Each Monday morning at our Applecross office, some members of Baptistcare staff spend some time in reflection as a way of starting our work week together. It usually takes the form of a reading from the Bible, a thought from someone about what the reading means to them, and a time when people can pray together for the coming week.
This morning we heard the words from Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.”
In a world of chaos and confusion, a working life of busy-ness and pressure, and in some cases, a home life where things don’t seem to go the way we would like them, these words come as a welcome invitation.
As I reflect on these words, I don’t see a requirement to take more action, when there’s already so much happening around me; I don’t see a requirement to establish an academic knowledge of religion; and I don’t necessarily see an expectation to conform to a particular pattern of behaviour.
What I see is an invitation to pause from the rush and bustle of life to feel the welcoming presence of One who knows exactly how I am feeling right now and longs to share my journey with me. It is the still, small voice of One who prizes a relationship with me above all other demands and expectations.
By the way, if you’re near Applecross at 8.30am Monday come and join us for a time of reflection.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Chaplains Dedication
Today chaplains from Baptistcare, Bethanie Care, Amana Living, Uniting Church Homes, Adventist Care, Catholic Homes, Southern Cross Care, Mercy Care and Alzheimers Association gathered for a special dedication service for aged care chaplains and pastoral carers.
This is the first time a service of this nature has been held in WA across such a wide range of aged care services, and it was a great time to acknowledge the important role of chaplains within aged care. Dr Brian Harris, the Principal of Vose Seminary presented a thought provoking message to the group, encouraging chaplains in their responsibility of holding on to people's stories.
One of the statements read by the leader of the service was this: God welcomes you as people who pause alongside - to give and to receive - those who struggle and search, those who tell stories of delight and sadness, and those who grieve and seek healing and hope.
Baptistcare has 11 chaplains who provide a unique service to residents, clients and staff.
Thankyou chaplains for your committment and service. Your presence is highly valued.
This is the first time a service of this nature has been held in WA across such a wide range of aged care services, and it was a great time to acknowledge the important role of chaplains within aged care. Dr Brian Harris, the Principal of Vose Seminary presented a thought provoking message to the group, encouraging chaplains in their responsibility of holding on to people's stories.
One of the statements read by the leader of the service was this: God welcomes you as people who pause alongside - to give and to receive - those who struggle and search, those who tell stories of delight and sadness, and those who grieve and seek healing and hope.
Baptistcare has 11 chaplains who provide a unique service to residents, clients and staff.
Thankyou chaplains for your committment and service. Your presence is highly valued.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lessons from Jessica
Thanks to those contributed to the discussion from last week’s blog on accountability. Here’s another thought on the same subject.
A few weeks ago Jessica Watson was named Young Australian of the Year in the Australia Day honours. Jessica, at the aged of 16, became the youngest person in the world to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, completing her journey in May last year after 210 days at sea.
As a solo yachtswoman, Jessica did not achieve this great feat without being accountable. She had six major sponsors who expected her to honour their investment. She maintained regular contact with a team of people, including her family, who were intimately concerned for her safety; and detailed reports were kept of her position, wind directions, and weather. She had thousands of Australians reading her blog each day and expecting to hear the details of her adventure. Most of all Jessica was accountable to herself, by maintaining her health, safety and emotional stability.
Some of us have a habit of travelling solo and feel that accountability is an intrusion into our privacy; but we could do well to learn from Jessica Watson. While there may be times we work alone, and perhaps even work best alone, it is important we recognise the importance of the team that is around us, and acknowledge their contribution to our success.
Too often people’s emotional and physical health deteriorates because there is a failure to see the signs that the conditions on the ocean are changing. By building effective accountability structures into our lives we are able to benefit from other people’s wisdom and take adequate precautions to deal with the big waves that are coming.
A few weeks ago Jessica Watson was named Young Australian of the Year in the Australia Day honours. Jessica, at the aged of 16, became the youngest person in the world to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, completing her journey in May last year after 210 days at sea.
