Chaplaincy all about being, rather than doing
Sometimes it feels a bit that way. Chaplaincy is about being present with people wherever they are. I spend some days dancing and other days praying, some days eating iceblocks and other days sitting by bedsides, some days playing bingo and other days holding hands. Every day is different, a rare privilege to be a part of people’s lives.
Most retirement villages don’t have a chaplain. At Tamahere we recognise that residents have a range of needs: physical, emotional, social and spiritual. It’s my role to offer emotional and spiritual support to residents, families and staff.
As chaplain I’m available for anyone who needs me. People don’t have to come to chapel services or be religious to ask for my help. I’m here for everyone and I don’t try to convert people. Tamahere is a diverse community made up of people with varied histories, experiences, faith traditions and viewpoints. I respect those differences.
I’m also happy to refer people to someone else if they decide they need a different kind of support. Theological college taught us the importance of referring people to those with specialised skills and training. I’m not precious about needing to be the person who offers assistance.
Contrary to my wife’s jokes, I do undertake a range of tasks: leading chapel services (including funerals), visiting residents (at Tamahere and Waikato Hospital), facilitating a support group for the carers of people living with dementia, putting together our worship roster (alongside the Catholic worship team) and writing articles for the village magazine.
However, being present is also about just being there. Every day I walk around the village and care home and find someone who needs a kind word, a smile or a laugh, a listening ear or some other moment of connection in the midst of a busy or painful time. Being an open, cheerful, peaceful presence is sometimes far more important than any of the tasks I do. At its heart, chaplaincy is about being rather than doing.
Ngā manaakitanga, Susan