Anglican Chaplaincy Vision Setting
Anglican Chaplaincy at the University of Sheffield. Vision Setting: August 2011 − July 2015
Consultation draft March-June 2011
This Vision paper is in draft form and comes after initial dialogue with university colleagues, students and student officers, ecumenical colleagues, Anglican Chaplaincy Trustees, Diocesan representatives, and potential funders for the work of the Chaplaincy. Its purpose is to express what work, additional to the collaborative work of the Christian Chaplaincy and Multifaith Chaplaincy teams, can be offered by the Anglican chaplain (funded by the Diocese of Sheffield and supported by the Anglican Chaplaincy Trust) as well as the two part-time Outreach Workers (funded by the Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust and the St George’s Vestry Trust and supported by the Anglican Chaplaincy Trust). This draft is to be circulated to those already consulted and more widely with current and potential funders, local churches, faith communities and interested parties at the University of Sheffield. Following three months further consultation a final vision and plan with budget will be brought to the Anglican Chaplaincy Trustees meeting in June 2011.
1. The Context The Anglican Chaplaincy’s contribution to Christian ministry at the University of Sheffield is shaped and informed by history, theology (see 1.D.i) and context. The history is of the Diocese of Sheffield providing an ordained chaplain to serve the university community. This work continues and does so first, in strong relation to Student Services at the university and second, within a wider Chaplaincy team that has a commitment to support, spirituality and community in a context of ecumenical collaboration and inter religious cooperation. In recent years an Anglican Chaplaincy Trust has been established: through this first one assistant and subsequently two outreach workers have been employed to work with the Anglican chaplain.
A. The Diocese of Sheffield The Diocese of Sheffield is called to grow a sustainable network of Christ-like, lively and diverse Christian communities in every place which are effective in making disciples and in seeking to transform our society and God’s world.
This mission statement has informed the support of the Anglican chaplaincy and also informs the development of this Anglican chaplaincy vision for the four forthcoming academic years. Because the university setting is transitory and not Church based, the phrases that are particularly relevant from the mission statement are in relation to the transformation of society and God’s world—including the whole Creation—and being connected into sustainable networks.
1 Anglican Chaplaincy at the University of Sheffield: Vision Setting
B. Related University strategies Three University strategies are of direct relevance to the work of the Christian Chaplains and the Multifaith Chaplaincy and are discussed below. Further strategies relating to equalities for staff and students and the many policies that sit within a well being strategy for staff are also relevant. i) Student Support strategy This strategy relates to all work undertaken across all areas of the University to support students. The first four of these six points are particularly relevant. The purpose of student support within the University community is to: • Enhance the overall (physical, psychological and social) well-being of students • Enable every student to build sound relationships with other students, within academic departments and within the institution as a whole • Contribute to the creation of a sense of belonging in the University and to the building of self-regulating communities of students • Enable students to develop life skills as they progress through the University • Contribute positively to the quality of the student experience and to support recruitment, progression and retention • Enhance the reputation of the University in relation to its student services. ii) Student Services strategy This strategic vision is for the work of all activity that comes within the Department of Student Services at the University, in which the Multifaith Chaplaincy sits (and sits entirely within the University’s ‘Mission, Vision and Identity statement and the Corporate Plan).
Supporting the student Promoting excellence Improving our systems journey • Recruitment success • Service improvement • Process review • Transitions support • Professional engagement • Enabling IT • Internationalisation • User expectations & feedback • Integrated systems • Employability • Equality, diversity & inclusion
Working sustainably Strengthening partnerships Developing our teams
• Business growth • Faculty interface • Management development • Service development • Professional services • Staff engagement collaboration • Estates & environment • Influence and representation • Health & wellbeing • External profiles
This paper focuses on ‘Supporting the student journey’, ‘Promoting excellence’ and ‘Strengthening partnerships’. Special emphasis is given to, ‘Transitions support’, ‘Internationalisation’, ‘Equality, diversity & inclusion’ and ‘External profiles’. iii) Widening Participation strategy 2 Anglican Chaplaincy at the University of Sheffield: Vision Setting
The current strategy has the following emphases: increasing the opportunities for students from under represented groups to benefit from study at Sheffield or at other HE institutions (Getting In); ensuring that students have access to resources and support that reflect their diversity of backgrounds and prior experience in order to enable them to fulfil their potential (Getting Through); providing our students with opportunities to enhance their preparedness for graduate employment and develop their capacity for further professional and academic study (Getting On).
