The Chaplain’s Blog
What is a Chaplain Anyway?
Answer: A chaplain is essentially a spiritual representative attached to a secular institution. Chaplains may or may not be certified, have a theological education, or be ordained or commissioned by a particular denomination, though many are. While chaplaincy has traditionally been associated with representatives of the Christian faith, the term is now used for representatives of…
Read MoreShould Your Company Hire a Chaplain to Make Visits on a Regular Basis?
Businesses regularly apply preventative maintenance strategies and programs to their machines, vehicles and other capital equipment, but what about to their most valuable asset…their employees? Marketplace Chaplains, America’s largest and original workplace chaplaincy organization, has found that business savvy leaders are seeing that satisfied employees are really the company’s only asset which truly determines the future…
Read MoreAn Understanding of the Chaplaincy
PREAMBLE I believe Christian Ministry must have a theological underpinning if it is to be true to the gospel; it should be informed by ones ideas and understanding of the triune God. However that theology must be an applied theology, a practical theology, one that connects with my ministry as a hospital chaplain. My theological…
Read MoreHow to Make The Gospel Chaplaincy Work In a Secular World
The Venerable Bede informs us that in the 8th century, a priest called Utta accompanied a princess on a sea voyage from Northumbria: an early reference to a chaplain and his [1] work. During the years of Christendom, chaplains have ministered in a wide variety of settings, living and working alongside people of every conceivable different point…
Read MoreThe Biblical Basis for Chaplaincy
Robert Murray McCheyne said, “The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God.” Although the bulk of this volume is intended for and relevant to chaplains of all faith traditions, the perspective and tradition of both authors is Christian. Therefore, we felt it imperative to include this chapter —…
Read MoreCLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION, FAITH & THE CHURCH, VOCATION 1 Thessalonians 2:8
If there is a Bible verse to encapsulate what I have learned in my hospital chaplain residency this year, this is it: . . . we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves . . . [1 Thessalonians 2:8] At the beginning of my residency…
Read MoreChristian Chaplains and God’s Promise to Abraham
The Apostle Paul said, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). And what was that promise? Descendants and land. A people and a place. Greatness and blessings in general. Justice. Holding the world accountable for its treatment of God’s covenant people. And lastly, that…
Read MoreBiblical Foundations for the Chaplaincy
Where are chaplains in the Bible? There are no chaplains in the Holy Scriptures, but the great story-line of the Bible naturally produces an activity of the Church that looks like chaplaincy, no matter what you might call it. The church reaches out to bless the world around it, regardless of how people respond to…
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