SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, CHAPLAINCY & FAITH WORKING TOGETHER FOR WELL-BEING & PERFORMANCE

Sports Chaplaincy UK presents a one-day conference

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, CHAPLAINCY & FAITH

WORKING TOGETHER FOR WELL-BEING & PERFORMANCE

Thursday 20th April, 2017, 9.45 – 4.30 pm (Registration from 9am)

Venue: Shannon Conference Suite; St. Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX

There is growing literature examining links between spirituality and sport

psychology and there are now a growing number of Latin American, European,

African and British athletes where faith is central in their culture and lives. There

is a need for sport psychologists to better understand the relevance of faith to fully

serve the needs of these athletes.

Chaplaincy in sport has significantly increased over the last 10 years, mainly

under the auspices of Sports Chaplaincy UK, which this year is celebrating its 25th

anniversary. Sports chaplains offer pastoral and spiritual support to all at a club, and

there is clear overlap with sport psychologists in both the role and skillsets.

With sport becoming increasingly commercialised and highly pressured, many more

incidences of pastoral needs including mental health problems, addictive behaviour

and relationship breakdowns are occurring. The faith of the individual is often

significant in addressing these needs. Several examples now exist where a closer

working relationship between chaplain and psychologist has enhanced support for

the psychological and emotional wellbeing of players.

This day is designed to raise greater awareness amongst both groups and to forge

closer working relationships and alliances to the benefit of all involved in sport.

Please find here for a booking form and detail information.

BOOKING DETAILS can also be found here.

Fee: £25.00. Fee includes lunch and refreshments.

For further information:

Call - 07879 820601

Email - admin@sportschaplaincy.org.uk

Hope for Prisons in 2017

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebrews 11:6

What are we hoping to achieve in 2017? Have the events, all of which seem to feature a newly elected leader, cause us to have or lose hope? Do we hope that we will experience peace through, despite of, or beyond our pain? Do we hope to see loved ones, long separated from us again? Do we hope to get our children into the right school? All of these seem worthy hopes … hopes that we may even pray about, but what part does hope play as we seek to live out our lives in faith? 2017 is a year when as the Free Churches Group we are supporting the initiative Prison Hope. Last Sunday I was preaching in a prison on the subject of Hope, with hope being the stuff that faith is made of (Heb 11:1) … but what do we picture when you hear the word hope?

Is it a picture of a child standing on the stairs waiting eagerly for his dad to walk past the bottom, then shouting “Dad catch me” a fraction of a second before hurling himself into mid air … in hope? Or is it a picture of a drought-devastated villager praying for rain in the sun with waterproofs to hand … in hope? Can we trust that our dad is powerful enough to catch us if we jump? Can we trust that the character of the God of the universe is good enough to bring rain?

We all hope that the Father will always catch the son, and that after the drought will come the rain. In doing so our faith rises and we are equipped to climb the stairs or walk out into the heat again … and again … and again!

 That’s what we know faith to be - putting our belief and trust in something or somebody outside of ourselves, and then acting on that belief. Thinking about the examples given in Hebrews 11:1-40, for instance, Abraham, venturing from his home to the unfamiliar, trusting a promise that wouldn’t materialize for decades. How about that same patriarch, placing his beloved son, Isaac, on the altar, trusting that somehow God would either provide an alternate sacrifice or raise his son from the dead? Or think about Moses, choosing to leave behind the pleasures and power of the pharaoh’s palace to shepherd a group of grumblers out of slavery into the Promised Land. Step by step and day-by-day Moses acted on his faith in a promise that wouldn’t even completely materialize until after his death. The writer of Hebrews recounts these and many other examples of trust in this chapter.

Of course, acting on faith isn’t always easy. It calls us to step away from what is comfortable and safe and, like a child halfway up the stairs, look into unknown and unfamiliar circumstances. We are living through disturbing times in the Prison Service. Increasingly we are seeing violence, self-destruction, unrest and we wait on the Lord for answer to prayer. And as we wait, we act in faith! The questions we face are as simple as the question in the child’s heart when he’s on those stairs. Can we trust that our Father is powerful enough? And do we trust that He is good? The answer to both questions if we understand and believe the teaching of God’s Word, is a resounding “Yes!” Our all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God can handle every situation we face; He is not surprised to see the horror of a prison in riot or another brother who has felt that hope has totally deserted him and that he cannot cope anymore, and because He is the very essence and definition of what is good, not only does he weep, but he acts; and he often acts through us. He will always do what is right and we can trust Him to ultimately not let us fall or fail. When those without hope or faith around us are in darkness or pain, we hope and we continue to have faith. And He acts. And we act.

