For those with a pastoral care role or for your own self care, here are some helpful insights into dealing with this crisis.
Introduction to listening skills
Listening is one of the most important skills to learn in life and the most important part of communication, but often the least taught. This seminar introduces the practice of listening to God, ourselves and others and draws in part on some material from ACC/ Pastoral Care UK’s Resourcing Pastoral Care Course. Sue and Chris Monckton-Rickett are both Registered Accredited Counsellors with the Association of Christian Counselllors (ACC) with over 25 years experience in counselling, training and retreat leading. Sue is also Chair of ACC.
Click this click to watch the video
Help for couple relationships during the pandemic
Couples Coping – are attachment-based therapists concerned at the impact of Covid-19 on relationships. They have created a Youtube channel featuring short conversations between them, giving accessible insights into recurring arguments and escalations that might take hold of a couple, both during virus lockdown and in more normal times.
To access these videos please go to
Webinar: Christian Perspective on Grief and Death in Covid 19.
The webinar looks at death and grief and how as Christians and the Church we can better support those experiencing bereavement and how we face our own mortality. The speakers are Canon Bill Merrington, former ACC Board Member and extensive writer and trainer on grief and bereavement, Rev Yvonne Tulloch CEO of AtaLoss and one of the founders of Loss and Hope and Prof John Wyatt Consultant neonatologist (treatment and care of newborn babies)
Podcasts from Professor John Wyatt
Along with my son Tim Wyatt, a religious and social affairs journalist, I run a podcast called Matters of Life and Death. Each episode is a conversation between the two of us discussing how Christians can engage with a particular issue around healthcare, ethics, technology, science or faith.
All can be found on this web link https://johnwyatt.com/podcast/ or if you wish to just listen to one at a time they are listed below.
• Coronavirus: Christians in times of plague
• Coronavirus: How this pandemic is unlike anything before
• Coronavirus: Thinking as a Christian during Covid-19
• Coronavirus: The ethics of triage
• Coronavirus: Life in the NHS
• Coronavirus: Death and spirituality during a pandemic
The launch of Loss and HOPE –
a website to equip churches to support the bereaved – could not have been more timely, with the ensuing Coronavirus crisis and all that the country is facing. Churches being prepared to support the bereaved is now needed more than we could have imagined (www.lossandhope.org).
AtaLoss.org – the website supporting the bereaved, has been significantly upgraded and now includes a special section on bereavement during the pandemic, with helplines and a free counsellor chat service. Please signpost bereaved people and enable them to find services and help specific to their needs, whether for now or the longer term.
See www.ataloss.org
Contact, Listen, Bless – Is a short film we have produced to help us all support the bereaved at this time. Please share this:
https://vimeo.com/408350390
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQo8InmtcvQ&feature=youtu.be
The Bereavement Journey course – a course for bereaved people, has gone online. We are encouraging churches to offer this over the Summer period in their locality, aiming for a course running in every city or county by the Autumn. Please consider running this course from your church on-line. Get in touch for more details and support.
A range of online training to support the bereaved, including
· Supporting Bereaved People During A Pandemic – 25 min film
· Bereavement Care Awareness – webinar
· Supporting children and young people through loss – webinar
· Becoming an accessible church to the bereaved – webinar
· Running the online Bereavement Journey course – technical training film and webinar briefing for teams
Information on the above and much more can be found on the Loss and HOPE website (www.lossandhope.org). This will also host an increasing amount of information as the weeks and months go by.
· Do ensure you have signed up to the Loss and HOPE newsletter https://www.lossandhope.org/newsletter/ for updates for updates.
Faith, Grief and COVID-19 – A Conversation.
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, in addition to the resource they created for ACC’s Crisis Counselling Support Service, have produced a set of short films and reflections that can be used individually or in a small group setting. These are freely available and can be accessed here. https://www.sanctuarymentalhealth.org/grief
We saw an earlier version of these films and thought they were very good especially because they address issues of faith and psychology.
Fight–or–Flight or Tend–and–Befriend:
What The New Testament Might Teach Us about Our Stress Response, Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos. This is a very thought proving short piece that may be helpful in pastoral conversations https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2020/04/28/fight-or-flight
Resources from Spring Harvest
Sue Monckton-Rickett (our Chair) and her husband Chris, recorded three pastoral seminars for Spring Harvest At Home. The seminar topics were: Dealing with Change and Loss, Relationships and Conflict, and Caring for the Carers. All-important pastoral topics at any time, but perhaps especially relevant at the moment.
Dealing with Change and loss
This seminar was recorded originally as a pastoral seminar for Spring Harvest at Home at the height of the Covid-19 Crisis in the UK. It addresses some of the changes and losses that people may have experienced specifically as a result if the pandemic, but also more widely in all areas and times of life. Sue and Chris Monckton-Rickett are both Registered Accredited Counsellors with the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) with over 25 years of experience in counselling, pastoral care, retreat leading and training. Sue is also the Chair of ACC. For more information about ACC or to find a counsellor please visit www.acc-uk.org
Link to video
Seminar notes
Resources for Change and Loss
Relationships and Conflict
This seminar was recorded for originally recorded for Spring Harvest 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It looks at the causes, effects and ways to deal with and work through conflict in relationships. An issue relevant at all times, but in some cases heightened by the crisis.
Link to video
Seminar notes
Resources for Relationship and Conflict
Self care and Caring for the carers
For those of us in caring roles learning how to care for ourselves is vital, but often ignored. This seminar was recorded originally for Spring Harvest at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, so some of the content relates to caring for ourselves as carers in dealing with that situation, but much of it is relevant to any time. Sue and Chris Monckton-Rickett are both Registered Accredited Counsellors with the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) and so is the Chair of ACC. They have over 25 years of experience in counselling, training and retreat leading.
Link to video
Seminar notes
Resources for Caring for the Carers
Links to Covid 19 collections
UK – Mind and Soul Foundation
The Uncertainty: Your mind will do anything to get away from uncertainty. There is almost nothing that troubles the human brain more than, ‘just no knowing’.
American Based – worldwide perspective
Christian news and views about Coronavirus. The best articles from Christianity Today on Coronavirus.
Further Resources
Daily Hope during lockdown, Free telephone line to hear comforting hymns and prayers.
Support for survivors of sexual abuse and violence during Covid 19
Staying Safe and Sane Part 1
Staying Safe and Sane Part 2
Check The ACC Upcoming events
Latest podcasts
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