Issue #281 – August 20, 2018

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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)

1. Executive Director’s Reflection
So, what does it mean to have life? I know I have life because of being from my parents, Harry and Lucille. I sense I have life because I can read my vitals. Pulse is good and I am breathing. I could probably say I have life because I have feeling, emotions, and am awakened to the world around me. If I add the adjective “good” and can certainly be even more emphatic that I have a GOOD life in that I am deeply blessed by God and am profoundly grateful for my life. In all these ways I can say “I have life.”

In yesterday’s Gospel from John 6 we find again the reflection on “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (Jn. 6:56) So we read Jesus saying, “I have life because of the Father,” and “the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” I suppose the easy theological answer would be, “Oh, John is referring to eternal life, life everlasting!” That’s what is referred to earlier in John 6 where it states one who believes in Jesus will have eternal life. Then, of course, we read a little earlier in 6:51 that “My flesh I will give for the life of the world.” There I suppose we could say it means that the world might be saved.

For sure we can conclude that having life intimates a connection with God’s Life, as Jesus has life because of the Father. What makes me a little cautious is the word “have” as if I possess it now, like a nice 70% sea salt dark chocolate bar!

I wonder if we could say it’s more like having a cold, like I caught a cold and it has me and I can’t easily shake it. Maybe it should read, rather than I have life, that Life has me when I feed on Jesus. Then it is not so much something I have and possess, something in my grasp, but more something that has got me and I can’t easily evade its grasp.

Maybe this might seem like semantics, or you are wondering where I am going with this. However, I am much more at peace believing in the Bigness and Mystery of God’s Life, “the Living Father” that sent the Son who “has life because of the Father.” That Loving Mystery engulfs me in Life through Jesus. That Life grasps me; has me, and will not “slip from my fingers” as if it was ever in my hands (like that dark chocolate bar!).
So, dear friends, how is “having life” for you these days?

Blessings on you and your Life-giving ministry!

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. Honor NACC Members, Professional Colleagues and Groups! – September 14 deadline
Send us your nominations for the NACC Distinguished Service Award, Emergent Leader Award, and Outstanding Colleague Award. The deadline is Friday, September 14. You can learn more and access the nomination forms at www.nacc.org/about-nacc/annual-awards.

Do you know someone who has inspired you in the work and profession of chaplaincy? We want to know. Now is your chance to express your gratitude and nominate this person. Two (2) awards, Distinguished Service Award and Emergent Leader Award, recognize NACC members for outstanding dedication and service to NACC or to the field of chaplaincy. One (1) award, Outstanding Colleague Award, is presented to a non-NACC member individual or group whose work has proven complementary to, supportive of, or otherwise has contributed to the advancement of the profession of chaplaincy.

Please consider nominating. These awards will be presented at our 2019 NACC Conference May 30 – June 3, 2019, at the University of St. Mary by the Lake in Mundelein, IL.

3. NACC Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities
One of the best ways to advance the profession and experience the value of being an NACC member is by serving with your member colleagues in volunteer leadership within NACC. You have gifts, along with experience/expertise for your personal and professional background that contribute to NACC’s mission and would be of great service to our members.

Also, your involvement would help you get to know other NACC members, network with professional colleagues, and better understand the broader field of professional chaplaincy. So many of our members who served in leadership roles expressed how that service enhanced their appreciation for NACC and chaplaincy.

On this page (https://www.nacc.org/membership/volunteers/) you will find a variety of opportunities.

4. 2018 Annual Campaign Update! Thanks to those who have given! Please join them!
We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able to give so far to our 2018 Annual Campaign. To date we have received gifts totaling $34,097 compared to gifts totaling $33,175 at this time last year. If you have not yet been able to donate, please consider doing so today or this week! Thank you!

Please note: You can also make your donation online RIGHT NOW by going to the Annual Campaign webpage (www.nacc.org/donate) or just click here to donate: nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/forms/donation.aspx. Please give as you can! Blessings!

5. September 15 Deadline fast approaching! Initial Certification Application.
September 15 is the next certification application deadline. All materials must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2018, for consideration for a May 4 or 5, 2019, certification interview. For questions regarding the application process, please contact Ramona Zeb at rzeb@nacc.org or at (414) 483-4898 ext. 304. Best wishes to all those who are working to prepare their materials!

