Hopes and Dreams for the future

In April 2009 Rev Dorothy Peyton Jones began her ministry with CPW as Coordinating Chaplain to Cambridgeshire Constabulary. She has made great progress and in her first year has managed to select and appoint with the constabulary six new volunteer chaplains.

The Moderator of the Eastern synod of the United Reformed Church, the Rev Paul Whittle. Since January 6th 2009, Paul and I have been working on getting a Chaplain for Cambridge City Centre. Paul’s article focuses on why the URC feels such a post is worth funding.

In January and February of this year CPW and workplace ministry in Herts and Beds jointly organised a two day Volunteer Chaplains Training Course. There were 11 participants, four of whom came from Cambridgeshire. Dates have been fixed for further courses in November 2010 and January / February 2011.

Our vision which encompasses our dreams and hopes is to grow chaplaincy throughout Cambridgeshire. An advisory group was formed and met for the first time in January this year with the aim of setting up the post of Chaplain to the Cambridgeshire Science Parks. These new chaplaincies will depend on volunteer chaplains and we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to recruit more chaplains.

The Christian ministry of support and solidarity in the workplace is more important than it has ever been as our world emerges from a deep recession where our standard of living and the expectations that follow will never be the same again.

Another aspect of Christian ministry is described in some sectors as being a “critical friend” to the companies and organisations to whom we minister. So we have organised challenging seminars and lectures that focus on the issues we face in the workplace and the ramifications those policies have for our changing society.

There are times when some of the companies /organisations feel that they have reached a time when workplace chaplaincy no longer fits with their vision. So sadly we are no longer involved with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and Daily Bread. We are grateful to those organisations for the opportunities and experiences of workplace chaplaincy. But that does not mean that we are not growing chaplaincy to our workplaces. We returned to visiting Swiss Laundry in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge in November 2009. I began visiting Cambridge Magistrates Court in February this year.

Andrew Glover, Chairman of CPW Executive Committee is quoted in our leaflet “caring for the whole person in the workplace” as saying “I know we have much more to do, and so much more that we can achieve”. Too right! The sky’s the limit! Will you help us to reach for the stars?