Training for crisis care chaplains will be offered conjunction with disaster relief efforts Jan. 14-15 at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center in Richmond.
In responding to destruction caused by hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean this fall, Virginia Baptist realized the importance of having crisis care chaplains on the field, said Jim George, disaster relief coordinator for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
“Virginia Baptist crisis care teams responded in Florida, Grenada and the Bahamas,” said George. “More than 1,000 contacts were made as people received emotional and spiritual encouragement. This ministry arm of disaster relief continues to grow and the need for trained volunteers is evident.”
To qualify as a disaster relief crisis care chaplain, two levels of training are required: Training with the National Organization for Victim Assistance or Critical Incident Stress Management, as well as Virginia Baptist crisis care training.
Next month's training sessions will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 14, and conclude at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15. The registration fee is $30, which does not include hotel and meals, if needed.
Registration is available by contacting Martha Washington in the Resource Center at (800) 255-2428 or at mwashington@vbmb.org
Special to the Herald