Education & Ethics for Elders, Staff and Community

Learning Seminars: A Chaplain’s Class on various topics such as Bible, spirituality, theology, or current issues, are offered at Maple Knoll Village in 6-10 week sessions throughout the year. These are advertised in the monthly and weekly calendars.

FM Radio Broadcast: "Dialogue in Spirituality and Aging" invites the listener to reflect and process spiritual issues facing older adults. Some of the upcoming program topics include: Aging to Saging, Harvesting Wisdom, Conscious Aging, Four Things That Matter Most, Addictions, Spiritual Resources for living with Chronic Illness, Gratitude, Elders as Healers of the Earth, Forgiveness and many more. Each Sunday morning from 8:00-9:00 a.m. the program is broadcast in the Cincinnati Metro Area on WMKV 89.3 FM and streamed live on the internet at http://www.wmkvfm.org/

Local Church sponsored Bible Studies: LifeSphere has maintained close relationships with area churches and faith communities. Several churches that have residents at our facility covenant to provide ongoing open Bible study. At Maple Knoll Village there is a Tuesday Study at 10:30 a.m. in the Breese Manor Art Room and a Monday Study at 10:30 a.m. in the Beecher Activity Room.

Ethical Consultations and Learning Workshops: The LifeSphere Ethics Committee is a committee established for the purpose of facilitating a decision process about ethical issues as they affect elders, their families, staff and the LifeSphere community through:

— recommending ethical options to elders, family, clients, and staff in the decision making process.

— educating and providing consultation about these issues for health care staff, elders, and family members involved;

— reviewing and recommending any needed changes of policies on ethical issues in an elders care, while upholding the dignity of LifeSphere elders. Click here for more information on how to use your Ethics Committee.

Ministerial Student Internships:

LifeSphere is committed to being a teaching center for the various professions serving older adults. A continuing care retirement community is an ideal laboratory situation for people training to provide pastoral care to be exposed to the issues and problems of older adults and to develop an approach to ministry among them. We are seeking students training for pastoral ministry, in degree or certificate programs, to serve as chaplain interns, in accordance with the requirements of their educational program and the spiritual care coverage needs of LifeSphere.

The goals of the program are to provide:

• a better understanding of older adults and their issues and problems;
• experience in ministry with older adults in various degrees of independence;
• an opportunity for dialog and reflection on ministry with the supervising chaplain and the chaplain team;
• a learning experience through contact and discussion with professionals in medical, social, programmatic and administrative fields;
• more extensive spiritual care coverage for each LifeSphere program;
• fresh insight and ideas for the improvement of the quality of chaplaincy services;
• an on-going development of the internship program itself.

Responsibilities would include:

• pastoral visitation
• spiritual assessment of residents
• occasional worship leadership
• administrative responsibilities - documentation and record keeping
• attending meetings and conferences for self-growth and for the care and service of others.

Expectation:

Currently enrolled in a pastoral ministry program leading toward a certificate or degree.

Work a regular number of hours per week (schedule flexible and negotiable).

The student will be reliable, responsible, and will demonstrate both a maturity in interpersonal relationships and a high degree of personal faith and integrity.

Presently, the internship is voluntary and there is no remuneration.

Background of supervisor

• Doctor of Ministry degree with focus on family ministry.
• Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education
• One unit from the Association of Pastoral Counselors
• Past supervisor of seminary students in field placement
• Past University and Seminary Instructor
• Five years experience in hospice chaplaincy
• Fifteen plus years experience in parish ministry