Market Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy is about walking alongside people in the everyday ups and downs of life. It’s about:
- Being part of the fabric
- Being available to all who are part of that community
- Being immersed in everything that happens
- Being a listening ear
- Being a signpost where needed
- Being a regular and predictable presence
- Being a strategic presence
- Being part of the ordinary so that if the extraordinary happens you are already there
Market Chaplaincy is about being that presence in the livestock markets. Market Chaplaincy is in many respects very little different in nature from other chaplaincies, except perhaps that its contact group is broader. In a market the farmers, the dealers, the hauliers, the agents, the caterers, the vets and regulatory officers are as much part of the picture as the staff of the markets, and those who operate within them. Through Market Chaplaincy, the team are reaching out far and wide into the very rural, often isolated, agricultural community by means of a central place where many fleetingly come and go, week by week.
Market Chaplaincy teams in Devon can be found in the following markets: Holsworthy, South Molton, Blackmoor Gate, Tavistock, Newton Abbot, Chagford Exeter, Hatherleigh .
Market Chaplains are there to serve everyone - offering a listening ear a friendly presence and practical support through the ups and downs.
If you would like further information, or would be interested in volunteering as a market chaplain, please contact:
Andy Jerrard - Livestock Market Chaplaincy Co-ordinator, 07801 755 732 andy.jerrard@tiscali.co.uk
and for Exeter market b.warren378@btinternet.com