Latest from the Wayne Oates Institute

Helping Churches Care: Grief Ministry in Action

c wallace s In 2002, my life was turned upside down by the sudden death of my father. After his death I felt lost and often alone in my grief. Many people meant well, but no one really knew what to say or do. No one from my home church reached out to me beyond sending sympathy cards. Going to church and other public functions became a dreaded chore. Many people asked, “How are you?” but did not want to listen to the response. After a couple of weeks it felt as though people forgot about my grief and even stopped asking how I was doing.

Details: Published: 12 June 2013

We invite you to join in the conversation

Join us in envisioning the future we seek to create ...

In this time of change when lots of questions are being asked about what the future looks like for pastoral and spiritual care, both in terms of expectations and employment opportunities, we are bringing together a collection of voices to envision the future possibilities and opportunities. By coming together in the form of an online conference, we seek to explore how we work together to create the future we prefer as pastoral and spiritual caregivers. What will it take to develop and prepare for the new possibilities and opportunities that are emerging? Join us as a presenter or a participant for the Envisioning the Future of Spiritual Care online conference November 6-15, 2013.

Details: Published: 11 June 2013

How do we care for troublesome people?

Care of Troublesome People We all encounter them, the people that we find to be troublesome. Whether it is in our departments, in our congregations, or among the patients and families we seek to serve. You know the people we are talking about: the ones that go behind your back, the ones that over exercise their authority, the ones that seek to divide, those who become overly dependent, and the prima donas that must be cared for delicately. Now you can learn how to approach these troubled and troublesome people in ways that are not dismissive but are caring and affirming, ways that are grounded in God's grace. Join us for this online seminar July 8-26, 2013.

Details: Published: 10 June 2013

Oates Journal is on the Move, the Library is Under Construction

journal We are in the process of moving the Oates Journal to the main site. This is a big project because of the number of articles involved, but it will be extremely beneficial to have it back as part of the main site again. To access the Oates Journal now, just go to www.oates.org and click on Oates Journal in the top menu bar. In addition to being in the process of moving the Journal, we have started construction on the new Vicki Hollon Center for Oates Studies. You will want to follow the growth of the resources offered here. We still need to raise some more funds for several sections, so we will add those sections as funds come in for them.

Details: Published: 05 June 2013

Two New Seminars Being Offered in July

openheart-sayingno Among the seminars on the schedule for July are two seminars being offered for the first time. Open Heart: Through the Eyes of a Heart Patient explores what might we learn about living life and providing pastoral and spiritual care to heart patients and their families by listening closely to the experience of one. In The Practice of Saying No, beloved author and preacher Barbara Brown Taylor reflects on the meaning of keeping the Sabbath: saying no to work and doing to celebrate instead stopping, resting on the porch, and taking the time to recognize our interconnectedness.

Details: Published: 05 June 2013

Schedule Change for July Seminars

We are adding a seminar and rescheduling a seminar on the July list for Clinical members. We are adding an outstanding seminar on Educating Families on Death and Dying, which is a very practical approach to developing programs for helping families understand how to best care for loved ones who are dying. We are postponing the seminar on Pastoral and Spiritual Care for a Society Living Longer until September.

Details: Published: 03 June 2013

Wanted: Participants to Help Us Test a Seminar

We have our group, but we are still accepting stand-by registrations.

We are looking for twelve congregational members (from a variety of settings) to help us field test two new online seminars on the Introduction to Congregational Care. The first seminar will be offered from July 8 through August 2, 2013. These are a new type of seminar for the Oates Institute that have been developed for the non-professional caregiver. They are for congregational members who seek to be better prepared to help with pastoral care ministries within their congregations. The seminars are part of the new Congregational Care Network that we are developing. We are looking for twelve people who would like to take these seminars out for a test drive and provide us with feedback.

Details: Published: 22 May 2013

Registration Open for July Seminars

Butterfly-01s Our seminar schedule slows during the summer but we have a group of exciting seminars coming up in July. One of the new seminars offered will use Elie Wiesel's book, Open Heart, to explore the healing journey of heart patients and families. And this summer's Nurturing Silence and Sabbath seminar will focus on the Practice of Saying No using the Barbara Brown Taylor book by that title. Another seminar looks at pastoral and spiritual care for a society living longer and two others pick up on two significant book from Wayne Oates. July seminars will run July 8-26, 2013, and each offers 12 contact hours of continuing education credit for chaplains, counselors, social workers, and pastors. It is a great time and opportunity to participate in continuing education from wherever you are according to your schedule.