How to Become a Team Chaplain
A chaplain is a person who is affiliated with a religious denomination and serves a particular institutional body. In this way, ministry is carried out away from the house of worship and is tailored to meet the needs of those being served. Team chaplaincy requires an acknowledgment of the importance of sports in an individual's life as well as sensitivity to how athletes can attain spiritual balance.
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Instructions
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Contact the athletic program that you are interested in serving. Unlike health care and correctional chaplains, you are not likely to need a degree to do the job. However, you'll want to become familiar with the organization's requirements for chaplains.
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Ask for information on the team's demographics, including age, gender, religion and general lifestyle habits. This can come in the form of a survey or brief questionnaire. With this information, you can better decide whether you will be a good fit for the team. For example, a grade school boys devotional message will differ drastically from a message for a professional women's soccer team. Consider whom you are prepared to lead.
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Take the opportunity to volunteer with a team as a chaplain for a week or more, especially if you hope to be hired permanently. This experience will inform your future services and can lead to requests for your presence from team members themselves.
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Make your policies clear regarding those of a religious affiliation other than your own. An effective chaplain is well-rounded in that he is prepared to work with anyone on the team.
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References
- Photo Credit team spirit image by mark smith from Fotolia.com
