Spiritual Care Australia, ACT Branch
(Previously - The Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains Association Incorporated)
 
Purposes Spiritual Care Australia has the following objectives to:

	Promote fellowship amongst its members;
	Arrange periodic conferences;
	Strengthen understanding among chaplains and others of the aims and functions of chaplaincy;
	Conduct and encourage research in areas relating to chaplaincy;
	Encourage education and maintain standards in pastoral care;
	Conduct other activities related to chaplaincy as it sees fit.

Membership The following are entitled to apply for membership of the Association:

	Chaplains and Pastoral Workers who are ministering in agencies, institutions and areas which are acceptable for this purpose by the Association and whose chaplaincy ministries are endorsed by their respective Church authorities.
	Membership is annual for the calendar year by payment of the prescribed membership fee. The final date for payment of the membership fee is 30th June..

The new organisation of Spiritual Care Australia was inaugurated at its 1st annual general meeting in February, 2010. This supercedes the Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains Association’s (AHWCA) which has functioned since February, 1974.

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Pastoral Care Practitioner Continuing Education in 2010
 
Objective for the Continuing Education Program is to encourage and empower each other within a caring ministry, to provide best practice in clinical pastoral care and to aspire to our full potential.
 
Meetings The ACT Branch meets usually on the second Thursday of each month at Hughes Baptist Church {Groom St., Hughes} for a Professional Development seminar for members and friends. Most of these meetings, unless otherwise advertised, start with tea and fellowship time at 3:45 pm , with opening business commencing at 4:10 pm followed by speaker/discussion, with the aim to close by 5:30 pm.

Date	Details	Speaker
18 February	Debriefing the 7-11 Feb. Annual National Conference and the inaugural meeting of the new multi-faith organisation “Spiritual Care Australia” in Melbourne
11 March	“Negotiating With Emotional Intelligence” workshop	Rhian Williams
8 April	“Developing Ethical Intelligence” workshop	Jean Shannon
13 May	“Strengthening Our Network” Sharing the ACT Pastoral Care Practitioner Experience Round 1 Our Bright Highlights and Deep Challenges
12 June	“Empowering People (And Myself) With the Freedom to Die"	Geoff McCormack
22 July {Later in the month than usual, to avoid the 2-19 July school holidays}	Offering Healing “Presence” Through Music	A workshop with Alison Ware and her harps!
14 August { 9 am and closing at approx 3:30 pm  }	RETREAT “Ministering From Who You Are Vs. What You Know” Silence, lecture, spiritual exercises & discussion >> Download registration [by 12 August] Meeting will be held at the Pavilion next to St. Marks in Barton. Blackall Street off Kings Avenue Canberra.	with Fr. Roger Sharr
9 September	The AGM to wind-up the “old” ACT Chapter of the AHWCA {to make way for the official launch of the ACT Branch of Spiritual Care Australia}
28 October 9am – 3pm	International Pastoral Care Day Theme: “Healing Presence in the Community of Care”	Venue (tentative) Hughes Baptist Church
11 November	“Strengthening Our Network” Sharing the ACT Pastoral Care Practitioner Experience Round 2 Our Bright Highlights and Deep Challenges
10 December	Holiday Dinner Banquet Friday evening	Program/speaker to be determined

Planned by the Education Subcommittee of the ACT Branch Spiritual Care Australia: Chaplain Clair Hochstetler (Chair) with Jean Shannon and Alec Stevenson. This Program is subject to change