This paper pays particular attention to the ‘Getting In’ and ‘Getting Through’ aspects of this strategy.
C. The Christian Chaplaincy & Multifaith Chaplaincy Three denominations employ full-time chaplains to serve at the University of Sheffield. The denominations are the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Church of England. The employers are: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam, the C of E Diocese of Sheffield and the Sheffield West Methodist Circuit (in the Sheffield District). Additionally St Andrew’s United Reformed Church employs their minister to work one day a week in the Chaplaincy. The three full-time chaplains rotate the role of co-ordinating chaplain for the Multifaith Chaplaincy. There is ecumenical collaboration in the planning of events, there are many shared acts of Christian worship and the Methodist and Anglican chaplains working especially closely together along with the URC chaplain at the Multifaith Chaplaincy base at 344 Glossop Road sharing in the leading of daily worship and taking turns to preach and preside at a Wednesday communion service. The RC Chaplain has oversight of the Catholic Chaplaincy at Padley House on Wellesley Road. Student Services provide a half-time Chaplaincy Administrator. There are also voluntary chaplains and voluntary advisors from the World religions and an advisor for Paganism. There is substantial cooperation between the whole team of employed and voluntary staff. Day to day collaborative working tends to be among employed staff but volunteers based at the university make an energetic contribution too.
D. Challenges and analysis of context i) Theological underpinning The methodology and biases for a theological underpinning depend upon: - an ethical framework that considers both the actions and teachings of Jesus; - the significance of theologies of liberation for context of both poverty and wealth; - attentiveness to faith development in young people as they become full adults; - particular examples in the life of Jesus of mutual dialogue and hospitality; - salvation not just for humanity but the Creation too (e.g. Jn 3.16; Rom. 8.18-23); - an eschatological understanding that the kingdom is breaking in all over the place;
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- a way of prayer that seeks God’s kingdom in the here and now; - some of the hellishness of cities can by micro-change become more heavenly; - imago Dei can be found, mutually, in relational working across the university; - esteeming the least within the institution brings health to the whole community; - creating learning opportunities for all university members is a matter of justice; - learning, teaching and research about faith is appropriate for a secular university. ii) Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental context
Funding. As the implications of changes to HE funding become more apparent it will be easier to assess how the shifting context will be likely to continue to change into the future. Especially as the University finalizes its Proposition explaining what the total offer it wants to make to students arriving 2012 not just for learning but also in terms of their personal development, the support they will receive both as a student and for their future and the kind of community they will be coming to at Sheffield.
Community engagement and poverty. Questions around the serious and endemic difficulties for the city and South Yorkshire—as a consequence of the region’s relative poverty—are pertinent for Chaplaincy since ministry can be developed to build a network of relationships not just within the university but also beyond it. The disconnection between University and both local minority ethnic groups but also poor white groups (e.g. in the Dearne Valley), remain pertinent to an Anglican chaplaincy that is part of a Diocesan community. Questions of social inclusion are high on the university agenda, and also relate to questions of justice and theologies of liberation that esteem the empowerment of those left feeling powerless. The timeliness for community engagement is obvious. The Anglican chaplain has a unique role not just to build one-to-one relationships within and beyond the university, but also to establish new networks and structures between Diocese and University for the common good.
