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Contents:
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. A reminder about NACC Office Summer hours
3. NACC mentors are offering themselves to members
4. 2010 Renewal of Certification Applications
5. 2010 Renewal of Certification Materials
6. How do I count continuing education hours within the revised NACC standards?
7. State Liaison calls with members
8. New members needed for Editorial Advisory Panel
9. Scheduling local/regional events
10. New positions for NACC members
11. Upcoming NACC audio conferences
12. Remember the Spiritual Care Champions Series!
13. 2010 One Book, One Association Selection
14. APC webinars
15. Growth of Palliative Care spurred by Baby Boomers
16. Resources on Forgiveness
17. Are you planning to give any presentations on chaplaincy?
18. Order your video promoting the chaplaincy profession
19. Local/regional event dates
20. Other education events
21. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
22. Recent job postings
23. Positions wanted
Last week I had the privilege to attend the Catholic Health Association (CHA) Assembly in Denver, Colorado. One of the featured speakers was Thomas Friedman, New York Times, reporter on foreign affairs, and author of several books, including his two most recent ones, The World Is Flat, and Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – and How It Can Renew America. I find Mr. Friedman’s books insightful, provocative, and engaging.
He began his CHA presentation with several big-picture analyses of US and global trends, such as:
He noted and appealed to the social ethics of our parents’ generation that was based on the conviction that “you will always be here” and “act as you will always be here” so you take responsibility for your choices and make decisions that will positively affect the future. We must accept the fact that in recent years we have “eaten through” our abundant resources “like hungry locusts,” and embrace the challenge of the next decade/generation, which is a call to regeneration based on sustainable versus situational values. What “fighting for freedom” was to our parents and their ancestors, “sustainability for regeneration” will be for ours and the next generation. Whether we willingly embrace it or not, the “market” and “mother nature” will limit our choices. We will need to do so.
He observed that such an enormous challenge comes at the end of a bad decade that has left us fearful and uneasy. However, he appealed to us to remember that we are people “of the Fourth of July” and not “of 9-11” and we are worthy and capable of this great project.
As Mr. Friedman spoke, I found myself stirred by parts of his message and in agreement with his analyses and many of his solutions. He ended by emphasizing that “today” it begins.
I left the presentation with the questions, “How does this start today? How does this relate to the NACC and our members?”
If Mr. Friedman has done one thing for me, it’s helping me to realize and see the interconnectedness of the larger issues, and how they are played out in the daily doings of our lives.
Then yesterday’s Gospel from Luke was Peter’s confession to the question of Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” leading to Jesus’ prediction of His passion and the conditions of discipleship -- if anyone wishes to come after me…deny self, take up the cross, and follow me. I wonder… “Are these global conditions part of the conditions of our discipleship today?” What does taking up the cross have to do with the call to regeneration? When our daily chaplaincy ministry seems removed from these global issues, is it?
What do you think?
Appreciatively,
David A. Lichter
Executive Director
The NACC Office will again this summer, starting June 1st, be open Monday-Thursday, 8:30-5:00 p.m., CDT, and Friday’s 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CDT. Thank you.
NACC mentors are offering themselves to membersOver the past weeks, we have alerted you to our plans to initiate a mentor offering for members who seek to grow in their professional development. This mentor program was linked to the spiritual leadership competencies developed by the Care Services Task Force. Please go to www.nacc.org/resources/career/mentoring.asp for questions and answers regarding mentoring. Several NACC members are generously making themselves available to be mentors. You are welcome to contact us to discern whether such a relationship might be possible. Again, we are grateful for these mentors’ generosity. These mentors will also be invited to participate in regular group conference calls.
2010 Renewal of Certification ApplicationsRenewal Reminder Letters were mailed to those members due to renew their certification by 12/31/2010.
Thank you to members who submitted 2010 Renewal of Certification Applications early. These renewal materials will be reviewed at our upcoming Certification Commission meeting, which will be held July 8-10, 2010, (Milwaukee, WI), and Notification Letters will be mailed, via U.S. Postal Service, by August 10, 2010.