As a solo yachtswoman, Jessica did not achieve this great feat without being accountable. She had six major sponsors who expected her to honour their investment. She maintained regular contact with a team of people, including her family, who were intimately concerned for her safety; and detailed reports were kept of her position, wind directions, and weather. She had thousands of Australians reading her blog each day and expecting to hear the details of her adventure. Most of all Jessica was accountable to herself, by maintaining her health, safety and emotional stability.
Some of us have a habit of travelling solo and feel that accountability is an intrusion into our privacy; but we could do well to learn from Jessica Watson. While there may be times we work alone, and perhaps even work best alone, it is important we recognise the importance of the team that is around us, and acknowledge their contribution to our success.
Too often people’s emotional and physical health deteriorates because there is a failure to see the signs that the conditions on the ocean are changing. By building effective accountability structures into our lives we are able to benefit from other people’s wisdom and take adequate precautions to deal with the big waves that are coming.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
What is accountability?
The fifth of Baptistcare’s values is: Accountability for our performance.
For some reason the word accountability seems to conjure up negative ideas. Maybe it comes from bad experiences in the past, but sometimes when people talk about accountability they give the impression that accountability is about punishment, or at the least, something to be feared.
Essentially accountability is about taking responsibility; accepting that we all need to give account to someone for what we do, and as a result take responsibility for our actions.
At a basic level we need to be accountable to ourselves; to answer to our conscience that we have done what had to be done according to the best of our ability.
But most of the time we are required to be accountable to others. In organisations like Baptistcare that includes ensuring that contracts to government are met, legislation is followed and work schedules are met.
Even more important than such formal accountability is the need to be accountable to the people we serve. Whether we are washing someone’s floor, attending to their health needs, writing a report, fixing a tap or paying a bill, we need to accept responsibility for our performance.
As we carry out our duties, the resident of a nursing home, the recipient of mental health services or the participant in a disability programme may not ask us for a formal report but they are expecting a job well done, a friendly smile, a willing spirit, and an attitude that reflects hope and generosity.
What does accountability mean to you?
For some reason the word accountability seems to conjure up negative ideas. Maybe it comes from bad experiences in the past, but sometimes when people talk about accountability they give the impression that accountability is about punishment, or at the least, something to be feared.
Essentially accountability is about taking responsibility; accepting that we all need to give account to someone for what we do, and as a result take responsibility for our actions.
At a basic level we need to be accountable to ourselves; to answer to our conscience that we have done what had to be done according to the best of our ability.
But most of the time we are required to be accountable to others. In organisations like Baptistcare that includes ensuring that contracts to government are met, legislation is followed and work schedules are met.
Even more important than such formal accountability is the need to be accountable to the people we serve. Whether we are washing someone’s floor, attending to their health needs, writing a report, fixing a tap or paying a bill, we need to accept responsibility for our performance.
As we carry out our duties, the resident of a nursing home, the recipient of mental health services or the participant in a disability programme may not ask us for a formal report but they are expecting a job well done, a friendly smile, a willing spirit, and an attitude that reflects hope and generosity.
What does accountability mean to you?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Some more thoughts on stewardship ...
Whether it is about buying cars, Coke or washing detergent, television commercials tell me that the most important person in my life is me. Of course, at one level they are quite correct, because if I don’t look after myself I just may not be in a fit state to look after anyone else. But there is a sense in which my concern for the good of others is a very important part of who I am, so to neglect my need to love and support others is in essence a neglect of the real me.
Take this argument a step further. If all my responsibilities are focussed on me and my needs, these responsibilities eventually lose their value. However, the value of these responsibilities, and therefore the benefit that I will gain from them, comes when I acknowledge that what I am doing has a higher benefit.
The responsibilities that we have as employees of Baptistcare, or for that matter the membership of our local club, or as a member of a family, gain greater significance when the focus is not upon what I can get out of the relationship, but what I can contribute to that relationship or situation.
