1. Executive Director’s reflection
2. The Pastoral Care Summit: A solid foundation
3. Prepare to read The Year of Magical Thinking
4. NACC Board to meet this week in Milwaukee
5. San Diego member responds
6. Episcopal Advisory Council to convene
7. 2008 conference to offer Red Cross SRT training
8. Standards Commission meets next week
9. USSCB/CCA to visit NACC offices
10. Wisconsin Chaplaincy Association meets
11. Northwest chaplains’ gathering set for Dec. 14

As you read this NACC Now, you will notice that several important NACC leadership meetings have occurred or will occur during late October and early November. The USCCB/CCA is meeting to evaluate and decide on our revised NACC Standards. The Certification Commission met to handle certification items and to revise procedures for the revised standards. The NACC Standards Commission is meeting next week, and this week the NACC Board is meeting. Next week the NACC Episcopal Advisory Council will meet! Wow! These are weeks when we highly value the many heads and hearts that guide the NACC! Please take a moment to pray, “Thanks, Lord, for their generosity; give them wisdom!”

The Pastoral Care Summit that met during Pastoral Care Week at Alegent Health in Omaha NE, was a remarkable first-time convening of experienced practitioners, health care leaders, and performance and research experts in the spiritual/pastoral care field, all exploring and sharing on critical pastoral care performance areas. While it was not a surprise to find a wide variation in pastoral practice, and no common understanding or even awareness of what chaplaincy leaders have already done, participants are committed to create some common ground and best practices. Therefore, we were able to focus, lay frameworks and foundations, and organize ourselves for further work. People left hopeful and energized, and committed. To read more, click here.

In 2008 the NACC plans to revive the One Book, One Association reading plan. The book we have chosen is Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, in which the noted author and journalist reflects upon the sudden death of her husband and serious illness of her daughter. External coolness, she reveals, covered a mass of grief, uncertainty, confusion, unanswered questions, and other emotions that will be familiar to our members. Watch the January Vision for more details, and keep it in mind now for your holiday shopping or wish lists. (Although the book has recently been made into a one-woman play and the script is available for sale, we will be sticking to the original.)

November 8-9, 2007 the NACC Board of Directors will convene in Milwaukee. The major agenda items will involve reviewing and providing further strategic thinking to the results of the Volunteer Leadership Development, Recruitment, Marketing, and Financial Development Task Forces’ work over the past weeks. The Board’s deliberations will help direct and drive our strategic plan implementation.

We received several letters from members following our special NACC Now supplement on Friday, Oct. 26. Josie Rodriguez, BCC, wrote, “Thank you for your sincere thoughts for us during the recent fires. I live in San Diego, where over 500,000 people were evacuated. There are so many stories, so many homes lost, lives lost, and friends displaced. Driving through many of the neighborhoods shows incredible devastation. The first responders were wonderful. As one who was trained for the Red Cross Spiritual Care Team, I could see how all of the agencies in our city responded just perfectly. The reverse 911 system saved lives. I was proud of the way everyone came together to help, from donating food, water, and clothing, to opening their homes for those evacuated. We pray that the fires will be out soon, that the Santa Ana winds subside and we get some much needed rain.” To see more letters, go here.

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, the NACC Episcopal Advisory Council will meet during the USCCB General Assembly Meeting. Bishop Randolph Calvo and David Lichter will be the hosts. We are delighted to inform you that the NACC has now full representation of all the regions! Bishops who have agreed to represent vacant regions include: Bishop Dale Melczek of Gary, IN (Region VI); Bishop Calvo of Reno, NV (Region XI); Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City (Region XIII); and Bishop John Noonan of Miami, FL (Region XIV). We thank Bishop Melczek for accepting; he will provide Bishop Calvo and David Lichter valued historical perspective. For the complete roster of the Advisory Council, see this page.

Once again, we are happy to offer American Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team Training at our annual conference to certified chaplains who meet the requirement for this specialized service. Training will be Friday, April 4, 2008 (beginning at 8 a.m.) and Saturday, April 5, 2008 (from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in Indianapolis, IN at the 2008 Conference site. If you are interested in this training, please refer to this page for the qualifications and competencies. You may request an application through Susanne Chawszczewski, Director of Education and Professional Practice, at schaw@nacc.org. Completed applications will be due by Monday, Jan. 14, 2008. Questions regarding the training can be directed to our NACC Special Representative to the Red Cross Disaster Network, Tim Serban, at tim.serban@providence.org.

The NACC Standards Commission is meeting in Milwaukee next week to do a full review of the revised NACC procedures. After their revisions and final approval, the NACC staff will revise and finalize all the accompanying materials for the certification, renewal of certification, and ethics procedures so that they are ready for use by January 2008.

The USCCB’s Commission on Certification and Accreditation will be meeting in Milwaukee the week of Nov. 12. They will be reviewing and evaluating the NACC Standards. They will also be visiting the NACC office on Thursday, Nov. 15!

Chaplains from across Wisconsin met together in Green Lake, Oct. 21-23. The theme of the conference was “Theological Reflection in Chaplaincy.” Rev. Dr. Allen Verhey from Duke University Divinity School shared his insights for the group in a number of relevant areas. Dr. Verhey’s specialty is the application of Christian ethics in medical and health practice. Susanne Chawszczewski joined the group for part of the conference and met with approximately nine NACC members during some special association time. It was a privilege to join the group and be part of the broader conversation regarding chaplaincy in Wisconsin.

On Friday, December 14, David Lichter will be leading an Advent Day of Recollection for all chaplains in the Northwest at the Archdiocese of Seattle’s Palisades Retreat Center in Federal Way, WA, from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Please mark your calendar! More information is coming via e-mail and on the NACC website!