For those of you working on your Renewal of Certification Application and materials, please note there is still time to submit. Items received by June 25, 2010, will be reviewed at our July 2010 Certification Commission meeting.
*Please Note: For those members requiring notification prior to December 31, 2010, it will be necessary to submit your Renewal Application and materials in time to be reviewed at our last Commission meeting of the year (October 2010). Although you have until December 31, 2010, to complete the process, we urge you not to wait until November or December unless you are okay with waiting until mid 2011 for your notification letter.
2010 Renewal of Certification MaterialsPlease be sure to visit www.nacc.org/certification/renewal.asp to print your renewal of certification materials.
How do I count continuing education hours within the revised NACC standards?We continue to receive calls from our members regarding how to categorize/count their continuing education hours within the framework of the revised NACC standards. Go to www.nacc.org/certification/renewal.asp for guidelines and suggestions, particularly noting the Certification Procedures Manual section on Renewal of Certification. A very helpful document which compares our old Standards with our Revised Standards is the Parallel of 2-2006 NACC Standards and Revised 11-2007 Standards at the same location.
State Liaison calls with membersSeveral NACC state liaisons have requested conference calls with their state members. The NACC office has helped schedule several of them for June and July. If you want to set up such a call or are interested in learning more about such calls, please contact Cindy Bridges.
New members needed for Editorial Advisory PanelThe NACC Editorial Panel meets every other month by conference call to assist Laurie Hansen Cardona, Vision Editor, with strategic thinking and planning for Vision direction and content, as well as helping as best one can with writing, selecting, and suggesting authors for articles. The Panel can use at least two new members. Would you consider this? For the Editorial Advisory Panel roles and responsibilities and an application to be a candidate, please go to www.nacc.org/vision/panel.asp.
Scheduling local/regional eventsAs you can see by the local events listed below, the NACC staff continues to help schedule and provide administrative support to such events. If you are interested in a local event in your area, contact your NACC State Liaison, or Jeanine Annunziato (jannunziato@nacc.org) at the NACC office.
New positions for NACC membersJust a reminder to you, please let us know if you have accepted a new position/responsibility. E-mail Cindy Bridges (cbridges@nacc.org). We want to congratulate you and let others know, too. Below is our current list of updates from members:
Sr. Mary Jo Szpila, SND, M.A.P.S.
Sr. Mary Jo was hired January 11, 2010 as Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Mercy St. Charles Hospital, Oregon, Ohio.
Jim Retzner, OSA
After leaving hospital chaplaincy for a parish assignment for three years I have been blessed to return to fulltime chaplaincy at Children’s Hospital – Los Angeles. An all pediatrics ministry is going to be a different ministry than general hospital chaplaincy. Please keep me in your prayers.
Rev. Peter Gelfer, OH, BCC
I will be moving to Ojai, California on June 1st to take up my new assignments as Chaplain, Vocation Promoter, Initial Spiritual Formation.
Sr. Ruth Brings
On May 3, 2010, I began a new position at Nativity of Mary Parish in Janesville, WI. The new position is Director of Pastoral Outreach.
Here are NACC audio conferences planned for July through September. Please mark your calendars. We will continue to hold these on Thursdays so as not to conflict with the Champion Series that are held on Wednesdays. More details to follow. For questions about our audio conferences, please contact Jeanine Annunziato.
Please remember that you can sign up for individual sessions of the Spiritual Care Champions Series. For more details on how to register for these sessions, go to: www.che.org/mission/index.php?id=46. Upcoming sessions include:
We are excited to introduce our One Book, One Association selection for 2010 – The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. This NACC project has been designed to gather you, the members, together as a community by selecting one book and encouraging reading, writing, and discussion. More information will be available in the July/August issue of Vision and on the website. Be sure to start reading now! We thank all of the members who have participated in our book selection group. If you have questions or are interested in hosting a book club gathering that we can help to advertise to other members in your area, please contact Susanne at schaw@nacc.org.
APC webinarsHave you visited the APC site to learn about their webinars? You can review and sign up for them by going to this link.
