led by a variety of experienced pastoral caregivers, mostly hospital chaplains, clergy, and therapists. There are two Saturday practice sessions (Oct. 23, Nov. 6), and an opening Saturday retreat on "Motivational Spiritual Gifts, and Introduction to The Community of Hope," led by Bishop Wayne Smith and members of the diocesan CoH community (Sept. 11).
Team members of the Community of Hope's newest center at Grace are: Miriam Jenkins, Training Facilitator; Gretchen Logue, Shepherd/Administrative Head; Nancy Ferriss, Circle of Care Coordinator; the Rev. Emily Hillquist Davis, Pastoral Care Administrator; and the Rev. Todd McDowell, Abbot. Additional Steering Committee members are Mike Bohannon, Mary Forsythe, John Pestka, and Bill VanLuven.
This autumn's Community of Hope pastoral care training at Grace is open to members of the diocese and members of other Christian denominations. An ideal training group would be twenty participants.
For more information on CoH, visit their website.
For more information about the training at Grace, contact the Rev. Emily Hillquist Davis, emily.davis@gracekirkwood.org.
Informational meeting for prospective students
Saturday, June 5, 2010
9am (one hour) at Grace, Kirkwood.
Current CoH lay chaplains involved in different kinds of ministries will be sharing their experiences at our Informational Meeting for Prospective Students on Saturday, June 5, 9am (one hour), at Grace, Kirkwood, 514 E. Argonne Dr., 63122.
updated May 2010
|