In Vision: The heart and science of collaboration.
Collaborating across disciplines takes trust and flexibility, palliative care physician Dawn Gross told the NACC-APC conference. To read Austine Duru’s account of her well-received plenary speech in the new Vision, click below.
www.nacc.org/vision/july-august-2018/gross-addresses-heart-and-science-of-collaboration

7. Death of our NACC member
We recently learned from his wife Judy, of the death of our member, Deacon Robert E. Weaver who died July 12, 2018. Deacon Bob joined NACC in 1990 and was certified in 1992. A permanent ordained deacon in the Harrisburg Diocese, Robert worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital, then at Lancaster Regional and the Heart of Lancaster Regional hospitals for 27 years, after which he continued in the same position as a volunteer for over eight years.

Please join us in commending Bob to the Lord. For more information on Deacon Bob, go to:
lancasteronline.com/obituaries/deacon-robert-e-weaver/article_79bc48b3-fc17-5478-9943-33ada106562d.html
and
lancasteronline.com/features/faith_values/honoring-caregivers-it-s-not-solely-for-women/article_5e51db7a-f2b1-11e5-9b76-4f1d9b0a822a.html

8. NACC Networking Calls for August/September 2018
If you wish to participate on this call and are not already on this particular call list, please contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org for more information. Time listed is Central Time Zone.

Thursday, August 23; 3:00 p.m. CT – NACC Palliative/Hospice Networking Call
Friday, September 7; 10 a.m. CT – NACC CPE Educators Networking Call
Wednesday, September 12; 2 p.m. CT – NACC Nurse Chaplain Networking Call
Tuesday, September 18; 2 p.m. CT – NACC Canadian Member Networking Call

NACC realizes the value of networking and appreciates members taking time out of their schedules to share and lend support to others who are ministering in the same area.

NACC appreciates the effort it takes to participate and also hears of the value these calls provide our members. Unfortunately, the calls lose value if there are few participants, limiting the sharing that could take place. In order for the call to have the most value for participants, we will postpone a call until the next quarter if there are fewer than 5 participants who have signed up for the call a week prior to its scheduled date.

9. Have you visited our NACC Networking Forums yet?
Also, NACC now offers NACC members opportunities for online networking! 39 comments have been left by members to various Networking Forums. Welcome to all members. Sign into the NACC website with your user name and password. Choose NACC Professional Networking Forums. You will note a list of Forums. Choose the one you are interested in: e.g., Nurse Chaplain Group. This forum will grow as members share thoughts, questions and ideas. Remember that this is a PILOT and any feedback directed to Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org will help us make it more user friendly.

APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!

10. Thank you to our Joint Conference sponsors.
The NACC is deeply grateful to all our 2018 Joint Conference Sponsors, whose financial support helps us keep our fees reasonable, and makes affordable our top-quality speakers and excellent events! Thank you all. Please go to www.nacc.org/conference/2018-conference-sponsors to recognize our 2018 Joint Conference Sponsors.

11. Thank you to those who contributed to our Joint Conference Scholarships.
The NACC is grateful to all those who generously donated to provide scholarship assistance for attendees of the 2018 Joint Conference. This generosity made it possible for the Joint Conference to help several chaplains who were able for the first time to attend a conference. Please go to www.nacc.org/conference/2018-conference-scholarship-donors to recognize our 2018 Joint Conference Scholarship donors.

12. Ordering audio recordings of 2018 Joint Conference materials
If you are interested in audio recordings of any of the 2018 Joint Conference offerings, you can place an order at www.dcprovidersonline.com/nacc.

13. 2018 Conference resources can be accessed on the NACC website.
Whether you participated in the 2018 Joint Conference or not, you can access the support materials and PowerPoints for many of the workshops on our NACC website on the 2018 Joint Conference Workshops page.

14. Conference photos requested!
If you took any photos at the conference that you wish to share with the NACC, please send them to us at info@nacc.org! We’d love to see your best shots of your fellow attendees, conference events, and Anaheim.

