COMPONENTS OF CHAPLAINCY SERVICES IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

COMPONENTS OF CHAPLAINCY SERVICES IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES OR

WHAT CHAPLAINCY SERVICES INVLOVE OR ENTAILS IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

1.     Routine, ritualistic religious services in accordance with the belief system of the people.

2.     Religious services for people outside religious settings for those who desire such.

3.     Counseling therapy.

4.     Developing therapies for various problems of humanity as remedial processes to such problems.

5.     Researching into the problems of humanity with the views of proffering solutions to such problems and thereby alleviating the suffering of humanity.

6.     Researching into people’s behaviour with views of understanding why people behaviour the way they do.

7.     Identifying abnormalities in life with the intentions of discovering why they occur and their effects on humanity.

8.     Researching into relationships with views of discovering good relationships entails and what causes a strain in relationships.

9.     Conflict management and resolution.

10.                        Caring for the sick, especially the terminally ill with the views of alleviating the sufferings of the sick and raising their hopes in hopeless situations.

11.                        Providing services for mentally retarded people.

12.                        Providing services for people with mental sickness with the views of reducing their sufferings.

13.                        Providing services and intervention to various addictions with the aims of restoring the addicts to normalcy.

14.                         Providing services and rehabilitation for abused children and women sold into sexual market across national frontiers.

15.                        Re-uniting abused children and ladies that have been rehabilitated to their families and communities.

16.                        Providing services and rehabilitation for people suffering spousal abuse and domestic violence, especially when life is being threatened.

17.                        Providing services such as uniting prisoners who have finished serving their sentences with their families and communities. Assisting their integration back to their roots and engaging in profitable means of livelihood.

KINDS OF CHAPLAINS NEEDED FOR THE PROVISION OF THE SERVCES LISTED

1.     Chaplains who are cross-trained to work with other professionals in the service of humanity. Other professionals such as;

i.                    Mental health professional.

ii.                  Psychiatrists.

iii.                Medical doctors and Nurses.

iv.               Psychologists.

v.                 Care-givers.

vi.               Pastoral counselors.

vii.             Community clerics.

viii.           Psycho-analysts.

2.     Chaplains who have the needed skills in psychotherapy and are competent in its use to offer solutions to problems of humanity.

3.     Chaplains who have flair for conducting researches into problems of mankind and have a good understanding of research methodology.

4.     Chaplains who are committed to continuous studies and personal development, willing to perform at optimal potentials.

5.     Chaplains who are current and well informed about new development therapies and new methodologies in the discharge of their duties.

6.     Chaplains who have flair for science and are able to collate data and use same in their services.

7.     Chaplains who are specialists in their chosen vocation and field.

8.     Chaplains who desire to excel above others in the performance of their duties.

9.     Investigative Chaplains, who will stop at nothing to make new discoveries.

10.                         Creative Chaplains who are committed to breaking new grounds in life’s endeavour.

Archbishop Prof. Mike D.D. JP, AP, CPC.

Certified Chaplaincy Educator

God as the Creator knows our needs and problems and have planed ahead to solving them.

The Creator God 

The Creator God, placed the first Adam in the Garden of Eden to enjoy the goodness of God. As God noticed his loneliness, He made for the first Adam a help-meet in the person of Eve that they may both enjoy the fullness of the goodness of God.

They both were destined to enjoy God’s provisions and providence, however, destiny changer and destroyer in the form of the serpent (satan) deceived Adam and his wife which made them both earn the wrath of God, and sentenced unto death accompanied with other curses.

By this singular act of destiny changer and destroyer, the Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and the pleasantries therein.

The Creator God again proving Himself as God of second chance, relocated Adam and Eve to another garden, to labour and bring the needed comfort and pleasantness to themselves and their descendants.

Consider your present disposition and experience as an opportunity given you and I to grow a new garden by God of the second chance.

What then are you prepared to grow in the new garden God has relocated you? Is it discontentment, murmuring, hopelessness, frustration, loss of trust in God, indifference? Think now and act positively!

The God of a new beginning is still interested in us, if not, He will not give us a second chance or new beginning. Let us use our past as history and experience and a stepping stone into our future.

We must learn to refuse our past experiences rule and legislate over our present and future lives. As students of history, we must learn from past and break away from the past to enable us live realistically.

We all have the opportunity to excel now, let us arise now to our responsibilities, demonstrating total commitment to succeed in life and to ourselves.

Together we shall excel in Jesus Name. Amen.

Archbishop Prof. David Mike-Jacobs

Common Ground in Chaplaincy

Common Ground

In every known profession of our world, there is always a common ground; no matter how differently and specialized the professions are.

Examples:

1.     The common ground for all engineering professionals is “Engineering practice” be they chemical, civil, industrial, marine, agricultural, automobile etc.

2.     The common ground for all professionals in the legal profession is “Legal practice,” no matter the specialization or specialized area they belong to.

3.     In medical profession, the common ground for all medical professionals is “Clinical medical practice.”

4.     In accountancy or accounting profession, the common ground for all accounting professionals is “Accounting or accountancy practice.”

In chaplaincy profession, like all other known professions of the world, chaplains who are the professionals must be aware of a common ground for us all, whether we are health care chaplains, correctional or prison chaplains, maritime or marine chaplains, military chaplains, paramilitary chaplains, disaster or fire chaplains, civil or public chaplains, agricultural chaplains etc.

The common ground for all professional chaplains is “Clinical Pastoral care and Chaplaincy practice.”

Lack of this understanding makes quacks to be on their own or at sea.

Chap. Prof. David Mike-Jacobs JP.

