Seriously ill Christians can now have spiritual care online
Christians who are seriously ill now have easier access to spiritual care and reach chaplains for free counseling via specialized websites.
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN) organized an effort to administer spiritual counseling to distressed Christians experiencing serious sicknesses. Last year, the network launched three websites that ill Christians can use to get spiritual support, according to Christian Today (CT).
HCCN president Rev. Eric Hall launched the websites chaplaincareforveterans.org, cantbelieveihavecancer.org, and chaplainsonhand.org last year to help seriously ill Christians deal with their health and life problems.
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"When people are faced with a crisis, somewhere in their minds and in their hearts, they ask questions about why this is happening to them," CT quotes Hall. "We face our own frailty, and people want an answer and to be able to talk it out."
Hall said chaplains must learn how to use technology to provide spiritual care to the people who need it. And he is thankful that his initiative has taken off within the first few months of its launching, the report relays. In addition, Hall said similar initiatives contribute to better outpatient care and shorter stays in the hospital. Chaplains engaged in this type of ministry respond to queries within 24 hours, Reuters reports.
According to Rev. Amy Strano, the Director of Programs and Services for HCCN, spiritual care has often been a neglected aspect of the care for the sick. Because of this, a lot of Christians who are seriously ill feel isolated and alone, especially after being discharged from the hospital.
Based on data provided by the Pew Research Center, a fifth of the U.S. population is not affiliated with any religion. Because of this, HCCN says its service is a big need for the public. Patients' questions about life's purpose, pain, relationships, and loneliness need to be addressed, and this is where the chaplains come in.
HCCN is not looking for more financial support and hospital partnerships to help sustain its online spiritual care initiative.
