1-2 November: Spiritual Relationships, Complex Relationships, Healing Relationships (this first weekend can also be taken by psychotherapy students)
Chaplaincy and other spiritual support work provides opportunities to meet people in many different circumstances. The context is often one in which the person is facing particular changes or life traumas, and may be open to reviewing life and seeking the spiritual dimension in new ways. Meetings may have been requested and planned, or may be casual and informal. They may be in depth or brief, and it is not always clear at the outset what is required. This two day workshop will explore the different types of relationships involved in chaplaincy and other spiritual work. We will look at styles of interaction which are appropriate in different circumstances, at the opportunities to support personal spiritual transformation which emerge in this kind of work. In particular we will discuss the sorts of boundary issues which need to be taken into account in the sort of mixed relationships which can exist in the spiritual context and how to avoid some of the pitfalls

3-4 November: Blessings, Weddings and Funerals: Creative Approaches to Personal Ceremony.
Spiritual groups offer ceremonies to the important mark life transitions of their members. In the last couple of decades, interest in the creative use of ritual has grown, and people increasingly seek more personalised events. Some Buddhist groups already have traditional ceremonies to mark rites of passage, but many Western groups are daunted by requests from their members and others. Learning to facilitate personal ceremony is an art which takes practice, resourcefulness and a dramatic presence. Ritual is a language, mastered through experience and repetition. This two day workshop will look at the art of ceremony and creating a special occasion relevant both for those committed to a religious path and to those who have a less aligned sense of the spiritual. It will be practical, suitable for anyone who might take a role in such events, but particularly for those who may be called on to lead them. We will look at resources: readings, music, and chants; and at commonly used elements of a service, including making offerings, creation of the ceremonial space, invocations, symbolic acts, blessings and dedications. We will draw on both Buddhist sources and other spiritual traditions. We will discuss the structuring of event, the poetic and metaphoric frame, and the sequencing of elements. We will look at those small details which become so precious to participants. There will be opportunities to practice ceremony and pool resources. This course is an important opportunity for all vow22 students but will be useful to Buddhists of any background.

Courses on the chaplaincy development programme are part of the Amida vow22 ministry development programme, but they are open to anyone interested in chaplaincy and ministry work. Our practice at Amida is Pureland, and this underpins some aspects of the programme, but many of our chaplaincy courses are practical and will be useful to anyone with a pastoral role, whether Buddhist or of other faiths. If you want to discuss suitability, please email us at courses@amidatrust.com Costs on yellow level courses are £30 per day for the public and £12 per day for any registered Amida student. If you are attending all four days, or are interested in other Amida courses, we recommend taking a general registration as this will offer the best value. Some bursaries are available to those working in voluntary capacities who are on low incomes. Accommodation costs are additional.