Certified Chaplaincy Educator

Understanding the Five Ws of Chaplaincy and Chaplaincy Practice

Understanding the Five Ws of Chaplaincy and Chaplaincy Practice

1.     What is chaplaincy and chaplaincy practice?

2.     Why chaplaincy practice and service delivery?

3.     Who are chaplains and who they are not?

4.     Where is chaplaincy practiced and in what situations?

5.     When is chaplaincy and chaplaincy practice essential?

With the understanding of these five Ws in chaplaincy, one is sure of making a head way in chaplaincy profession. Make sure you are able to answer the questions satisfactorily.

God bless you richly.

Chap. Prof. David Mike-Jacobs JP.

Certified Chaplaincy Educator

Why is it Important for Chaplains in Nigeria to Embrace Professional Practice for the Needed Recognition?

Why is it Important for Chaplains in Nigeria to Embrace Professional Practice for the Needed Recognition?

Many chaplaincy leaders have made us to believe that the government of the federation has not given chaplaincy profession the needed recognition. This claim and statement is not only untrue but also deceptive.

Going down the memory lane, starting with the democratic government in Nigeria, since the year 1999 to date, the record shows that chaplaincy has always been given its rightful place as follows:-

In the year 1999AD to 2003AD, the Aso Villa chaplain, was on a secondment from a particular denomination. In the year 2003AD to 2015AD, the Aso Villa chaplain was also seconded by a particular denomination.

In the year 2015AD to date, the Aso Villa chaplain is also seconded by a particular denomination in Nigeria.

At the state levels too, chaplaincy is given the right of place; only clerics and pastors who know nothing or little about chaplaincy were appointed to do chaplaincy duties in the state level.

These chaplains have no chaplaincy training nor do they know anything about professional chaplaincy practice and service delivery. This may not be too far from the kind of indiscipline demonstrated in the society by those who claim to be chaplains in this nation.

NB: The governments at the center as well as those at the state levels have done nobly by given chaplaincy profession its rightful place.

Practicing professional chaplains should therefore arise distinguish themselves to enable them fill their places occupied by pastors who are not trained chaplains.

We must learn to stop seeking cheap popularity but be committed to the actual practice of chaplaincy and service delivery which is capable of earning us the recognition we have been seeking.

Practicing chaplains must learn to be disciplined and stop impersonating the military or para-military. The sky remains our staring point not the limit if we care to do things rightly now.

Let us embrace professionalism and proper chaplaincy training and our place shall be granted us. God bless you all.

Chap. Prof. David Mike-Jacobs JP.

Certified Chaplaincy Educator

Valiant for the truth in disseminating Chaplaincy information: CHAPLAINCY

Valiant for the truth in disseminating Chaplaincy information: CHAPLAINCY: CHAPLAINCY 1.      Chaplaincy is a profession seeking to reduce the suffering of people to the barest minimum acceptable level. If you a...

CHAPLAINCY

CHAPLAINCY

1.     Chaplaincy is a profession seeking to reduce the suffering of people to the barest minimum acceptable level. If you are in chaplaincy or chaplain who is not interested in helping to reduce people’s suffering, you are a misfit.

2.     Chaplaincy is a profession seeking to make life better and meaningful to people, if you are however, in chaplaincy and not interested in making life meaningful and better for people, you are already on your way out of the profession.

3.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to render the needed support and care to the traumatized, victimized, afflicted and abandoned, helping them to navigate through turbulence and challenging situations until victory is granted them, if you are not committed to this, you are not a chaplain.

4.     Chaplaincy is a profession seeking to provide the needed care-giving services to people of all ages, culture, ethnicity, religions and status who are in need of such services, be it spiritual, psychological, emotional, physical or environmental. If you are in chaplaincy, offering none of such care, you better have a rethink.

5.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to build resilience in people who are victims of violence, terrorist attacks, natural and man-made disasters and have become strangers and refugees in their own land, helping to restore them to normalcy; that they may begin a new live in earnest. If you are called a chaplain and you remain invisible to offer such resilience to destabilized people, you must be a fake.

6.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to attend to numerous mental problems of humanity, which attempts to render humans impotent in life, by offering the needed solutions to such problems that people may free and be at liberty to operate at optimal potentials. If you are in chaplaincy, and you are not able to offer such solutions, you must be an amateur or naïve.

7.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to offer conflict resolution to parties in conflict and help in bringing people to live together in peaceful co-existence and harmony. If you are in chaplaincy causing conflict among people, groups, tribes etc; you have found yourself in a wrong profession.

8.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to offer help and assistance in emergency situations, helping to save lives and properties. If you are in chaplaincy and you are not offering or rendering any beneficial service to people in difficult situations, you are a none starter.

9.     Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to provide the needed care and concern to the whole man, be they in good health or not and to the dead, given them their rights of place. If you are in chaplaincy and have no ministry to the living as well as the dead, you are yet to start.

10.Chaplaincy is a profession that seeks to eradicate and prevent suicidal thoughts and suicidal actions as her professionals promptly attend to people suffering from such. If you are in chaplaincy and you are not committed to this course, you must be a misfit.

NB: It is becoming increasing difficult for quacks to have their ways in chaplaincy; as people are beginning to ask questions, querying our actions and assessing our performances professionally.

It is expedient for us all who are practicing professional chaplains to known the profession we belong to very well, knowing what our profession mandates us to provide or offer the general public; discover what we are doing in the profession to enable us find our bearings.

People are patiently waiting; wanting to see us do what we claim we are able to do and looking to see us on duty in our various duty posts, offering beneficial services to people.

People are becoming more and more disappointed and dissatisfied that we remain invisible in various duty posts, where we are expected to be found present and offering the needed services.

Professional chaplains must be seen practicing chaplaincy. People must feel the impacts of their beneficial services.

Join the moving train of professional chaplains blazing through the horizon of Nigeria and Africa.

By

Chap. Prof. David Mike-Jacobs JP.

Certified Chaplaincy Educator