Have you heard of an Anna Chaplain?
There is a growing network of Anna Chaplains who deliver spiritual care services for older people, and Anna Friends who assist them. They work in care homes, private homes, churches and other community settings with people of strong, little or no faith.
The activities of Anna Chaplains vary depending on the needs of the older people they work with, but are likely to include encouraging individuals to review their life story, delivering home Communion services and praying with them.
As the number of older people in the UK rises in the coming years, churches are uniquely placed to address the spiritual dimension of growing older. Many older people cannot be part of a faith community in a traditional sense, due to health or mobility problems. Anna Chaplaincy can help, as it brings spiritual care to them.
We would love to see some Anna Chaplains working in our own Diocese. You can read more about the network here .
There is now an Anna Chaplaincy Handbook designed for people wanting to develop this tried-and-tested approach to ministry among older people in their area. The handbook contains 25 chapters of distilled expertise on how to meet the spiritual needs of older people using the Anna Chaplaincy approach. It opens eyes to fresh possibilities and to the opportunities for a deepening spiritual life. It also addresses vital practical aspects of this ministry, such as supervision and safeguarding. Like our own “Welcoming Older People – ideas for an from parishes” Guide, the PDF of the Anna Chaplaincy Handbook is available as a free download, or you can order a paperback copy for £14.99.
If you or anyone you know is interested in exploring/learning more, please contact Alex Burn, The Gift of Years Coordinator, at alex.burn@brf.org.uk who can send you the ‘Anna Chaplaincy to Older People Information’ pack, which provides an excellent summary of the Anna Chaplaincy model, and is the first step if a parish is thinking about its ministry to older people. It is eight pages long and easy to share.
Rachel Walker, Project Co-ordinator