Healthcare

Hello. I’m Grace Allick

Hello. I’m Grace Allick, a Healthcare Chaplain based in Essex. I am part of the Free Churches Healthcare Chaplaincy Steering Committee and lead Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Assemblies of God, Great Britain. I recently graduated with my MA in Applied Theology, where I focused on chaplaincy and leadership modules. 

I have been working as a Healthcare Chaplain since September 2018, when I completed my Associate Minister training. I later became a Full Status Minister with the Assemblies of God GB in 2019. Prior to that, I was a school chaplain for four years at my local Church of England secondary school.

I absolutely love being a chaplain and the opportunity it gives to walk alongside those needing pastoral, spiritual, or religious support. Each day is different, and each encounter unique. My faith in God and my relationship with Him guide my decision-making every day. As a Christian Chaplain, I carry the presence of God with me and in me. This is important as I face a variety of situations and need God’s wisdom to know how to respond; when to speak and when to remain silent.

I remember once visiting an elderly patient who was very low and asked for prayer. I asked her if I could play some music, to which she replied, “yes please.” I played ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness.’ When I looked up at her, she was crying. I asked if she was okay. She said the song was special to her because it had been played at her wedding and husband's funeral. We sat and sang the rest of the song together. That was a special moment.

I am passionate about encouraging others to think creatively about how we ‘do’ chaplaincy. I like to give volunteers the opportunity to shadow and get involved in the services and support we provide. I feel this helps volunteers develop a deeper understanding of the role and what it entails. Volunteers are a vital part of our chaplaincy team as we are relatively small. Having over 40 volunteers allows the team to extend its reach across the hospital we serve.

I think the future of chaplaincy is very bright. There are opportunities to explore chaplaincy links within the community and to create stronger relationships to support patients within and outside the hospital setting.

The Chaplaincy Chain Podcast Launch

The Chaplaincy Chain Podcast is a collaborative project hosted by the Free Churches Group and supported by The Methodist Church. The podcast aims to open up conversations about the joys and challenges of chaplaincy by exploring its depths and breadths. Working with partners in a variety of contexts, we hope to bring a range of perspectives and experiences into the conversation.

During each episode we’ll notice what emerges in the conversation and use this to decide the next link, continuing The Chaplaincy Chain Podcast!



Nourishing Roots - with Nicola Slee, 2nd July 2024 at Queen's Foundation, Birmingham

Photo by Dawn McDonald on Unsplash

A day of reflection and retreat for chaplains with Nicola Slee at Queen's Foundation, 18 Somerset Road Birmingham B15 2QH on 2nd July 2024, 10:00-16:00

Please join us on Thursday 2nd July in Birmingham for a day of reflection, retreat and recharging at the Queen's Foundation. Our day will be led by Prof. Nicola Slee. A two-course meal and refreshments for the full day will be provided.

Professor Nicola Slee is Director of Research at the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, and Professor of Feminist Practical Theology at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She has wide ranging interests in theology, spirituality, poetry and literature, and is a regular speaker at conferences and leader of retreats. Her most recent publications are Fragments for Fractured Times: What Feminist Practical Theology Brings to the Table (SCM, 2020) and Abba Amma: Improvisations on the Lord’s Prayer (Canterbury Press, 2022).’

Cost: £10 for FCG chaplains and £20 for all others (including lunch and refreshments).

For more information and a discount code for Free Church Chaplains, please contact Mark Newitt at mark.newitt@freechurches.org.uk

Pop–Up Reflective Practice for the Free Church Healthcare Chaplain

Reflective practice is part of the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities described in the UKBHC Capabilities and Competences (2015) document. Similarly, within the Spiritual Care Competences for Healthcare Chaplains (2020) document agreed for Scotland, is recognised as one of four domains of healthcare chaplaincy competence. As part of the process of continuing professional development chaplains are expected to demonstrates the ability to reflect upon practice in order to develop and inform their professional practice. Reflective practice, as described by Mark Stobert, is a form of supervision that is underpinned by a reflective practice mindset. It uses the potential of ‘reframing’ situations to unearth creative responses to those situations and to develop new knowledge of practice for those situations. Over time it becomes a developing state of mind so that we can reflect in action, not just on action. These pop-up sessions are for anyone to join, but are particularly aimed at those in smaller teams who might otherwise struggle to engage in reflective practice.

Photo by Carolina Heza on Unsplash

Dates for the first part of the year are as follows:

  • Thursday January 25th 12:00 to 13:00 

  • Tuesday February 20th 09:00 to 10:00 

  • Tuesday 26th March 12:00 to 13:00 

  • Thursday 25th April 15:30 to 16:30 

  • May- TBC

  • Monday 10th June 12:00 to 13:00 

  • Tuesday 16th July 13:00 to 14:00 

A reflection sheet for chaplains to use before the session to help think about what they might have on their mind and after the session to record learning can be downloaded from here. For more information or links/diary invites to the session, please contact Mark Newitt at mark.newitt@freechurches.org.uk

Nourishing Roots - with Rev. Miranda Threlfal-Holmes, 12/03/24, 10:00-16:00

Join us for a day of reflection and spiritual renewal with the Free Churches Group, led by Rev. Miranda Threlfal-Holmes

Date: 12th March 2024, 10:00-16:00

Venue: The Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane Liverpool L1 3BT

Price: £20.00

Join us in Liverpool for a day of reflection and spiritual renewal with the Free Churches Group, led by Rev Miranda Threlfal-Holmes, held at the Liverpool Quaker Meeting House.

Nourishing Roots days are organised for Chaplains in Healthcare, Prisons, Education, and beyond to allow us time to reflect, recharge, and reinspire for our work and ministry.

Miranda is the Archdeacon of Liverpool and Team Rector of the St Luke in the City. She has experience in Higher Education chaplaincy and has published a number of books on chaplaincy, prayer, Christian history, and reading the Bible.

The day will include a buffet lunch.

Please contact Thandar (thandar.tun@freechurches.org.uk) for the discount code if are a chaplain from the FCG denominations. Visit here for the denomination list.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash