Are you Equipped to Care?

We’re launching a new training for Spiritual Peers. Over these last 16 months, many people in positions of trust in faith institutions have been asked to “check up on” fellow members of their faith communities. You volunteered to be a trustee or governing board member, and you find yourself making phone calls to folks in your congregation who are anxious, or grieving, or confused. Last year we conducted a survey of clergy and laity in the Rochester area and asked about the training people were receiving. The results were a bit startling.

Of the congregations who responded to the survey, 93% of the clergy indicated that their parishioners provided some kind of pastoral care to members. 85% of the clergy felt there was a need for more training. 65% of lay caregivers indicated they wanted more training and 76% of them expressed a desire for ongoing support in their ministry. Most clergy (52%) only follow up informally and infrequently with their pastoral care volunteers. At a time when many in our faith institutions are being forced to remain physically distant from one another, emotional and spiritual needs are increasing and caregivers are looking for education and support. The need is clear. The goal of Equipped to Care is to meet this need by improving listening skills, helping others learn how to build trusting relationships and in the end, enhance caring within communities.

Equipped to Care is designed for the average caring person, not the professional chaplain. It begins with an in-person 5 hour workshop where you learn basic reflective listening skills, talk about boundaries and explore grief and loss together. It’s followed up with optional on-line modules on other spiritual care topics. Participants agree to do two hours of volunteer spiritual visiting and/or calling each week in your own faith community or in a community site we will help to set up for you. For six months following the workshop, you will have access to on-line video group consultation with your instructor. Our hope is that you’ll continue to volunteer after the program ends and continue to use the skills you’ve learned as you care for others. It’s a win-win for participants and those who receive their care. Apply on-line here. It’s as easy as a “click” and you’re on your way to being Equipped to Care.