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

15. Friday, May 31, to Monday, June 3, 2019, for NACC National Conference!
Mark your calendars for the NACC Conference in 2019! This conference will be held Friday, May 31, through Monday, June 3, 2019, at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Conference Center in Mundelein, IL. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!

16. It is not too late to register for this upcoming August webinar!

Thursday, August 16, 2018 (12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Central Time). Renewal of Certification by the NACC, presented by NACC Certification Commissioners Kathleen M. Ponce, BCC and Austine O. Duru, BCC. This free webinar will provide participants with an overview of the renewal of certification process and documentation, and provide a forum for answering questions about NACC renewal of certification. This webinar is highly recommended for anyone who is renewing their NACC certification, or considering doing so.
Thursday, August 23, 2018 (12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Central Time). Ministry on the Streets – Chaplains on the Way, presented by Rev. Rebecca Sheble-Hall and Rev. Tina Walker-Morin. Since 2008, Chaplains on the Way has been ministering to those experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental illness and/or addiction on the streets of Waltham, Massachusetts. Walking side-by-side with the individuals they meet, staff and volunteers offer companionship, listening, spiritual care, hope and healing. The ministry setting is not what is typically associated with chaplaincy but has been very successful. Reverends Becky and Tina will speak about the joys and challenges of this specialty ministry and some of the spiritual programs that they offer.
Program Objectives
1. Learn about an alternative ministry model that serves some of the most vulnerable in our society.
2. Learn about the unique challenges posed by this ministry and how to best address them.
3. Gain knowledge about public worship/spiritual practices that best serve the needs of this unique setting.
To register online and pay by credit card, for this webinar as well as for any other NACC 2018 regular series webinar, please visit the registration page by clicking on this LINK. If you prefer to register using a paper registration form and pay by check, a downloadable registration form can be accessed at this LINK.

Additional information about these webinars (and our other 2018 webinars) can be found at the following link: 2018 webinars.

17. There is still time to respond! The NACC is seeking presentation applications for its 2019 NACC Webinar Series!

The NACC is starting to plan its 2019 webinar series schedule and would like to invite you to consider applying to present a webinar next year.

NACC webinars are usually held on the second or third Thursday of each month of the year, excluding the month in which the NACC National Conference falls (in 2019 the conference will take place at the end of May). Each webinar is scheduled for 90 minutes (which includes a 15-20-minute Q&A session after the presentation itself), starting at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. All webinars are recorded, and therefore the presenter(s) will be required to sign a consent form to that effect. A stipend is offered for each presentation.

Below is a preliminary list of topics that the NACC Education Advisory Panel thought would be of interest to participants in our 2019 webinar series:

Mental health
Substance abuse
Palliative care and end of life
Interdisciplinary teams
Outpatient pastoral care
Staff education
Working with LGBTQ patients

If you are interested in presenting a NACC webinar in 2019 on one of the above topics (or if you have a suggestion for a different topic), please download and complete the application form from the following link: WEBINARS 2019 and submit it to Andris Kursietis at the NACC national office (akursietis@nacc.org) by September 20, 2018. Please note that you do not need to be an NACC member to present a webinar.

18. Take advantage of the two upcoming webinars on prison ministry!
The newly formed Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC), of which NACC is a partner, has been offering free monthly webinars through the USCCB. We want to invite you to the next webinar on August 22nd at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. Tyler Curtis and Ron Zeilinger of Dismas Ministries will hold an hour-long webinar to discuss the materials available at Dismas Ministry and provide information about the upcoming Dismas National Catholic Prison Ministry Conference in Milwaukee.
Here is link on our website for more information about the webinar and its presenters: https://www.nacc.org/event/dismas-ministry-and-sharing-resources/.
Here is a link to the August 22 registration: https://goo.gl/forms/VGoArotfiwnktr0s1.

The next CPMC webinar, on September 18, will be presented by Dr. Eileen Dombo and Fr. George Williams, SJ, Ph.D., on “Retaining resilience in prison ministry: using self-care to avoid burnout.” Link here for flier and registration.

