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The Arndale Centre Chaplaincy Christopher Palmer writes …. '' Hullo, you're here. It must be Tuesday: you make my day.'' What a welcome from one of our ' regulars ' ! The Arndale Centre Chaplaincy has now been up and running for the past six months. You may have seen the stall resourced by lay chaplains from Churches Together and located outside Sainsburys. At present, the chaplaincy team is there on two Tuesdays a month, and we are delighted to find that passers-by stop to share their distresses or anxieties- or just to chat. The chaplains are all members of local churches who have been recommended by their minister or church leader and are receiving some training in listening and an introductionto local agencies in Eastbourne. We believe we are the church in the market place. After all, our Lord went to people where they were. Conversations with passers-by can be about anything !
At present, there are fourteen chaplains, (not yet enough), recruited from Churches Together for Central Eastbourne who work on a fortnightly rota for two hours on alternate Tuesdays. The chaplaincy work entails being available for people who want to talk and responding to anxieties about loss, grief, loneliness, difficulties at work, or at home. The main skill required of the chaplain is that of listening to the person and then, where relevant, pointing them to the appropiate agency in the town. Again, where relevant, chaplains may pass on Christian literature or offer to pray with or for the person. Chaplains are not expected to 'have all the answers', nor raise spiritual matters unless appropriate. The intention is not to be overtly evangelical and this is part of the understanding with the Arndale management.
Evidence from the past six months is that the chaplaincy is being well used and does serve a significant purpose in representing the Church (and its Lord) in the marketplace. So please support this Churches Together initiative with your prayers and encouragement to the chaplains, maybe by stopping for a brief chat, when you are next in the Arndale Centre on a Tuesday. The Arndale Centre advertises itself by saying that you can find ' everything you need there under one roof ' and so the chaplains believe it is vital that the churches have a presence and a purpose there.
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