Within EBA we are blessed that a number of our ministers and churches are actively involved in chaplaincy roles. This week our focus is on Chaplaincy in Education. We spoke with Cherie from Cambridgeshire and Liz from Suffolk
Cherie says the Pastoral Support Work we deliver provides mentoring and pastoral support to students individually and in groups, looking at resilience, self-esteem and relationships. We also deliver some Personal Development and Personal, Social and Health Education lessons. We are available to chat with Sixth Form students while giving out free hot chocolates.
The Spiritual Support Work includes running or facilitating weekly Christian Union groups, delivering Religion, Philosophy and Ethics lessons and assemblies during the year.
As well as students, we support staff, by providing space for conversations, space to reflect, as well as one-to-one support. We also run wellbeing events like wreath-making.
Liz focuses her time on being “present and available” to whoever needs a helping hand or a kind word. Schools can be very busy and pressured environments, so noticing that a staff member has a lot going on, showing them that they are seen and giving them space to be themselves is appreciated We can be a calm, silently praying presence when a student is overwhelmed.
We meet with individual students to help them process anxiety, stress, friendship issues, family breakdown or bereavement. We run assemblies, after-school clubs and an annual interactive prayer-space for year 7’s – relying on support of many churches for extra volunteers. No two days are ever the same – we make tea, laugh in staff rooms and corridors, return lost PE kits, are an “extra body” on school trips, support a class who’ve just lost one of their own to cancer and meet with those who come to us saying “I think I heard God speak to me” and “are you the person to speak to if I want to become a Christian?”
Prayer points:
15th March 2026
1st March 2026
22nd February 2026
