Events

Join Maggie and other chaplains for Tea & Chat at 2.00pm each Wednesday of lockdown

Connexional Connecting Chaplains Gathering

Quarterly Zoom hosted by Ministries: Vocations and Worship Team and Southern and Islands Region 

This UK-wide quarterly event is open to anyone involved in chaplaincy. Together we connect with God, connect with the chaplaincy issues, and connect with each other. At these events, there is an opportunity to pray together, hear from some chaplains about a particular topic in chaplaincy, and then share together with others involved in chaplaincy.

Next event: Tuesday 9^th March, 7.30pm – 9.00pm

• Connecting with God
  The President of Conference, the Revd Richard Teal, will be leading our March devotions.
• Connecting with the issues
  Our March topic will be How can we support the mental wellbeing of those we serve? and we'll hear a short message from three chaplains about their experiences.
• Connecting with each other
  A good amount of our time together will be in small breakout rooms where you will have an opportunity to connect with other chaplains and reflect on the theme of the event.

Click here to book

About this Event

Among those on the front-line of the Covid crisis, there are people whose job it is to provide spiritual and pastoral care for anyone who needs it. Throughout the pandemic, chaplains, faith advisors and pastoral carers have been supporting the isolated, offering a listening ear to the anxious, and comforting the ill, dying and bereaved. Some of this work has attracted national media attention: The Guardian, for example, published an article at the height of the first lockdown about chaplains’ support for medical staff as they “come to terms with the difficult choices they have had to make”.

Chaplains have been more needed than ever before, but the nature of their work has had to change dramatically. While some have remained in their workplace, many others have no longer been able to offer support in person. This raises important questions about the nature and future of spiritual and pastoral care. What does it look like when physical presence is restricted or lost? What should chaplains and others learn from the pandemic to develop their practice? And how can this sector, which involves a high proportion of volunteers, be given the support and recognition it deserves?

More broadly, we are interested in reflecting on the themes of presence, accompaniment and hope.

This event brings together a panel of chaplains and pastoral carers to discuss spiritual and pastoral care at a time of physical distance. It also marks the launch of new research by Theos, exploring the contributions of university chaplains during Covid, the challenges they have faced, and what can be learned from their experiences.

Speakers:

Simon Perfect

Simon is a researcher at Theos and is the author of Theos' new report Relationships, Presence and Hope: University Chaplaincy During the COVID-19 Pandemic. It explores the contributions of university chaplains supporting students and staff during the pandemic, and the major challenges they have faced. Simon is also a researcher and tutor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Revd Canon Mia Hilborn

Mia is Hospitaller for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, and runs the only chaplain-led PG Cert in healthcare chaplaincy with London South Bank University. She is chaplain and trustee for the Firefighters Memorial Trust, Senior Brigade Chaplain for the London Fire Brigade and committee member for the Fire & Rescue Services Chaplains Association.

Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ

Gemma is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus, founded by Mary Ward (1585-1645). She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge where she is director of the Religious Life Institute. She lectured in Christian Spirituality at Heythrop College, University of London from 2005 until its closure in 2018, specialising in Spiritual Direction in the Ignatian tradition. An international speaker and lecturer working in the fields of Christian spirituality and ecclesiology, she has been a missionary in Brazil and a chaplain in the Universities of Cambridge and London as well as a chaplaincy volunteer in Holloway Prison for 26 years. She is a regular broadcaster on religious matters on the BBC. Her book, The Way of Ignatius, was published by SPCK for Lent 2019 and was serialised as the Lenten retreat on Pray As You Go https://pray-as-you-go.org Her most recent book, Treasuring God’s Word is published by Pauline Books and Media and another book on retreats at home, Dancing at the Still Point, is due for publication by SPCK in July 2021.

Lindsay van Dijk

Lindsay is an accredited humanist funeral celebrant at Humanists U.K. and she has been trained on Master’s level in the Netherlands at the University of Humanistic Studies (in Utrecht) to provide humanist and existential counselling, coaching and pastoral care. Lindsay is a member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and the British Association for the Person-Centered Approach (BAPCA). Lindsay is accredited as a pastoral carer through the UK Board of healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) and the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN). She is the chair of the NRPSN and the first humanist lead Chaplain to have ever been appointed within the U.K.

Revd Lindsay Meader

Lindsay is an Anglican priest, serving as the Lead Theatre Chaplain for the Diocese of London and Senior Chaplain of Theatre Chaplaincy UK. Prior to this she served for 14 years as Associate Rector of St James’s Piccadilly.

You will receive the zoom link in your booking confirmation. Please note the event will be recorded.

The title of the 2021 National Conference for School & College Chaplains:
 

The conference will provide a time and space for reflection and growth as we continue to connect with others.

As many of you know ‘normally’ the National Conference is intended to be a face-to-face event, and we had hoped to provide a hybrid event. With recent announcements from the government and taking onboard research commissioned by the Society of Jesus, our conference working party have taken the decision to take the 2021 gathering online.
 
This will enable us to effectively plan and deliver a conference for you that is accessible, relevant and meaningful.

We are excited to offer an ‘unprecedented’ full day and evening of keynotes, workshops and evening celebration with spaces for reflection and worship and opportunities for networking


Save the date:

As the team develops the revised programme, I invite you to:
  Register Your Interest

On Thursday 10th June we invite you all to attend a retreat style gathering.

This is to be held on the day after the National Conference for School and College Chaplains.

A time of peace and reflection

Chaplaincy Quiet Day

We are taking a step of faith and praying that we can have an in person covid-safe quiet day on Wednesday 23^rd  June. Mill House Retreats near Tiverton were leading Covid-safe days through the summer of 2020. The day will be led by David Runcorn and will include significant periods of silence as well as input and opportunities for fellowship. For more information email mike.haslam@bathwells.anglican.org 

Chaplaincy Gathering 2021

Please save the date and more information will be circulated as soon as practicable.
Date: Thursday 14th October
Time: 9.30-4.00 [in person, we hope and pray]