With demand for wellbeing services soaring, St Luke’s has launched an expanded programme of topical wellbeing resources for clergy.
A new ‘wellbeing menu’ on the charity’s website points enquirers to training and support, including developing resilience and negotiating expectations, post-pandemic. These services are offered by partner practitioners with whom St Luke’s has worked for a long period, and whose training has been acclaimed by clergy.
St Luke’s annual symposium draws together diocesan wellbeing leads to share progress and good practice as they seek to embed the Covenant for Clergy Care and Wellbeing in their diocese. The event was held just before St Luke’s Day, 18 October, as two dioceses prepared to run their first St Luke’s Week in a pilot scheme aimed to raise awareness and funding for the charity.
Challenges
Wellbeing leads attending the online symposium shared the challenges they face, including stretched resources and exhausted clergy, as well as ‘success stories’, such as new mentoring schemes.
‘Through our work with the dioceses, we are very aware of just how much need there is for excellent wellbeing training and support for clergy,’ says St Luke’s CEO Dr Claire Walker. ‘We are keen to work collaboratively with dioceses and help them to embed the Covenant for Clergy Care and Wellbeing and address the needs of clergy in creative ways – starting with the new resources listed in our wellbeing menu.’
More to come
St Luke’s will regularly add resources, with proven track records, to the menu. The menu includes free content, sharing experiences and good practice from dioceses around the country, such as a pastoral supervision scheme run by the Diocese of Sheffield, as well as paid-for training.
St Luke’s is experiencing staff shortages which is slowing our rate of response to enquiries. Please bear with us – we will respond as quickly as possible.