Assistant Chaplain

Light Magazine.; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Hopehill is seeking an Assistant Chaplain to support the Lead Chaplain in providing spiritual and emotional care to residents. You will build relationships, participate in worship, accompany residents through grief and life transitions, and help connect faith-based programming with community partnerships.

You will collaborate with a diverse team, maintain documentation, and contribute to developing spiritual-care initiatives while growing toward future leadership of resident wellbeing and

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Ministry or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years in Christian ministry, chaplaincy, or pastoral care preferred.
• 1–2 years experience working with seniors preferred.
• Must affirm and adhere to Hopehill’s Statement of Faith.
• Must pursue Mandated for Ministry through CBWC.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently within a collaborative team.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting, meaningful relationships with residents and team members through attentive presence, listening and follow-up.
• Provide one-to-one spiritual and pastoral care, including support through illness, grief, loss, transition, ageing and end-of-life.
• Make hospital, hospice, memorial and other pastoral visits as needed.
• Welcome new residents and help them connect with people, community life and opportunities that support their hopes for life at Hopehill.
• Facilitate or participate in worship, chapel, prayer, Bible studies, grief support and other spiritual-care opportunities.
• Support residents in exploring purpose, legacy, relationships, faith and hope.
• Work respectfully and effectively with people from diverse cultures, languages, experiences and faith backgrounds.
• Develop relationships with churches, faith communities, chaplains, volunteers and other community partners, and help create practical ways for them to contribute to resident life at Hopehill.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of spiritual-care initiatives.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and communication regarding spiritual care.
• Help identify resident needs and turn ideas into practical programs, partnerships and initiatives.
• Take on increasing areas of responsibility as part of your development toward future leadership of an integrated system of care for residents.

Skills

Pastoral mindset

Active listening

Prayerful/discerning

Welcoming/inclusive

Collaboration

Leadership potential

Bilingual Mandarin/Cantonese

Education

Undergraduate degree in Ministry

Job description

About Hopehill
Hopehill serves 350 residents and we are committed to helping seniors experience life well in supportive communities. Grounded in the values and teachings of Jesus Christ, we provide holistic care that recognizes the spiritual, emotional, physical and relational dimensions of wellbeing.
For us, spiritual care is more than programs or services. It is about being present, listening deeply, building trust and walking with people through the joys, questions, transitions, losses and possibilities of life. We seek to meet each person where they are, notice the invitations they offer, and participate in what God is already doing in their lives.
We want to become increasingly thoughtful about what helps people flourish as they age and how spiritual care, community, relationships, health, purpose, and service can work together.

The Role
We are looking for an Assistant Chaplain to work closely with and support our Lead Chaplain in the spiritual care of residents.
This is a genuine ministry partnership. The Assistant Chaplain will share in the pastoral life of the community, developing relationships with residents, providing spiritual and emotional support, participating in worship and spiritual formation, accompanying people through grief, illness and end-of-life, and other life transitions.
We are also looking for someone who can see what could come next. Someone who can connect spiritual care, programming, wellness, volunteers, and community partnerships, and help bring in churches and outside expertise to expand our impact. Over time, they may also help turn what we are learning at Hopehill into resources and approaches that can serve churches and other organizations.
For the right person, this role could grow into broader leadership of volunteers, partnerships and spiritual care at Hopehill.

What You'll Do

• Build trusting, meaningful relationships with residents and team members through attentive presence, listening and follow-up.
• Provide one-to-one spiritual and pastoral care, including support through illness, grief, loss, transition, ageing and end-of-life.
• Make hospital, hospice, memorial and other pastoral visits as needed.
• Welcome new residents and help them connect with people, community life and opportunities that support their hopes for life at Hopehill.
• Facilitate or participate in worship, chapel, prayer, Bible studies, grief support and other spiritual-care opportunities.
• Support residents in exploring purpose, legacy, relationships, faith and hope.
• Work respectfully and effectively with people from diverse cultures, languages, experiences and faith backgrounds.
• Develop relationships with churches, faith communities, chaplains, volunteers and other community partners, and help create practical ways for them to contribute to resident life at Hopehill.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of spiritual-care initiatives.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and communication regarding spiritual care.
• Help identify resident needs and turn ideas into practical programs, partnerships and initiatives.
• Take on increasing areas of responsibility as part of your development toward future leadership of an integrated system of care for residents.

Who You Are

• Pastoral — compassionate, attentive and comfortable walking alongside diverse people through both ordinary and profound moments of life.
• A deep listener — able to hear what a person is really saying, recognize invitations for deeper conversation and follow the resident's lead.
• Prayerful and discerning — attentive to God's presence and work, rather than needing to control the outcome.
• Welcoming — comfortable engaging people across different cultures, languages, faiths and life experiences.
• Collaborative — able to work closely with the Lead Chaplain and other members of the community, valuing different gifts and areas of expertise.
• Self-initiating and adventurous — willing to step into unfamiliar situations, learn and respond creatively.
• Grounded in Christian faith — able to live out and articulate a faith consistent with Hopehill’s mission and Statement of Faith, while offering care respectfully and without proselytizing.
• Growing as a leader — open to mentoring and feedback, with the capacity and desire to grow beyond direct pastoral care into broader leadership of resident wellbeing, programming, partnerships and community life.
• Bilingual - Ability to communicate in Mandarin and/or Cantonese is considered a strong asset due to the linguistic needs of many residents and families.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Ministry or equivalent experience.
• 3-5 years of Relevant experience in Christian ministry, chaplaincy, pastoral care, or related spiritual-care settings preferred.
• 1-2 years of experience working with seniors preferred.
• Demonstrated maturity, pastoral ability and a commitment to ongoing learning will also be considered.
• Must affirm and adhere to Hopehill’s Statement of Faith.
• Must be willing to pursue being Mandated for Ministry through a Church belonging to Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC)
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team.
• Proficiency with email, online meetings, electronic documentation and reporting systems.

Why Hopehill?
This is an opportunity to practice a distinctive form of Christian chaplaincy in a community where spiritual care is an integral part of whole-person wellbeing.
You'll have the privilege of walking alongside older adults at significant moments in their lives - listening to their stories, accompanying them through change and loss, helping uncover possibilities for purpose and legacy, and sharing in the hope God offers in mutually transformative ways.
You'll also have the opportunity to learn alongside an experienced Lead Chaplain while developing the pastoral, program and leadership capacity to take on broader responsibility at Hopehill.