Pastoral Care

Caregiving of Older Adults                                    Session 1

Community of Hope: Establishing a Center or Becoming
 a Lay Chaplain                                                Session 3

The mission of the Community of Hope is to create and sustain Christian communities of volunteer lay pastoral caregivers around the world. They are united in prayer, shaped by Benedictine spirituality and equipped for and serving in pastoral care ministries.  The training consists of a continuous 15 week curriculum followed by monthly meeting of the members.  The purpose of CoH is to awaken trainees to God’s call on each of our lives by helping individuals discover and better understand their own spiritual gifts for ministry.   This workshop will give you an introduction to the experiences of other COH caregiver communities, how the program works and the training involved, building a closer community and spiritually centered pastoral caregivers.
Harmony Kiser, Commissioned in Community of Hope, from St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church,  Milton and Gus Davis, Southeastern Regional Director, Community of Hope International

 
Suicide: The Steps Towards Prevention                        Session 2  

The purpose of this workshop is to equip attendees with the skills to respond to individuals who are prone to suicide or at the verge of suicide. Further, the workshop will assist its participants in responding to friends or family members who have lost someone to suicide.
      In view of the alarming statistics, which reflect that suicide is at its highest point since the Great Depression, the church has determined that a response is essential.  The workshop will provide current information on the causes of suicide and the approach concerned individuals should take to assist someone who suffers from suicidal ideation or has planned to kill himself or herself. In over 80% of the cases, individuals who do kill themselves have a prior history of mental illness. 
      This workshop will break through the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide. The presenters will imbue curiosity and compassion.  This workshop is vital to anyone who works as a pastor, a mental health professional or someone who strives to make a difference in the life of someone who suffers. Suicide is preventable.
The Rev’d. Robert Certain, Chair of Task Force on Suicide Prevention & Rector, St. Peter & St. Paul, Marietta and David W. Foerster, Jr., member of the Task Force on Suicide Prevention and member of All Saints, Atlanta