““It’s about the skills and the practices of spiritual life that prepares each one of us to be open to the other…to believe and trust that the hospitality of the Christian faith is to look for the Christ in the other person, and as we approach them to serve them and in humility provide ministry to them. Our prayer is that the stranger will receive us and look for the Christ in us.”
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Overview
In short, Community of Hope International equips lay people to serve in all forms of pastoral care. Pastoral care is when a person is being “present” in a listening, compassionate, non-controlling manner to an individual or group for the purpose of consciously or unconsciously representing God to them and seeking to respond to their spiritual needs.
Through ongoing, spiritual formation and practical lessons on care giving, members learn to match theological insights and spiritual practices with their experiences of ministering to others and giving spiritual guidance.
An Introduction to Community of Hope by founder Rev. Dr. Helen Appelberg.
initial training
The fourteen modules used in training cover topics both theoretical and practical, ranging from teaching participants the tenants of Benedictine Spirituality to practical instruction to be used while on a pastoral care visit. It is COHI’s goal that this training awaken participants to God’s call on their lives by discovering and understanding their spiritual gifts for ministry.
Benedictine Spirituality gives Community of Hope its unique emphases:
- to stay true to Jesus’ commandment to care for the sick...“When you do this to the least of these, you do it also unto me”
- growing each participant spiritually, within a nurturing community “because those who are the healthiest spiritually will have the most to give to others in need.”
Worship together
Expand their knowledge with continuing education
Engage in peer supervision
Report visitation information
Reflect on pastoral experiences in a debriefing
Deepen their community