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.

As Baby Boomers move toward retirement age in better health overall than prior generations, concerns regarding meaning and fulfillment in life will parallel and at times outweigh concerns over material well-being and physical health. This new Special Issue of the Oates Journal brings together seven authors from around the world to address issues of meaning, hopelessness, boredom, and fear as significant spiritual issues within the aging process. The contributors to this issue include:

• Patricia Pickett, D.Min., "The Tapestry of Aging: An Introduction"
• Jane Marie Thibault, Ph.D., "Dedicated Suffering: Using Personal Pain to Create Loving Energy for Others"
• Harriet Mowat, Ph.D., "The Ageing Journey and Its Spiritual Tasks"
• Elizabeth MacKinlay, Ph.D., "Loneliness in Later Life: Will the Experience of Baby Boomers be Different?"
• Melissa Wood Alemán, Ph.D., "Managing Dialectical Tensions in Later Life Marriage and Families"
• Rosalie Hudson, Ph.D., "Body and Spirit: One Journey, One Future"
• Paul D. Simmons, Ph.D., "Spirituality and Successful Aging: Twelve Rules for the Road"

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In the face of increased stress from the economic downturn, increased patient loads through the holidays and flu season, and various other crises and critical incidents, Care of Self as a caregiver becomes increasingly important. Caregivers are notoriously poor at this as they often overlook their own self care in the process of giving care to others. To help with this the Oates Institute is offering a series of three Care of Self online seminars to start out 2010. To help even more, we are combining the opportunity for non-members to become members and register for all three seminars for only $96.

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Learn how to approach troubled and troublesome people in your congregation in ways that are not dismissive but are caring, affirming, and grounded in God's grace. This online seminar is a study of Dr. Wayne Oates' book, The Care of Troublesome People. Dr. Oates combines family systems theory, insightful analysis of five types of behavior that often create conflict in churches, and biblically based approaches for dealing with such behavior in this practical guide for pastoral care givers. The seminar will be held online January 11-29 and provide participants with 12 contact hours of continuing education credit.

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This year's recession has hurt almost everyone's continuing education budgets, and this time of cultural transition has made participating in lifelong learning especially important. So the Oates Institute is opening this year's opportunity to sign up for the Pastoral Care Group Membership to everyone. That means you can become a member of the Oates Institute and register for our online seminars free through 2010 for only $96 (a 20% discount).

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Sign up Online Now for Group Membership Opportunity

In challenging economic times we all reevaluate where and how we spend our money and what investments are worthwhile. Therefore, I would like to introduce you to Kei Okada, and let the nature of his ministry give you insight into the importance of investing in the work of the Wayne E. Oates Institute.

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