Chaplaincy

Guided by our Lutheran ethos, our role is to serve. We draw inspiration from Jesus’ statement where he said of himself that he ‘did not come to be served but to serve ‘ (Mark 10:45).

At Lutheran Services, your wellbeing is at the heart of how we serve. We value your individuality and want you to feel a sense of purpose, safety and belonging. We cherish sharing moments of grace, laughter, hope and joy. As part of this, Chaplaincy services are provided at all our residential aged care facilities and we walk alongside patients in many Queensland Hospitals. Chaplains undertake a journey with you through the good times, as well as the tough times.

Everyone is welcome

Chaplaincy services are available to all residents, of all religious affiliations or world views. As God accepts us in Jesus Christ, so our Chaplains accept and respect everyone as an individual, to be treated with dignity and honour, respect and grace.

Our Chaplains are a mix of ordained Lutheran pastors and lay people, men and women. All Chaplains have undertaken training in pastoral care and support and operate under a formal code of conduct. Chaplains seek to foster a sense of spiritual well-being that seeks to bring meaning and purpose to your life. While our Chaplains live our Lutheran Identity, they do not seek to impose religious views or practices on anyone.

Spiritual wellbeing

We promote the wellbeing of our residents’ body, mind and spirit. Chaplains assist especially in your sense of spiritual wellbeing, helping you to connect your faith and social communities. We do this through:

Providing listening pastoral and spiritual support
Supporting you to develop your own pastoral and spiritual care plan
Supporting you with regular visits, offering one-on-one time together for conversation and quiet reflection
Supporting you to make end-of-life choices, and being by your side and with your loved ones when the time comes
Accompanying you when you celebrate happy milestones and/or grieve losses
Facilitating regular worship services that welcome you and your loved ones
Holding regular devotions or bible studies where everyone is welcome
Supporting your connection with your preferred local religious denomination and facilitating visits and / or worship services with appropriate clergy and volunteers

Lutheran Hospital Chaplaincy

Our Lutheran hospital chaplaincy ministry is run by Lutheran Services for the Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District. The Lutheran Hospital Chaplains lend a listening ear, spiritual support and pastoral care to Queenslanders at major hospitals in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast and Toowoomba.

The hospital chaplains are volunteers who go through an accredited training program to prepare them for their roles. Chaplains can provide comfort and reassurance, they can assist with spiritual guidance and help people to come to terms with the particular challenges they are facing while in hospital and also when they leave hospital. Our Lutheran hospital chaplains make a considerable difference to people’s experience of hospital and their work is highly valued.

“Orana has a wonderful community. And we’re an important part of the broader community. We have a strong connection with the Lutheran community and other denominations. Many of our residents come to chapel on Sundays and to our devotion on Wednesdays. We have a dedicated chapel, which is a beautiful building. There’s a close connection between us all at Orana. It’s all about building bridges and making connections. So we can be there for each other.”

Pastor Michael, Chaplain, Orana Kingaroy

Get in touch

Interested in becoming a Lutheran Services hospital volunteer chaplain? We would love to hear from you.

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