19. NACC Local Gatherings

Alexandria, MN
The 2018 Fall Chaplains’ Conference will take place in Alexandria, Minnesota, on September 20-21. The theme for this year’s event is “The Prophets: Speaking to Us in Times of Loss, Trauma, and Injustice,” with Rev. Dale Launderville, OSB, and Dr. Corrine Carvalho as the speakers. The full registration fee is $135, or $65 for students. Daily rates are also available. A total of 7.75 CEHs are offered for participation in both days’ activities. For further details about the event, and to register online, please click on REGISTER.
Houston, TX ~ Saturday, September 29, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. central (this meeting will be live-streamed)
The topic for this event is: A Bold Model for Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry and Equipping Catholic Laypersons to Serve. The NACC is pleased to welcome colleagues from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, who will present an overview of a major diocesan initiative: assessing pastoral care needs, designing and implementing a multiple-dimensional program addressing those needs, and developing a three-tier educational program to equip Catholic laity to provide pastoral care ministry. This event will be live-streamed and therefore available to be accessed nationally. Further details and registration information will be made available soon.
Livonia, MI (Madonna University) ~ Thursday, October 18
The theme for the 2018 NACC gathering in Michigan (this year it will take place in Madonna University, in Livonia) is “Filling the Well: Practical Tools to Sustain Your Ministry.” The keynote presentation will be by Geila Rajaee, MPH, MPA, MDiv, BCC, and a host of other presenters have been lined up to fill out the day’s program. For further information about the program and to register online, please click on this LINK.
Charleston, SC ~ Monday, October 22
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, SC, is holding its 7th annual Richard H. Fitzgerald Lecture in Pastoral Education on Monday, October 22 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.). This year’s speaker will be the NACC Executive Director, David Lichter. The NACC would like to invite you to participate in this event as an integral part of a local NACC gathering – David will present relevant NACC updates after lunch. Details about the lecture can be found at this link: LECTURE. You can register for the event by calling 843-402-2273. The $15 fee includes morning coffee, lunch, and the program.

Save the date!
Additional local gatherings are being planned at the following locations. Please note the dates on your calendars – further details will be announced in due course.

• Seattle, WA ~ October 13
• Milwaukee, WI ~ November 9
• Baltimore, MD ~ November 13

If you have any questions about NACC webinars or local gatherings, please contact Andris Kursietis at the NACC national office at 414-483-4898 or akursietis@nacc.org.

20. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We will leave the person’s name on the Healing Tree list for three months unless you ask us to remove your or the person’s name earlier. You can always request us to leave the name on longer.

We continue to pray for: Liam and Dillon (grandsons of member Ray Townsend), Fr. Art Schutte, Janet Furman (at the death of her brother Robert Furman), Dr. Maritza Ramos-Pratt, Danny Shea (husband of Debra Shea), Larry DuPlain and Dorothy Bricker (brother and sister of Sr. Mary DuPlain); Dan Waters (at the death of his mother, Betty Jane Waters), Sr. Theresa Chiappa SSC, Emory Tavss (5-year-old grandson of member Carol Bamesberger), Nolan (3-year-old grandson of Dale Recinella), Tim Charek, Sr. Mary Clare Boland, SP, Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Julie Bablin, Sheila Amrich (niece-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, Susan Balling, Jim and Frances Castello.

21. Recent job postings
The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page.
For more information go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions.

CHAPLAIN
Waterloo, IA – Covenant Medical Center

CHAPLAIN PASTORAL CARE
Lorain, OH – Mercy Health

PASTORAL CARE TEAM MEMBER, Full Time Exempt
Monroe, MI – IHM Senior Living Community

TEAM LEADER, PASTORAL CARE
Janesville, WI – SSM St. Mary’s hospital

CPE RESIDENCY
Anchorage, Alaska – Providence Alaska Medical Center

DIRECTOR OF MISSION INTEGRATION & SPIRITUAL CARE
Portland, OR – Providence Home & Community Care

CHAPLAIN (Catholic Priest Preferred)
Austin, Texas – Seton Healthcare Family

View these jobs and more at www.nacc.org/resources/positions.

NACC Now #281

Issue #281 – August 20, 2018

NACC

APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

Job Listings

Free Publications

Donate Now

Issue #281 – August 20, 2018

NACC

APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

Job Listings

Free Publications

Donate Now

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