Internationalization. Changes to immigration policy will have an adverse impact on recruiting international students. More pressingly this creates a negative climate amongst existing international students who find employment opportunities are being shrunk. Many sense that the esteem in which they are held has dropped. Hospitality and giving space to mutuality and the sharing of narratives between cultures is vital.
Relational working in a technological age. The speed with which students engage with each other and coordinate activity is impressive and comes especially from confident use of the Internet. Inhabiting virtual spaces as well as the physical context of both Sheffield and the university are going to be critical for a strategy of presence and engagement. Working with these technologies and also working in sustainable ways are going to be critical.
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Equalities and spiritual maturation. Spiritual identity is important for the individual and society. The place of religion in the public realm is more explicit now and is evident in UK and European legislation made over the last 20 years. In the same time-period the reality is that many more young people leave off from expressing their faith identity on arriving into adulthood, this is part of a wider social malaise. iii) Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
Strengths. The strength of the Christian ministry within a well sized Christian team and within a broad based Multifaith team means there is a substantial number of baseline commitments that include: pastoral care for students and staff; close collaboration with Student Services, the Students’ Union and Biblical Studies; daily acts of worship; several residential activities a year; an interfaith tandem learning programme; special services; a lectionary and events related to key moments; vocations groups and other study groups; two Chaplaincy bases (Wellesley Rd and Glossop Rd); support for student faith societies, the Faiths Forum and Interfaith cafe; local church engagement; and an established communications strategy of printed and online information and email bulletins. There is capacity above and beyond all of this for creative development work and new patterns of mission and ministry.
Weaknesses. There are two principal weaknesses, first, the inevitable (and overall helpful) fluidity of responsibility and accountability for work in a Christian team within a Multifaith Chaplaincy. What this does ensure is that all work depends on relationships of goodwill and trust as much as relying on structures that have been put in place. A second challenge is that this developmental vision is dependent on the two Outreach Workers who are only funded for a 3-year cycle (September 2009 – June 2012). There is no guarantee of new funding for these roles. It is possible to be very creative in scoping the purpose of these roles: the additional contribution from these two staff also enables the releasing of other team members to be creative too.
Opportunities. Scoping out developmental work to be implemented by each of the Outreach Workers and the Anglican chaplain in addition to the baseline commitments (outlined above) is an opportunity that is worth taking. It is likely to prove the worth to potential funders for the period August 2012 to July 2015. During a period when the Chaplaincy has sufficient staff it is simpler to imagine what can be done beyond baseline commitments: it is a timely moment for future vision setting.
Threats. There is a possibility that existing funding to support Outreach Workers will shrink or stop (but not for the full-time chaplains). During a period of contraction in existing sources of funding there is a new challenge for the university, which is re- considering the offer it makes to students considering the need to raise fees. The university wants to make substantial commitments to educate the whole person and widen participation. The threat of not supporting such work with a creative Christian vision is greater than laying plans that depend on further funding. 5 Anglican Chaplaincy at the University of Sheffield: Vision Setting 2. The Heart of the Vision This vision, as discussed above, is what the Anglican chaplain and Outreach Workers can add to the collaborative work of Christian chaplains and the Multifaith Chaplaincy team chaplain and two Outreach Workers as well contributing to the ongoing activities of mission, ministry and inter religious cooperation. Underpinning the whole vision is a commitment to encourage students and staff to deepen their understanding of the spiritual aspect of their identity—an innate part of humanness—and to find ways to talk about spirituality with confidence. Practically, this means, primarily, to help staff and students to develop a mature and robust understanding of what it means to believe and belong to the Christian faith as adults, in the challenging intellectual and social environment of a university. This desire to help people deepen, spiritually, is combined with a hope to encourage a greater intentionality about how people live out their daily lives, with God in mind. Endeavouring to explore a way of Christian faith in solidarity with other like-minded people can make a huge difference to staff and students. This is especially important with young adults. Considering the challenges of student poverty and indebtedness—when combined with the scattered nature of living and relationships —means that establishing a simple rule of Christian life and connection with others who want to live intentionally can bring greater meaning to being at university.
