The World Outreach Worship (WOW) Center in Newport News, Virginia has a model local church chaplaincy program. Pastor Bobby K. Collins has a passion-filled vision to raise up a veritable army of Community Service Chaplains to serve their church and community. Under the leadership of Chaplain Jack Smith (a volunteer) this dynamic care ministry has grown over the past two years from just a few chaplains to over 100. On Tuesday evening, January 8, 2008, the church recognized their local church chaplains and celebrated their efforts to impact the community with caring service to others in Jesus’ name.
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Doc Williams of the Church of God Chaplains Commission |
Dr. Doc R. Williams, Chaplains Commission Coordinator of Training and Community Service Chaplaincy, was the evening speaker. The chaplains present identified with Dr. Williams who trained them in the Basic Community Service Chaplaincy Training course. This premier training is designed to prepare Christians for volunteer ministry of care. He challenged them with the thought “What Time is it?” focusing on God’s timing and the signs of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He urged them to work while there is time to reach the many in their community who need to know of God’s transforming love in Jesus Christ.
This local church chaplaincy program reaches out all over the Newport News community touching many lives for the Lord. The WOW volunteer chaplains reach into the local jail ministering to the staff, into hospitals and other medical facilities caring for patients and medical staff. One chaplain has a ministry in a shopping mall, while another chaplain ministers in his Native American regalia. Another chaplain has an internet ministry and another has a “butter fly” ministry. Dr. Williams tells chaplains he trains that God is doing a “new thing” today and that their care ministry can take any shape that God says it can. Wherever there are hurting people, they need a chaplain to care for and serve them in Jesus’ name.
A program of this nature is not possible without the support of the Church of God administrative bishop. Mike Baker is the Virginia Administrative Bishop who has a vision to train 2000 chaplains throughout Virginia. It is this kind of vision along with the vision of the local church pastor that fosters such powerful chaplaincy ministries that reach out “beyond the gates” of the local church to touch the lives of the least, the last and the lost in communities for Christ.
The Chaplains Commission, led by Dr. Robert Crick, trains chaplains around the world and is a part of the Care Division, directed by Dr. Donnie Smith. Learn more about chaplain training for clergy and laity that prepares them to go “beyond the gates” of the local church into their community to pastor and care for their community. Chaplain training with as few a 25 to 30 students will pay for itself.
To learn more about this valuable care ministry training for chaplaincy, call Dr. Doc R. Williams at (423) 650-2536.