Community of Hope International
“A School for God's Service" | Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue, Vs. 45
Who we are.
“It’s about the skills and the practices of spiritual life that prepares each one of us to be open to the other…to believe and trust that the hospitality of the Christian faith is to look for the Christ in the other person, and as we approach them to serve them and in humility provide ministry to them. Our prayer is that the stranger will receive us and look for the Christ in us.” — Rev. Dr. Helen Appelberg
In short, Community of Hope International equips lay people to serve in all forms of pastoral care. Pastoral care is when a person is being “present” in a listening, compassionate, non-controlling manner to an individual or group for the purpose of consciously or unconsciously representing God to them and seeking to respond to their spiritual needs.
Through ongoing, spiritual formation and practical lessons on care giving, members learn to match theological insights and spiritual practices with their experiences of ministering to others and giving spiritual guidance.
History
In 1994, Rev. Helen Appelberg, Assistant Director of Pastoral Care at St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, was appointed to create a training course for people to become lay chaplains. With support from staff chaplains and advice from Esther de Waal, an authority on Benedictine spirituality, a twelve-week curriculum was established. Rooted in the ageless principles of The Rule of Benedict and sustained by clinical pastoral practices, the Community of Hope was born.
Mission and Vision
Mission: Creating communities, steeped in Benedictine Spirituality, to serve others through compassionate listening.
Vision: To be a listening presence.
Benedictine Spirituality
When St. Benedict of Nursia wrote a Rule for the monks of his monastery in sixth century Italy, he was trying to encourage those who would seek God together in community. T\ The Community of Hope International was founded to form praying communities, encouraging each other in love, to be a nonjudgmental listening presence to those we encounter on a daily basis. The spirituality of St. Benedict, reflected in the wisdom of his Rule, lights our way to truly become a Gospel people proclaiming God’s love for all of creation.
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Our Practice
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— Blandit Lectus