Anglican Chaplaincy Vision
• Soul Search
Intentionality/Deepening Presence • Intentional communities
• Vacation support Anglican Engagement • Work with Chaplaincy minority faith groups
• Religious literacy Learning • Biblical Studies partnerships
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A. Presence Fostering a greater sense of presence within people is the first part of the vision. Many are present at the University for work and study, but there is the need for people to become more attuned to who they are as whole people and who they want to become. Those who come from places outside the UK to study and work at the University and be residents of Sheffield can particularly struggle with a sense of their own presence here. Young adults can also find a huge identity shift as they arrive in Sheffield; for those who have faith or who are open to faith there is huge merit in becoming more present to oneself so as to begin to explore and find direction.
B. Engagement Fostering a fuller engagement between Diocese and University is vital, so is fostering relationships between University and religious minorities in Sheffield. Ethnic minorities often with a religious component and people in poor areas can feel marginal to the life of the city and feel as if the University and universities are places that are not relevant to them. Churches too can find the University as something separate from or outside of the life of their community and locality. Mutuality is becoming more essential: for the University as it seeks to widen participation; for the Church as it seeks to re-engage; and for all in a time of scarcity.
C. Learning Fostering learning about the spiritual self and creating space for learning about religion and belief are priorities. Young adults particularly—but members of the University generally—who may as children have been interested in Christianity (and/or religion and spirituality), tend to find that there is not enough opportunity to develop and reflect on the self and mature in their understanding of faith and practice, God and the creation. Collaborative practice by Biblical Studies with other departments and Mirfield is exciting. This is also a time to develop individual and informal learning opportunities.
3. Expressing the Vision
This five part proposal for development is based upon the current arrangement a full-time Anglican chaplain working with two Outreach Workers (who both work 20 hours per week in term-time). It would be hoped that there would be plenty of opportunity for collaboration on these new development with other Chaplaincy team members as their time allows. This development proposal depends on each Outreach Worker devoting 50% of their time to development work, one of them to the part A. of the vision and the other worker to part D. of the vision (the other 50% of their time being given to contributing to the ongoing Christian ministry at the Multifaith
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Chaplaincy). Parts B, C and E would be the responsibility of the Anglican chaplain. This four-year vision will result in a plan that will be developed over the next 3 months during a period of wider consultation. The plan will be brought to the Anglican Chaplaincy Trust’s meeting in June 2011.
A. Spiritual maturation and intentional living
i) Soul Search
Background. Two pilot projects were trialled by the new Anglican chaplain at his previous university in consultation with students and staff. These projects involved the writing of new surveys to be taken by students and staff from all religious and belief backgrounds to explore their spirituality and spiritual direction. The first pilot (Spiritual M.O.T.) used a single paper survey the second pilot (Soul Search) used online survey software and the number of surveys was expanded to three. The three surveys (based on national youth work research) allow people to consider how they understand and express their spiritual identity. The surveys also give opportunity for respondents to consider how they want to develop their spirituality. The first survey gives space for respondents to discover more about their own spirituality. The second survey gives respondents chance to consider if they want to make any changes to their spiritual identity or practice. The third survey helps respondents explore their future vocation. The response rate among those sent a personal email to take a survey was 10% among students and 3% among staff. Of those who did respond the very large majority wanted further engagement. 90% of respondents requested personalized written feedback. 10% were interested in the possibility of a face-to-face meeting to discuss their spirituality. 2% immediately requested a face-to-face meeting.
Establishing ‘Soul Search’ at the University of Sheffield. The vision, now, is for the Anglican chaplain to develop Soul Search into an established feature of Christian chaplaincy provision at Sheffield. This work will be done in conjunction with the second Outreach Worker and in collaboration with team colleagues as their time allows. The initial target will be for 1000 students and 150 staff to complete at least one of the Soul Search survey per annum. An essential part of establishing this activity will be making sure that sufficient resources are available to be able to respond with written feedback and make time available for face-to-face conversations too. The development of this work would include the coordinating appropriately qualified volunteers from local faith communities who were able to offer one-off and/or sustained spiritual direction for students and staff (to supplement those from Chaplaincy able to help with Soul Search).
