In Places Where Pastors Are Unable to Journey, Who Can Go?
(Guest: Ken Schlenker) A chaplain serves as God’s representative, ministering to those in need in places where pastors can’t go, bringing emotional and spiritual comfort and healing to people in their moment of crisis.
For this reason, it has been said that “Chaplaincy builds a bridge between sacred and secular.” The need for skilled Chaplains has increased and is expected to continue to expand in the near future.
So, let’s look more closely at this unique calling. Who knows? God may use this to draw you closer to Him.
What is a Chaplain?
Chaplaincy is not an ordinary job. It is a ministry of purpose, presence, and peace to provide sacred care. The real heart of a chaplain is selfless, sacrificial, and focused love of other people. Moreover, it discerns what God calls a person to do and the depth of that calling.
In addition, chaplains develop empathetic relationships with people from all walks of life. A chaplain is a servant of God who often goes to places pastors cannot.
As such, developing empathic relationships is important. Chaplains minister to people who may be going through trauma, who are hurting, anxious, physically ill, and other life situations. So, they would benefit greatly from biblical counseling and a demonstration of selfless, sacrificial, and focused love for all.
As it is written in Galatians 6:2 (NASB), “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” You carry out God’s command to care for His people by doing this.
As the cornerstone of this relationship that chaplains provide, the very love of God compels them to reach the unreachable. This is what chaplaincy is all about—pointing people to His goodness and love. It’s an intimacy with God that gets them through tough times.
Do You Feel a Calling for Chaplaincy?
Have you ever caught yourself performing the divinely appointed duties of a chaplain? Listen to this podcast as Ken Schlenker passionately discusses the sacred ministry of chaplaincy.
He shares his enlightening perspective of sharing the heart of a chaplain, chaplaincy, or the ministry in general.
Ken graduated from Talbot School of Theology with a Master of Divinity. He also worked for 30 years as a First Responder and District Attorney Chaplain. Moreover, he is the founder and president of the RKM Crisis Team and CAREforce. In addition, he holds the positions of professor and director of chaplaincy at Grace School of Theology.
If you have the heart to serve others in a greater capacity, listen to this powerful episode by Saving Grace, one of the many levels of learning at Grace Center for Spiritual Development (GCSD).
At GCSD, we develop spiritual leaders in every nation who can teach others about the love of Christ, a love that cannot be earned and cannot be lost. We aim to provide a variety of exciting ways for you to engage with God’s Word and to train and equip spiritual leaders in their sphere of influence.
Questions:
We look forward to interacting with you and the opportunity to address your questions on the podcast. Email your questions to savinggrace@gsot.edu.
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