For me stewardship means acknowledging that all that I have has been entrusted to me by God. It enables me to be thankful that I have a job, a family, a roof over my head, and some great friends. Stewardship means putting my best into what I do and nourishing the relationships I have so that the people around me will benefit. It means taking personal responsibility for maintaining a high and noble view of life and looking beyond the present and the mundane.
Stewardship is....
I’d love to hear your ideas.
Take this argument a step further. If all my responsibilities are focussed on me and my needs, these responsibilities eventually lose their value. However, the value of these responsibilities, and therefore the benefit that I will gain from them, comes when I acknowledge that what I am doing has a higher benefit.
The responsibilities that we have as employees of Baptistcare, or for that matter the membership of our local club, or as a member of a family, gain greater significance when the focus is not upon what I can get out of the relationship, but what I can contribute to that relationship or situation.
For me stewardship means acknowledging that all that I have has been entrusted to me by God. It enables me to be thankful that I have a job, a family, a roof over my head, and some great friends. Stewardship means putting my best into what I do and nourishing the relationships I have so that the people around me will benefit. It means taking personal responsibility for maintaining a high and noble view of life and looking beyond the present and the mundane.
Stewardship is....
I’d love to hear your ideas.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Stewardship
Strange as it may seem to some people, I like books. I have a bookshelf on which stands a number of books that were handed down from my dad. To some observers they are just old books, but I hold them with pride because of their age and what they represent to me. I treasure these books, not because they are mine, but because I have a sense that I am holding them on behalf of a previous generation.
This is the essence of stewardship. Dictionary.com describes a steward as a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Christians usually add another dimension to stewardship, acknowledging that God has given us the responsibility and privilege to look after his creation and recognise his sovereignty in all things.
We’ve had a bit of a break over Christmas but as we come back to reflecting on Baptistcare’s values, we come to the fourth which is “Stewardship of the responsibilities in our care.”
As we think about all that we have responsibility for in the workplace, the hardware and property, the people, the relationships, and the intellectual property, we can take the view that these things are just paperbacks that we have picked up at the local book exchange, or we can treasure them like some of my dad’s old books that carry memories, emotion, history and value.
Working for Baptistcare is a means to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads, but greater worth and value is given to that job when we recognise our role as stewards of all the responsibilities in our care.
Can you suggest any ways that we exhibit this sense of stewardship in our workplace?
This is the essence of stewardship. Dictionary.com describes a steward as a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Christians usually add another dimension to stewardship, acknowledging that God has given us the responsibility and privilege to look after his creation and recognise his sovereignty in all things.
We’ve had a bit of a break over Christmas but as we come back to reflecting on Baptistcare’s values, we come to the fourth which is “Stewardship of the responsibilities in our care.”
As we think about all that we have responsibility for in the workplace, the hardware and property, the people, the relationships, and the intellectual property, we can take the view that these things are just paperbacks that we have picked up at the local book exchange, or we can treasure them like some of my dad’s old books that carry memories, emotion, history and value.
Working for Baptistcare is a means to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads, but greater worth and value is given to that job when we recognise our role as stewards of all the responsibilities in our care.
Can you suggest any ways that we exhibit this sense of stewardship in our workplace?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Flood relief
Over the last few weeks we have watched on our TV’s the devastation caused by floods in Carnarvon, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Many of us have taken the opportunity to support various flood relief efforts and we recognise what a privilege it is for us to be able to stand beside those who are suffering, even in a limited way.
Baptistcare’s sister organisation in Queensland, Queensland Baptist Care has set up a flood relief programme. If you would like to contribute towards the recovery effort you are invited take advantage of the on-line giving opportunity at www.qbc.com.au
Baptistcare’s sister organisation in Queensland, Queensland Baptist Care has set up a flood relief programme. If you would like to contribute towards the recovery effort you are invited take advantage of the on-line giving opportunity at www.qbc.com.au
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