The Wayne E. Oates Institute is a Connected Learning Community exploring spirituality and health as a way to advance integrative care for the whole person. The Oates Institute is a non-profit educational organization made up of caregivers from the medical, spiritual and counseling communities providing a forum for joining together as an interdisciplinary dialogue toward understanding the relationship between spirituality and the healing process.

We are ready. Are you? Join us in launching the Congregational Care Providers Network in September by joining now as a Charter Congregational Member. For congregations that are ready to make a commitment to the program, these Charter Memberships offer the opportunity to get a terrific bargain. In fact, the bargain is so good that it is only being offered for a limited time.

The Congregational Care Providers Network is designed to provide relief for overworked pastors by offering educational opportunities that pastors can build on. It is also designed to offer pastors new opportunities for connecting with other pastors in learning opportunities developed for them.

I keep having the most fascinating conversations with people involved in various aspects of health and spiritual care. There is such creative energy as they retell stories of people’s experience with spiritual caregivers. There are the challenges faced and the creative approaches tried in addressing the challenges. Some work, some don’t, and all them provide great learning opportunities. I often hear myself saying, “I’d love to have an article on that for the Oates Journal.”

The past couple of weeks have been very exciting as people from around the country have sent in contributions to say "I want to be part of helping make this happen." It has also been exciting to be back in the office this week and working with people on the infrastructure and curriculum to bring it into being.

"Our computers and mobile devices do wonderful things for us," declares William Powers, author of Hamlet's BlackBerry. "But they also impose a burden, making it harder for us to focus, do our best work, build strong relationships, and find the depth and fulfillment we crave." How do we learn to find balance in our lives in this new digital age? When we carry the crowd with us in our pockets and purses, how do we find moments of solitude and renewal away from the crowd, away from work, and away from the noise? These are questions that participants will be exploring during the seminar on Hamlet's BlackBerry from May 7-25.

This fall the Oates Institute will introduce new educational opportunities for congregational members and pastors.  “One thing that I observed during my recent experience as a patient is that patients and families really need this program," observed Chris Hammon, Director of the Oates Institute. “At some point in our lives, each of us is going to be either a patient or a family member seeking help from spiritual caregivers. What we are developing through the Congregational Care Providers Network is an avenue for helping congregation members obtain training to help others in their congregations and communities to bridge the gap from hospital care to caring resources within the community. Our goal is to provide quality training for congregation members that pastors can build on as part of a congregation's ministries."

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to launching the Congregational Caregivers Program! In only six days we are already more than a third of the way to what we need to raise this month so that we can move the Oates Institute into the future. Because of the generosity of many of you we have received $5,375 toward our goal of $15,000 this month.

We are still at a critical financial crossroads, however, so we continue to ask for and need your help. My recent experience as a patient has reminded me just how significant the work that we do is for patients and their family members. There is nothing quite like hearing a doctor tell you that you have cancer or a cardiac issue to bring so many issues to the fore. These issues need care and attention. My recovery has made me more aware of how critical the Congregational Caregivers Program will be when we launch it in the fall.