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An additional pool of people would be established to help with those taking the third survey (exploring future vocation). These volunteers would have a faith perspective and experience of a profession or trade. They would be able to offer to have one-off vocational conversations with students or staff about how they have related their faith to their working practice (for example, as an artist / engineer / medical researcher / actor). There is a possibility that this process, survey results and outcomes of the project could become useful research data. This would create an opportunity, for instance, for an Outreach Worker to both help with Soul Search activity in their working hours and combine this with undertaking self-funded PhD research about the process. ii) Facilitating intentional communities
Background. Some initial pilot work was undertaken by the current Anglican chaplain in his last few months in York on facilitating intentional communities of students, based on the understanding that: - previous models of buying property to establish community is unaffordable; - encouraging people to take on a simple rule of life as a group is simpler; - the use of online social networks to gather together interested parties may work; - that people want to be intentional together may appreciate a nominated ‘visitor’. A first trial of this was just beginning as Jeremy left York and is succeeding.
Proposals. The hope for Sheffield is that groups of students living in houses together, or individual students wanting to take on simple rule of life with other like-minded individuals could be linked up with each other and offered regular pastoral encouragement and resources (especially online but also face to face). This would not be about running or even setting up intentional communities but rather facilitating and advising for those wishing to establish small, actual and virtual intentional communities so as live with God, prayer, Christian growth and social action in mind. The purpose would be to help students to make more meaningful living arrangements for themselves: plugging into a network of others wanting to live intentionally. This may also include intentional households, but needn't be as physically prescriptive as that. Part of the project’s remit would be to help people choose /design a simple 'rule of life' and link up with others doing the same. The role wouldn't be about running such networks but it is imagined that the Chaplaincy would becoming a networking hub and a resource. The Outreach Worker and Anglican chaplain would work together to develop this. Additionally they would look to recruit, from local faith communities, a pool of appropriately trained volunteers would be sought to serve as invited ‘visitors’ to established communities. Visitors would meet at least once a term with a small group to facilitate their reflection on their intentional living.
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B. Engagement with churches and the Diocese The primary purpose would be to assist churches and Diocese to make more substantial connections with the University. The role of the chaplain would be to help both churches and University to make new links whether at a one-to-one or structural level. Possibilities to encourage churches and church members to consider include: - supporting Church members who are students and staff at the University; - praying for and sponsoring the ministry of the Christian chaplaincy; - engaging with the life of the university (e.g. public events); - contributing to the shaping of university projects (e.g. research activities); - develop volunteering opportunities for students and / or staff; - participating in Vacation Support for international students - volunteering time to support Soul Search and small intentional communities; - finding sports experts who would become ‘chaplain’ to a University sports club. The importance that higher education has in the life of the city and region means that it is very important that the Diocese of Sheffield engages more substantially with the life of both Universities and all places delivering higher education. Some initial consultation has taken place between the Diocese and the Anglican chaplain. Future vision includes: - a clear place within Diocesan structures for HE issues and HE Chaplaincy to sit; - the inclusion of HE issues within the role of one of the Diocesan senior staff; - collaboration by chaplaincies and Diocesan staff to support young adult outreach; - exploring how to provide/afford chaplaincy in HE settings across the Diocese.
C. Community engagement with minority religious groups The purpose would be to network with local groups from all the world religions where identity / ethnicity / disability (e.g. Deaf Church) / sexuality mean that an identifiable community feels isolated and especially disconnected from the university life of this city and even Sheffield itself. This outreach work would be done, where relevant, in conjunction with existing faith advisors as well as other contacts in the city and region. The two main objectives would be, first, to enable, through the building of personal connections, the broadening of the university’s networks with minority groups. The second objective would be to see how local minority groups could engage with, contribute to and benefit from University activity. Obvious mutual benefits can be found in, for example, volunteering opportunities, research activity and language learning (and all of these examples may have symbiotic possibilities to them).