Growth of Palliative Care spurred by Baby BoomersIn case you did not see it, there is a good article in HealthCare Chaplaincy on the growth of palliative care linked to the baby boomer generation that affirms chaplaincy care. Click here for the article.
Resources on ForgivenessIn case you have not seen them. Robert D. Enright has an excellent book on the science of forgiveness entitled, Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-By-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope. Also Journey Films has produced a quality film on Forgiveness. For more information on the Film and the theme go to this link.
Are you planning to give any presentations on chaplaincy?We continue to encourage members to promote the chaplaincy profession. Please remember that the NACC office staff want to make sure you have resources to share. If you are planning to do a presentation, please contact Cindy Bridges (cbridges@nacc.org) so that she can send you brochures. Also we remind you that you can access on our NACC website the Chaplaincy Ministry video (or order one – see below) as well as two PowerPoint slideshows to use as a basis for the presentation at www.nacc.org/advancing/promo.asp.
Order your video promoting the chaplaincy professionOur video on Chaplaincy, both a recruitment version (that begins and ends with “Is God Calling You?”), and a version without this question, is available in DVD format. The charge is just $6.00, the cost of production and shipping. You may preview the video at this link. To order copies please email Cindy Bridges for instructions.
Local/regional event datesMore local gatherings are being set. Please review the list below, and mark your calendars. More details of events will be in future NACC Now's.
Here are other events for our members. For a complete listing of events, go to www.nacc.org/resources/edops.asp.
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We continue to pray for: Ginny Conron (POP surgery next week), Sister Maria Theresa Hronec, SS.C.M. (surgery later in June), Marcella Keefe-Slager (lung cancer and treatment), Fr. Art Schute (at the death of his father, Arthur Edward Schute), Tom Regan’s granddaughter, Kathryn Rose in NICU (born prematurely, weighs 3 lbs. 15 oz. with many developmental issues), Sr. John Marie Stack, OSF (lymphoma cancer), Mary Pawicz (recovering from shoulder surgery), Gloria Troxler (preventive chemotherapy after ovarian surgery), Fr. Kevin Ikpah (eye troubles), Sr. Micheletta McGee, RSM (pancreatic cancer), Lourdes B. Ruta (wife of Peter Ruta, in recovery), Fr. Bob Nee, BCC, LICSW, CT (intractable epilepsy), Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (cancer: daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton), Joyce Fink (heart attack/recovery from open heart surgery), Fr. Bill Spacek (detached retina and other eye issues); Sr. Nancy Crane, OP (cancer treatment); Sr. Hilda Mallet, MHS (cancer treatment); Sr. Rita Rzeppa, IBVM (recovering/rehab from knee surgery), and Dennis Eldridge (Kathy's husband, for cancer treatment).
Recent job postingsThe following positions have been posted in the last two weeks. Please go to www.nacc.org/positions/available.asp for more information.
CHAPLAIN (FULL-TIME)
Tucson, AZ - Carondelet Health Network
PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Corpus Christi, TX - CHRISTUS Spohn Health System
CERTIFIED CHAPLAIN
Waterloo, IA - Allen Hospital
DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAINCY SERVICES
Long Island, NY - Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center
PASTORAL CARE COORDINATOR/CHAPLAIN
Sleepy Hollow, NY - Phelps Hospital
DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CARE AND EDUCATION
Nyack, NY - Nyack Hospital
CPE SUPERVISOR
Buffalo, NY - Sisters of Charity Hospital
PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Phoenix, AZ - St Joseph Hospital and Medical Center
In this time of change and uncertainty it is more important than ever to use every resource available. If you have lost your job recently, if you’re just seeking a new or better position, or if you are an employer seeking a chaplain for your organization, be sure to visit our Positions Wanted webpage. NACC members can take advantage of this free service by placing a job-seeking ad, for free, which will run for 60 days. To see the ads, visit www.nacc.org/positions/wanted.asp.
To place your own ad, send an email to Phil Paradowski: pparadowski@nacc.org.