Ministry Of Presence

MINISTRY OF PRESENCE speaks to the heart of chaplaincy. It deals with the history and definition of chaplaincy as well as the chaplain's call to ministry and relationship to his church. Specific challenges within the framework of chaplain ministry such as pluralism, prayer, and proselytizing are also addressed. MINISTRY OF PRESENCE would easily fit in the library of those already in the chaplaincy, chaplain candidates who are preparing for ministry, or anyone who is interested in learning about chaplaincy.The principles presented are not simply theory but have been born out of the context of Whit's experience and practicing what he preaches. His insights will encourage and challenge anyone seeking to minister from a biblical perspective in any venue of chaplaincy.

Is it appropriate, or even legal, for government to provide spiritual care for its citizens? Winnifred Fallers Sullivan shows that courts and administrative agencies have, for better or for worse, already decided this question. Religious freedom in American today means government affirmatively providing opportunities for Americans to encounter their religious selves and realize their religious commitments. How did this happen? The answer, Sullivan shows, is an emerging religious practice--the ministry offered by chaplains in secular settings, generally called a ministry of presence. In this eye-opening book, Sullivan details the legal recognition and regulation of the spiritual care delivered by governmental and quasi-governmental chaplaincies, as well as by chaplaincies within ostensibly private but regulated industries, such as hospitals and colleges. Across America today, there are chaplains in airports, fire departments, prisons, hospitals, the military, unions, and even businesses and workplaces. Chaplains operate at the intersection of the sacred and the secular, brokers responsible for ministering to the wandering souls of a globalized economy while sacralizing institutions we generally consider unmarked by any religious identity. A book with profound implications for how we understand the relationship between religion and law in contemporary America, "A Ministry of Presence" will interest readers in legal studies, religious studies, sociology, and public policy. "

Publisher's description: Presence-Centered Youth Ministry shows how classic disciplines, symbols and practices that have sustained the church over the centuries can shape the worldviews, virtues and habits of young people today. Come explore the deeper terrain of an ancient faith; your students are sure to follow.

Politicians and pundits alike have complained that the divided governments of the last decades have led to legislative gridlock. Not so, argues Keith Krehbiel, who advances the provocative theory that divided government actually has little effect on legislative productivity. Gridlock is in fact the order of the day, occurring even when the same party controls the legislative and executive branches. Meticulously researched and anchored to real politics, Krehbiel argues that the pivotal vote on a piece of legislation is not the one that gives a bill a simple majority, but the vote that allows its supporters to override a possible presidential veto or to put a halt to a filibuster. This theory of pivots also explains why, when bills are passed, winning coalitions usually are bipartisan and supermajority sized. Offering an incisive account of when gridlock is overcome and showing that political parties are less important in legislative-executive politics than previously thought, Pivotal Politics remakes our understanding of American lawmaking.

The Adaptive Teacher is full of ready-to-use tips to help teachers and catechists create a culture of inclusion for students, including those with disabilities.

At the heart of the role of chaplaincy is PRESENCE. This manual, designed for new chaplains, explores four dimensions of presence: (1) As the chaplain is present to him/herself with compassion and awareness, and (2) is present to The Presence with sensitivity and authenticity, he/she then (3) moves outward to others with simple, skillful means to help lighten their loads in life, and (4) helps others to connect more deeply to The Presence in ways that serve their highest good. This is part training manual, part memoir, part prayer book, and part self-care handbook. The author provides practical suggestions for pastoral support, and prayer with others, offers bits of wisdom to apply in one's ministry, and uses stories from his pastoral work in detention and hospital ministries to provide concrete examples of ways to apply these ideas. Additionally, this book is meant to help the chaplain nurture his/her own soul through self-care and prayer.

The Practice of the Presence of God is a spiritual classic written by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk. This small but impactful work is a compilation of letters and conversations attributed to Brother Lawrence, offering profound insights into cultivating a continuous awareness of the presence of God in everyday life.

In this journal of his travels in Bolivia and Peru, Nouwen ponders the presence of God in the poor, the challenge of a persecuted church, the relation between faith and justice, and his own struggle to discern the path along which God is calling him. "Nouwen puts his inexhaustible curiosity and hunger for religious experience gladly at the service of a worldwide audience".--The Boston Globe.