An entry · Work · Life
Chaplain
When the day turns hard, a chaplain walks in with no agenda but you, and stays.
From curious to committed
Your first steps.
A first visit can be enough. It can also be the beginning.
Meet the craft
Offer companionship through a hospice, hospital, or care home visiting program.
Explore experiences →Give it another afternoon
Notice what you want to come back to. Ask the teacher what regular practice would look like, and what support you would need.
Keep a note for next time →See the working day
Pursue study in theology, ministry, or pastoral care as the grounding for chaplaincy.
Explore ways into the work →These are starting points. A workshop is not a professional qualification. Entry requirements and recognised training depend on the work and the country.
Before you walk in
A few things worth asking the host before you book.
- Is this session suitable for someone who has never tried it?
- What should I bring, wear or prepare?
- What is included, and are there any extra costs?
- Can you accommodate my access needs?
- What could I try next if I enjoy it?
Teach this craft? Share what beginners ask you →
Work it
Do the work.
Jobs, apprenticeships, and training that put a person in the room.
Places to begin
- Association
Association of Professional Chaplains
Association of Professional Chaplains membership
United States
Join the professional home for chaplains and step toward board certification in spiritual care.
- Membership
CPCPC
Council for Professional Chaplains and Pastoral Carers
United Kingdom
Britain's accredited register for healthcare chaplains sets the standards and holds the roll that professional pastoral carers join.
- Association
College of Health Care Chaplains (within Unite the Union)
College of Health Care Chaplains
United Kingdom
The UK's largest professional membership body for healthcare chaplains, supporting professional standards, representation, and career development.
Ways in
- Course
Theological or pastoral study
Pursue study in theology, ministry, or pastoral care as the grounding for chaplaincy.
- Certification
Clinical pastoral education
Complete supervised pastoral training in a hospital, prison, or care setting.
- Route in
Endorsement and first post
Gain endorsement from a faith or humanist body and take a first chaplaincy role under supervision.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasLive it
Live the hour.
Experiences, classes, and places where the presence is the whole point.
Places to begin
- Volunteer
UC Davis Health Chaplaincy Services
Volunteer chaplain program at UC Davis Health
Sacramento, California
Train as a volunteer and offer a calm, caring presence to patients and families at the bedside.
- Course
The Chaplaincy Institute
Being with Dying and Death
Berkeley, California (and online)
Open to all, this tender interfaith course explores how to sit with the dying and the grieving with presence rather than answers.
- Community
Death Cafe
Attend a Death Cafe
Worldwide (many host cities) · Ongoing
Over tea and cake, strangers gather to talk openly about death, the same honest companionship a chaplain offers every day.
Ways in
- Community
Volunteer as a befriender
Offer companionship through a hospice, hospital, or care home visiting program.
- Workshop
Train in compassionate listening
Take a workshop in active listening or bereavement support to learn how presence works.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasWhy the human is the point
A chaplain shows up in the rooms most of us hurry past, the hospital ward at three in the morning, the barracks, the prison, the bad news just delivered. They do not fix the situation, they hold it with you, and somehow that changes everything. Whatever you believe, they meet you there and let you be exactly as you are. People pour out the things they cannot say anywhere else, trusting a near stranger to carry them with care. That kind of presence asks for deep judgment and an open heart in the same breath. It is one of the oldest, quietest, most human roles there is.
Kept nearby