 What I like best is that Hebrews 11:6 tells us that hope and faith trigger a response of pleasure in God’s heart. As we demonstrate our trust in Him, He is not apathetic or indifferent, but actually delights in our belief in Him. In fact, as His children, the writer says, we cannot please Him without faith! It is impossible.

 I don’t know what “step” you are standing on today. But I do know the character of the Father who is calling you to act on your faith in Him. I invite you to the pleasure of trusting Him today.

Bob Wilson

The Rt Revd James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, launches Prison Hope

Prison Hope is an exciting partnership of denominations, prison chaplains and organisations involved with prisoners, former prisoners and their families. We encourage local churches inside and outside prison to pray and share hope together.

Prison Hope connects people and organisations – encouraging prayer, volunteering and giving. We want to help churches to support prison chaplains and organisations working with prisoners and their families, both in prison and when they leave.

The video of the Rt. Revd James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, is available to view here.

For more information to get involved, please visit here.

[Event] Equality & Diversity Training Days for Chaplaincy

Please register via the following links:

London: http://bit.ly/2gQ9z2I
 
Sheffield: http://bit.ly/2ggPaCR

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Training Objective: To support chaplaincy services in order to...

• Deliver services that promote equality and diversity.
• Ensure equal access to high quality care for the population served.
• Create plans to support service development, local policy development and recruitment. 
• Target Audience: Lead chaplains, HR leads and equality leads

Purpose of Training: NHS chaplaincy in England has evolved considerably in recent years, largely in response to changing patient needs and increasing diversity of the population. Chaplaincy teams now often include people from a range of faiths and beliefs, including non-religious care providers.  The NHS England Chaplaincy 2015 guidelines acknowledged that: ‘Where requests for support relate to a particular religion or belief the chaplaincy service should be able to access appropriate support for the patient or service user and, when this cannot be matched, other chaplaincy support should be offered.’ Recognising the need for likeminded care, chaplaincy teams are developing their model of delivery to increase the choice available to patients, carers and staff.
 
When chaplaincy teams are more diverse the take up of the service increases, and so chaplaincy services will need to continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the people they serve, and to continue to provide high quality care for all.
 
This one-day training course will support chaplaincy services to complete a thorough equality assessment and apply this to all aspects of service development.
 
These events are free of charge. 
 
Please feel free to circulate this information to your network.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: All food and drink will be provided. The organisers are happy to cater for specific dietary requirements. Please specify your requirements. 
 
The organisers have requested that no food and drink are to be  brought into both synagogues as all the food and drink consumed on the premises must be strictly kosher.  

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Locations

London

Date: Wednesday 25th January, 2017
Location: The Western Marble Arch Synagogue, 1 Wallenberg Place (formerly known as Gt Cumberland Place), London, W1H 7TN 

Sheffield

Date: Tuesday 28th March, 2017
Location: United Synagogue Sheffield, 3 Brincliffe Crescent, Sheffield, S11 9AW

Prisons Week 2016

As I write, initiatives are in hand all around the country to inspire the nation’s churches to pray for all involved in the Criminal Justice Service. We are being urged to engage more effectively with prisons and prisoners, chaplains and officials, law-makers and law-enforcers, victims and rehabilitators. It is one week in the year when our focus can shift to effect the fifty-one weeks that follow.

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This Prisons Week it was my privilege to speak at the launch in Pentonville Prison. Taking this year’s theme of ‘Lord, have mercy’ I was able to speak on the significance of Pauls’ words in Ephesians 3:15 ‘He [Christ] has broken down the middle wall of separation’, underscoring the importance of showing mercy without condescension – even-handedly, sacrificially and securing equality of access. 

Those of us present were aware that the walls of separation that can exist in our minds, ensuring that many never give Prisons and the Criminal Justice System a thought, can be greater than the 15ft walls of Pentonville prison that surrounded us. Paul’s words to the Ephesians are certainly still relevant!

Interestingly, there was ample evidence at the service of how other walls can be broken down. The co-operation between the institutions and the Churches was remarkable. Not only were many of our Free Church denominations and chaplains represented, with contributions from myself and a Baptist magistrate, but the Governor and offenders took part, along with Pentonville’s Anglican Chaplain, the RC HQ Advisor, the Bishop of Rochester and Pastor Agu Irukwu of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Rarely do we get the chance to see our sermons illustrated so visibly!

Revd Dr Hugh Osgood
Moderator of the Free Churches Group

For more information to get involved in Prisons Week, please visit here