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D. Vacation Support for international students The Vacation Project was a pilot project of the university and especially involved one Outreach Worker who worked with colleagues and local contacts (especially churches) in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam to put on a range of activities for International Students staying in Sheffield over Christmas. The outcome of this is a desire in the University and Chaplaincy for ongoing Vacation Support work for international students in all three vacations of the year. A continued contribution in kind by an Outreach Worker makes sense since: relational working is the first priority of the role; community engagement with churches sits well within the chaplaincy; collaborative working with Student Services and the Students’ Union is an ongoing commitment (especially in financially constrained times, but also as faith identities take on a new prominence within the public realm). It creates opportunities for pastoral care for the Outreach Worker too. The vision is to provide 100 events a year (25 at Christmas and at Easter, 50 in the summer), engaging local churches, all faith communities and other local contacts in welcoming international students into suitably designed activities, as well some events being run at or by the University and Students’ Union. The University has committed to help fund the cost of Student Helpers to be at each event and to give some time, in kind, to support the administration of the events. Immediate funding has been given to help with the work for the next 6 months with a moral commitment to continuing help. The hope is to match this commitment by the University with a contribution from one Outreach Worker of 10 hours a week, taking responsibility for outreach planning and development as well as to attend a good number of the events themselves so as to initiate one-to-one relationships too. This will necessitate year-round working and perhaps a new role description and re-grade (if this proves to be both justifiable and financially possible).
E. Engagement with learning, teaching and research There are six immediate opportunities: - the Anglican chaplain’s PhD research in liturgy may mean the chance of contributing to Mirfield’s centre for Liturgical Studies; - the Soul Search activity could lead to new PhD research activity (supported by Mirfield and/or Biblical Studies); - Biblical Studies wants to develop a more substantial level of partnership with the Chaplaincy especially in the light of developing a multidisciplinary approach, accrediting the programmes of study provided by Mirfield, and including Theology and the study of Religion within its curriculum; - the Interfaith Tandem learning programme that was established by the previous Anglican chaplain with the help of Modern Languages and Biblical Studies (that
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can be taken informally or as part of the extra-curricular Sheffield Award) is running successfully and could be helpfully integrated with the work of the Students’ Union Faiths Forum and Interfaith Cafe; - the current Anglican chaplain has been involved in a collaborative project on developing religious literacy for senior leaders in higher education. Seed corn funding has been given by Student Services to provide religious literacy training events for the University and the chaplain will work with the Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education project to provide some initial training; - there is one further research interest of the current chaplain, Arab Christian identities and the contribution of Arab Christianity to peace and stability in the Middle East, how or if this can develop in the next four years remains to be seen!
4. Next Steps Work to develop Vacation Support for international students is ongoing. Establishing Soul Search will begin across the summer of 2011. The Anglican chaplain is planning to engage not just with the Hallam deanery but to make some point of contact in all deaneries of the Diocese within the next six months. The building of contacts with local faith communities is priority for 2011. Collaborating with Mirfield and Biblical Studies is at an early stage.
A. Vision Setting with the Anglican Chaplaincy Trustees (Mar 2011) B. An Envisioning Evening with interested parties (Mar) C. Continuing dialogue with Chaplaincy and University colleagues (Mar-Jun) D. Further discussion with Diocesan officers and senior staff (Mar-Jun) E. Ongoing dialogue with the Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust (Mar-Jun) F. Establishing a structure for development, time-lines (May-Jun) G. Devising a budget for the period 2011/12–2014/15 (May-Jun) H. Presenting a Vision report and budget to the Chaplaincy Trust (Jun 2011) I. Publishing the annual Cutting Edge report for interested parties (Jul 2011)
Jeremy Clines, March 2011
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