Traditional chaplaincies in education and health are now focusing much more on the workforce and there is much to be gained from developing an opportunity to share resources and support each other across the sector boundaries. 

The Chaplaincy Hub initiated by IMD enables Chaplains from all sectors to meet together and share experience and resources.

The Chaplaincy Hub takes various forms, all of which are open to all IMD supported Chaplains and are only as useful as the support given to them by chaplains.

Chaplains have valuable experiences, in dealing with issues that arise, that can be mutually beneficial to share.

Check the following shortcuts to the available opportunities:

Chaplaincy Hub Meeting

Chaplains Meetings with Church Leaders

Chaplains On-line Discussions

Spirituality of Work Network

              Chaplaincy Hub meeting.

The most recent meeting of chaplains took place on Monday 20th October 2008 at Ashbourne Road Church, when all chaplains were invited to come along and meet the (then) IMD Chairman, Rev'd Christopher Harrison, and to share experiences and consider the future. This gathering was in place of the designated IMD Council meeting scheduled for that evening.

19 chaplains and Council members attended. After welcomes and introductions (helpfully assisted by cups of tea and coffee!) there was a lively discussion around the circle in which everyone present participated. There were refreshments laid on, after which a presentation was made to the recently retired IMD Chairman, Canon Keith Orford. Jean Brocklehurst made the presentation speech, covering Keith's time as Chairman, and putting his work and service and retirement in terms of different types of buses (Keith used to work in the bus industry, for the uninitiated!). The card was suitably decorated with buses - thanks to Phil Johnson for his creation.

            Chaplains Meetings with Church Leaders.

Just before Christmas 2009 over 20 chaplains received invitations to gather at the Bishop of Derby's home for two IMD seminars. There was initial time for prayer and reflection on a piece of Scripture. The chaplains spoke of their pastoral work in a variety different, very secular, contexts. Lunch followed.

It was a good chance to get together and to reflect on our IMD chaplaincy work. Further seminars will be held in 2010. Details to follow.

                        John Davies, 1 February 2010.

             Chaplains On-line Discussions.

A Chaplains On-line Discussion Group exists in the form of a GoogleGroup set-up. This is a secure site where members consent to joining up and are then registered by the Group Manager. This is how it works:

1) You indicate by email to imd02@queenshall.plus.com your interest in joining the network.

    [Note - the Group Manager can invite you without your expressing an interest, but it helps to know who to invite!]

2) The Group Manager sends you an invitation, with a link for you to click for acceptance.

    [Note - you do not have to accept if you don't want to.]

3) You click the link for acceptance - and, wow, you're in!

4) You see what discussions are taking place, and make your own contributions, or start a topic of your own.

This type of group only works well in practice if there are enough people who want to participate in it. This group may be wound up if not sufficiently active. 'Use or lose it!'

         Spirituality of Work Network (SOWN)

The Spirituality of Work Network (SOWN), which was created and established during the time of the past Principal Chaplain, Rev'd Ian Winterbottom, had lain dormant for a while during organisational changes. Thank you for bearing with us; we have got this up and running again as of March 2009.

There is a Chaplaincy page in each issue. The October 2009 issue featured the EMACT Team, and retail chaplaincy work. The latest edition of SOWN News (October) can be found at:

October 2009 SOWN News (pdf form)

October 2009 SOWN News (doc form)

There you will also find a model of faith and work that is being built up, and chaplains inputs are needed to do this.

The next edition of SOWNews is intended for issue in January 2010. See SPIRITUALITY OF WORK page for further details, including other issues during 2009.

                                                                                                                                                                              [Page updated 1-Feb-10]