Chaplaincy Commitments
The Chaplaincy at King's has four core commitments: Welcome, Care, Spirituality and Community. All of the activities and services we offer as a Chaplaincy team emerge from these four commitments. They make up our mission statement, and are our aims in all that we do and are.
Welcome
We seek to be inclusive and open-minded. The Chaplaincy is a resource for all students and staff: whatever they believe, whatever their background. Hospitality is part of our welcoming presence: from a free coffee in a comfortable space, to lunches and cakes, to simply being warm and friendly to all whom we meet. Part of making our welcome visible includes being available across the five different campuses and attending different events, not confining our work to Chaplaincy spaces.
Care
All are welcome at the Chaplaincy, and in particular we care for those in the King’s community who are most in need or distress. This care takes many forms, from one-to-one listening and support, to creating nurturing spaces. Students and staff can access both pastoral and practical care at the Chaplaincy, and all Chaplains are happy to talk to anyone in need. As part of this, we try to respond quickly to requests for a pastoral conversation, and offer an open-minded and safe space for whatever someone might want to talk to us about.
Spirituality
Faith and an inclusive understanding of spirituality are at the heart of all that we offer. We take our commitment to God seriously and are always ready to pray and offer spiritual support. This is true regardless of the beliefs or background of those we meet. We offer regular acts of corporate Christian worship, and provide dedicated spaces for Muslim and Dharmic prayer. We create spaces for the community to explore faith and seek meaning together, and encourage the pursuit of justice. We are careful with how we share our faith, and never assume that others do – or should – agree with us. We are a multi-faith team, keen to recognise the joys of working across differences and commonalities.
Community
We are committed to bringing people together and creating community cohesion. Firstly, we encourage students and staff to meet one another, creating opportunities for relationships to develop and peer-support to take place. This includes lunches and trips (including weekends away, and walks in the country or around London). Secondly, we are concerned with helping the King’s community to manage conflict and disagreement well. We can be involved in resolving disputes, and create spaces for listening to take place. We try to model this cohesion and respect within our own team. We foster community recognising that we are greater than the sum of our parts.
November 2022