“I appreciated everyone’s insight and honest comments. I thought many of the heartfelt conversations revealed a real need for open dialogue. I wonder how much of that would have occurred in a face-to-face meeting.”

—Rev. Bruce Frogge, pastor

Finding Hope When There Is No Cure

---

February 4-22, 2008
Presenter: TBA
12.0 contact hours

---

How do we help patients, clients, parishioners, or family members find and sustain hope when they encounter challenges such as the diagnosis of terminal cancer, an accident resulting in major trauma, or a lifestyle altering chronic illness? What is hope and how can it transcend what may be a shallow optimism? How can one experience healing that does not include curing? How can we discover our personal narratives of hope and in so doing help others discover theirs?

This is a seminar that seeks to address these and other questions with the recognition that a cure is not always possible. It is a seminar that seeks to help clergy, chaplains, counselors, social workers, and pastoral care givers address questions of faith and hope in the face of chronic or terminal illness. Through presentations by Dr. James Travis, Dr. Leslie Kendrick, and Dr. James Hyde combined with three weeks of email discussion, seminar participants will be asked to reflect on and explore ways to find hope when there is no cure.

.

Presentations (one per week):

• "A Hope That Does Not Disappoint"
  by James Travis, Ph.D.

• "Cancer and the Redemption of Hope"
  by Leslie Smith Kendrick, Ph.D.

• "Facing Terminal Illness: Narratives of Hope"
  by James Hyde, Ph.D.
  

Facilitator:

(Rev.) Douglas R. Kellough, D.Min., is a Multifaith Spiritual Care Provider offering counseling services, education and consultation in matters of faith, spirituality, health care issues, health care ethics and end of life issues in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is certified as a Specialist in Institutional Ministry (Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education) with 15 years experience in hospital chaplaincy and 9 years experience in pastoral ministry.

.

Learning Objectives:

Following this workshop, participants should be able to:

1. Differentiate between healthy hope and optimism; making a distinction between realistic and false hope.
2. Encourage others to find meaning in a broader definition of "healing" that goes beyond cure.
3. Recognize new possibilities for how they can help families or individuals recover a sense of hope.
4. Acknowledge the value of one's story as a means for restoring and creating a new and hopeful vision of reality, even in the face of situations that do not present a cure.

Registration: