A Vital Ministry

John Caperon highlights the nature and significance of the distinctive ministry of school chaplains and seeks to raise the profile of this key ministry in the Church

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A Vital Ministry describes the situation of the ‘post-millennium’ generation of the young as threatening to their human flourishing. Their economic, political and cultural context is potentially oppressive, and the education system in this country no longer seeks to provide ‘spiritual capital’ to resource the young. The special role of Church of England schools is to provide a holistic education which values the spiritual dimension, genuinely encouraging the personal and spiritual development of young people as ‘children of God’. Drawing on the testimony both of school chaplains and school students, the book argues that the chaplain’s ministry of pastoral care has a key part to play in the fostering of personal spiritual development, and that the role of the chaplain as a liturgical leader can open up the spiritual realm for students. The Church needs to take seriously this vital but neglected ministry, the book concludes, arguing for better recognition, professional support and development.