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1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. NACC Office Holiday Schedule
3. There is still time to complete the important SCC Survey!
Summit ’09 Approaches!
4. Final registration date for the SCC ’09 Summit fast approaching!
5. Want to volunteer at Summit ‘09?
6. Liturgical Volunteers for Summit ‘09
Other News
7. Chicago area members! Mark your Lenten calendar!
8. American Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team (SRT) News
9. A reminder to you about the new on-line jobs posting process for NACC Website
10. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
11. Recent job postings

Yesterday’s Gospel presented us with Mary’s “Yes!” That “yes” has been reflected on, painted, dramatized, put in marble, and emulated throughout history. We celebrate this week the fruit of that “yes”. I invite us all to reflect this week on the risks, sacrifices, commitments, and gift of mission that each “yes” has brought us. In faith have I prayed for the grace to see that yes as part of God’s mystery and movement in my life? Through Mary’s “yes”, God’s promise of hope and healing for a weary world was fulfilled. On behalf of our NACC national staff, I wish you a very blessed Christmas and New Year to all of you! With every “yes”, may you be God’s hope and healing to our world in 2009!

As we head into the new year, I share with you our national office staff’s reorganization that we believe will help serve you better, as well as continue our efforts to be the best stewards we can be of our association’s resources. Goal seven of the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan (www.nacc.org/docs/about/SP_NACC.pdf) is to “To Enhance Board and Staff Effectiveness” and its objective D. is “Review and strengthen the association’s staffing structure as needed.” Over the past 18 months I have witnessed and been blessed by the talent and commitment of a wonderful staff. I sense how they view this service as a ministry to you. Members, you do have a remarkably dedicated staff serving you!

Yet, as we implement the strategic plan goals, I discovered that we needed to better organize ourselves, to allocate more coordination and administrative support to local/regional education programs, state liaison and member networking, and to our marketing/ communication efforts. We have begun several new initiatives, and we need to make sure we can support them well.

Therefore, with Board oversight and professional counsel assistance, we have reorganized our staff structure. Last week, I shared it with our staff. We eliminated three positions (Director of Operations, Director of Professional Practice and Education, and Executive Assistant) and created two new coordinator positions (Certification and Education Coordinator and Association Support Coordinator). We will have two working teams: one over Certification and Education, and one over Association Support.

Susanne Chawszczewski will be the Certification and Education Coordinator and will team with Rose Mary (Mar) Blanco-Alvarado (Certification), Becky Evans (Renewal of Certification), and a new Administrative Specialist for Education Programs (to be hired) to ensure the integration of our Certification, Renewal of Certification, and education programs our members need to fulfill their ongoing education needs for certification.

Cindy Bridges will be the Association Support Coordinator and will team with Phil Paradowski (Information Technology and Special Projects), Mary Pawicz (Membership), and Laurie Hansen Cardona (Vision Editor) to oversee other member needs and services.

Sue Walker, our Administrative Specialists Finance, will continue to handle our financial needs. All staff will be reporting directly to me, as Executive Director, and I will also be overseeing most of the operations needs. To view our staff: www.nacc.org/aboutnacc/staff.asp.

As you can see, Kathy Eldridge is no longer on the NACC staff. As you know, Kathy Eldridge, as the Director of Operations, was at the center of the Association for twenty-five years, through thriving and challenging times. During the several leadership changes to the NACC over the past five years, the staff made tremendous efforts to provide you consistent and quality service, and Kathy was the source of stability and staff oversight. The NACC has enjoyed and benefited from her gifts of professionalism, respect for the association and its members, and care for staff. We are grateful to her and wish her and her husband, Dennis, God’s blessings and care as they transition into 2009. If you want to send Kathy any special wishes, you can do so through me at dlichter@nacc.org.

As staff, we look forward to partnering with and supporting you in continuing the healing ministry of Jesus in the name of the Church.

Appreciatively, David A. Lichter NACC Executive Director

The NACC office will be open the following days over the next two weeks: Monday and Tuesday, December 22 and 23, 2008, and Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, December 29 and 30, 2008 and January 2, 2009! A Blessed Christmas and New Year holidays to you all!

If you have not yet completed the SCC survey, don’t wait until January 1 to make it a New Year’s resolution! Cross it off your Christmas to do list TODAY. Takes less than 10 minutes! This survey will provide critical information for the professional spiritual and pastoral care cognate membership groups and for the SCC leadership as it sets strategic direction for its future. We need your counsel. Log on now at https://secure.healthcarechaplaincy.org/checkbox/Survey.aspx?s=a682cf81a56440de8c296780769b08c0&invitationID=1176.

If you have not yet registered for Summit ’09 “Health and Hope: The Hard Reality of Living Intentionally in a Village of Care,” February 1-4, 2009 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center in Walt Disney World® Florida, REGISTER TODAY. After January 9, 2009, registration for the SCC ’09 Summit can only be made on-site according to on-site registration fees. On-site registration will not include any meals for any registration category. Go online now at www.spiritualcarecollaborative.org/scc_summit09.asp.

We can still use your help! If you are attending the Summit and would like to volunteer your assistance for NACC specific events, review the events and times at the NACC website www.nacc.org/conference/2009volunteers.asp, use the sign-up form to notify us of your selections. Volunteer opportunities are for our liturgical celebrations, including priests to assist with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. You will be contacted prior to the conference with instructions. If you have any questions, please contact Susanne Chawszczewski at schaw@nacc.org.

We are looking for members who are attending the Summit ’09 who may be interested in being part of our liturgies and doing some simple liturgical movement. Instructions will be given and you will be contacted prior to the Summit ’09. If you are interested, please contact Norma Gutierrez, MCDP at srnor@msn.com.

Our Illinois state liaisons have been busy preparing an enriching Lent Workshop for chaplains and those in pastoral Ministry on “The Mystery of God and Human Suffering: Implications for Ministry to the Sick and Dying” being presented by Rev. Robin Ryan, CP. It will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2009, 8am to Noon, Mulcahy Center, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood IL 60153. For details (brochure) go to www.nacc.org/docs/resources/march_7_2009_Lent_workshop_loyola.doc.

Please go to the SRT e-newsletter sent yesterday by Earl E. Johnson, Volunteer Partner, Coordinator, Spiritual Care Response Team (SRT) American Red Cross, for recent news: Click on www.nacc.org/resources/srt_main.asp and look for the December 2008 issue (note: SRT newsletters are provided for NACC members only. You will need to log in with your membership number and password.)

We want to remind you that the NACC advertisement of job openings will be provided exclusively on our NACC website, rather than continuing to publish the positions available in the Vision. We will highlight every NACC Now with the new job postings and link you to them. For more information about placing an ad or viewing a job opening on the NACC website go to www.nacc.org/positions/adinfo.asp.

Please continue to keep in prayer Judy Novak (radiation treatment for colorectal cancer), Sr. Rose Grabowski, SSJ-TOSF (stomach surgery), Bro. Brian Boyle, CPPS (broken foot); Rev. Jim Radde, SJ (recovering from surgery), Teddi Tomsic (major surgery), Sr. Hilda Mallet, MHS (undergoing cancer radiation treatments which followed chemo), and Dennis Eldridge (Kathy’s husband, for cancer treatment).

The following positions have been posted in the last two weeks. Please go to www.nacc.org/positions/available.asp for more information about them.

MANAGER OF SPIRITUAL CARE
     Burbank, CA – Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center

CHAPLAIN
     Philadelphia, PA – Mercy Philadelphia Hospital

PRIEST DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CARE
     Miami, FL – Catholic Health Services