NEWS
Kindness matters most, Mental Health Awareness Week
This week is the Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme this year is kindness. You may have already seen this clip but if not, it's worth spending a couple of minutes looking at it.
Kindness Matters - Mental Health Awareness Week
"Kindness was chosen because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive."
Over the past eight weeks we have seen all over the country wonderful acts of kindness and how it can bring communities together to strengthen, support and encourage.
There is support for people who are finding life a struggle and who need a helping hand. No one should suffer in silence. There are plenty of suggestions and ideas if you tap in Mental Health Awareness 2020 into a google search. I am sure you will have either yourself, or know of somebody who is or has, struggled at some point in their lives. Thankfully this topic is talked about a lot more these days and help available but we need to be mindful at all times.
One of the quotes is "Now is the time to re-imagine a kinder society", hopefully we all try to do that, pandemic or no pandemic!
Matthew 25:35-40 Taken from The Message
34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Amen.
Di Welchman
Trinity Methodist Circuit & Clays Churches (Admin Support)
Grove Street Methodist Church
Free webinar for Chaplains and Christian leaders: 2 June at 1.30 p.m. Reflective Practice: a Pathway to the Heart
Photo by Guillaume LORAIN on Unsplash
Date: 2 June, 2020 at 1.30 p.m. – 3.45 p.m.
Venue: wherever you like – as long as you have a screen and are connected to the internet (we’ll be using Zoom)
Cost: Free!
Who is it for?: Chaplains in healthcare, prison or education settings, or any other setting; Christian leaders; anyone who is interested.
We’ve talked to a lot of chaplains and other leaders recently, and understand something of the range of new pressures that the Coronavirus pandemic has brought with it. These pressures and challenges have opened up new opportunities for many people, but there has been little time to stop and reflect.
We’re offering you the opportunity to take a bit of time out for yourself – time to ponder, time to think, and time to learn how to embed reflective practice in your ministry.
Mark Stobert, chair of UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) and Lead Chaplain at Cambridge University Hospitals, will present the webinar.
More details and information are available HERE
Please register here to book.
You will receive the links to join the webinar if you book in advance.
A participants guide to Reflective Practice Sessions is available to download here:
Dying to be heard....
Dying Matters is a coalition of individual and organisational members across England and Wales, which aims to help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life.
Their strap-line is Let’s Talk About It, and in the past they’ve had themes like The Big Conversation and Talk, Plan, Live. For this year and this season’s Awareness Week (11-17 May), they are encouraging us all to look at the other half of a conversation: how do we respond when someone wants to discuss death, or grief, or their will or funeral plans with us?
The 2020 theme of Dying To Be Heard will focus on how to help by listening. How many people want to talk about death, but feel they have no one to talk to about it? How many people are Dying To Be Heard?
It’s too easy to dodge that conversation with a joke or a “maybe later.” But we know it’s hard for people to talk about death and the practical aspects of getting ready for it. So when someone wants to talk about death, we owe it to them to be the other half of that conversation. If they want to talk, we need to listen. You can find out more about this work and how you can get involved in the conversation… how you can be a better listener when someone is dying to be heard, by checking out the links and resources HERE.
Dying Matters is led by Hospice UK and aims to raise awareness of dying, death and bereavement. Dying matters… End of Life care, for those who are dying, their relatives/carers and staff, is one of the core activities for healthcare chaplains. FCG hosted the round-table discussion concerning end of life care and they were very well received.
(photo by Sara Iles, FCG Media Support Officer)
Raising awareness of dying, death and bereavement...
Raising awareness of dying, death and bereavement... that is the vision and purpose of the Hospice UK led charity, Dying Matters.
This week is Dying Matters Awareness Week and the theme for this year is “Dying to be heard.”
"Talking about dying and death is the last taboo. People who are dying can feel very isolated,” reports Revd Meg Burton, the Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for Free Churches. Meg goes on to say that… ”This Awareness Week is looking at dying from the dying person's perspective and will give ideas for people to help encourage conversations."
We hope that the resources that have been produced can help these conversations happen and support families in listening to their loved ones… and especially in giving confidence in shaping the conversation for those who are dying to be heard…
You can download the resources HERE.
(photo courtesy of JD Mason at Unsplash)
Further reflections and resources for life and in death to support your ministry
Revd Meg Burton, Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Free Churches, has been writing, gathering in, compiling and sharing a range of supportive and informative communications with Healthcare Chaplains. Although these are primarily aimed at those working in healthcare chaplaincy, many others may find the content encouraging and helpful in their life and ministry.
There will be regular updates to these resources.
You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.
Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.
(photo courtesy of Kerri Shaver at Unsplash)