Spiritual help via email is a first for Nottingham businesses

Spiritual help and advice is now being offered online to Nottingham city businesses, with the new Church of England backed ‘e-chaplaincy’ – thought to be the first in the country.

This innovative scheme, which has emerged from the Workplace chaplaincy, based at St Peter’s Church, Nottingham offered to businesses and other organisations in and around the city centre,  gives employees the chance to contact a chaplain via e-mail, instead of the usual face-to-face communication.

The Revd Rachel Shock, who took up the post of e-chaplaincy development worker in September, aims to provide a listening ear, valuable experience, time and practical advice in times of change. She said: “The church recognises the need to be where  people are and if the current statistics are anything to go by, young people especially, are spending more and more time surfing and conducting their lives over the internet. The anonymity that is possible in an email conversation is an  attractive feature of this service. People who need support and aren’t sure where to go for advice or are just having a bad day, can e-mail in and have a conversation with me.”

The new free service, which is available to anyone across the country, aims to offer help with issues such as bereavement, health concerns, relationship issues, loneliness, stress, redundancy, managing change and work/life balance. Rachel explained that the roles of both workplace chaplain and e-chaplain are to complement a firm’s human resources department and counselling and welfare provision, to provide a listening space where there are no other facilities.

Funding for the chaplaincy post has come from a new Mission Fund set up by the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham. The Mission Fund excutive officer, Canon Mark Brown, said: “We’re delighted that this new scheme has taken off so well and it signals our priority as a Diocese to develop new ways of engaging with our changing culture. As the way people relate changes, namely through electronic media, we are convinced that God wants His Church to meet people where they are. Our desire for the Fund to help deveolp mission opportunities has been put to good use by supporting this fresh venture."

The service can be accessed at: www.e-chaplaincy.co.uk

Rachel, who is married with two sons, has worked for a number of Nottingham companies, including legal work and in a training capacity. Formerly attached to St Leonard’s church, Wollaton, Rachel will now be joining the workplace chaplaincy  team at St Peter’s, Nottingham. For general enquiries about Workplace Chaplaincy in Nottingham contact 0115 948 3658 

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