The Wayne E. Oates Institute is a Connected Learning Community exploring spirituality and health as a way to advance integrative care for the whole person. The Oates Institute is a non-profit educational organization made up of caregivers from the medical, spiritual and counseling communities providing a forum for joining together as an interdisciplinary dialogue toward understanding the relationship between spirituality and the healing process.

In the process of giving care to others, care givers often overlook their own practice of self-care. Care givers--including pastors, chaplains, and counselors -- often feel that they do not have the time or permission to take time to rest and meet their own needs for sustaining their  health. Unfortunately, when care givers do not tend to their own well-being, those they care for also pay a price.

To help care givers with their self care, the Oates Institute will offer two Care of Self seminars during the July session. One is the very popular Nurturing Silence and Sabbath seminar. The other is the Care Giver's Mental Health. Both seminars will be offered online July 13-31.

Nurturing Silence and Sabbath focuses on our right to rest and looks at the practices of silence and sabbath. It features presentations by Dr. E. Glenn Hinson ("The Sacrament of the Present Moment") and Dr. Wayne E. Oates ("Your Right to Rest" and "Discovering Your Privacy in Order to Nurture Silence"). Participants in the seminar will engage in conversation to reflect on their own care regarding rest and personal renewal while learning to observe the sacrament of the present moment and affirm the gift and necessity of rest.

The Care Giver's Mental Health picks up on the notion of giving ourselves "mental health" days to sustain our mental health.  Recent studies of clergy health show that while the occurence of clergy depression is only slightly higher than the general population, there is a significantly higher percentage of ministers reporting periods when they feel depressed or "worn out" some or most of the time. This seminar features presentations by Dr. Charles Chandler on "The Minister's Mental Health During Crisis," Drs. James Hyde and John Schwab on "The Casualties of Sadness," and Dr. John Swinton on "The Strength to Be Human: A Theology of Mental Health." Through peer dialogue around these three presentations participants will reflect on self-care practices and explore approaches for staying mentally healthy as a care giving or ministry professional.

Each of these seminars provides participants the opportunity to earn 12 contact hours of approved continuing education credit. Both of these seminars will feature the Oates Institute's Connected Learning approach for reflective peer group learning. In light of this, each of these seminars is limited to12 participants.

Registration is free for Oates Institute members and only $60 for non-members. Registration is open through Thursday, July 9 (or until the seminar is full).

REGISTER FOR NURTURING SILENCE AND SABBATH

REGISTER FOR THE CARE GIVER'S MENTAL HEALTH