We are familiar with the idea that the Church has been provided with a healthy mix of gifted people who, through the Spirit, powerfully accomplish the work Christ sets out for us in His Kingdom. We understand the metaphor of the Body of Christ, with each member playing a unique role in the health of the system and all having equal value. At BetterIt Workplace Chaplains, we have come to understand that one of the parts of the body is the Ears!

God gifts the Church with chaplains, the Ears of Jesus. You know of these people in your own local church...

• They listen when you share your heartfelt needs and fears.
• They have time for you to tell your whole story.
• They are not a friend for a season, but for a lifetime.
• They actually follow through when you float the “let’s get together for coffee” balloon.

When you meet with these members of the Body, you experience being seen, being heard and being known. You experience God’s love because the Ear of Jesus is with you, His attention is on you, He is the third person on the conversation. Praise God for his good gifts!

However, beloved Church, now is the time to release these Ears of Jesus to fulfill their missional destiny! While they have served the Body well, these people were made to operate as chaplains, representing Christ to those outside the Church. They have been practicing their gift in the congregation, now they need to be mobilized into the world of business. 

BetterIt Workplace Chaplains is looking for God-made chaplains in order to place them in companies where they serve as part of the employee wellness programs. Our chaplains come from all backgrounds but have one thing in common - God made them to do this work. They have the unique gift of being able to love a large number of diverse people over a long time. They join our team and set aside a few hours a week to go into a company near their home, building relationships with the employees and supporting them.

4 Essential Gifts

Here are the four essential natural gifts that we have identified in God-made chaplains. We take anyone with these gifts, train them with skills, help them count the cost and mobilize them into workplaces across Canada.  These four essentials are presented as a challenge for us to stretch into each day.

1. On Mission

Your whole being is entwined in the Love story of God for His Creation. Love is the invitation, the motive, and the message.

2. Gifted

You were uniquely created to love many different people for a long time. You have a capacity to love the marginalized, the outcasts, the unloved.

3. Empowered

You experience God working through you in the lives of others. People experience God’s love when you are present and attending to them.

4. Called

You are drawn to the joys and challenges of loving people outside the church. You are responding in faith to an opportunity from God with the support of your faith community and loved ones.

God-Made Chaplains

Does your heart swell with excitement as you read these challenges? Could you be a God-made chaplain, ready to be mobilized into the workplace? Can you hear the call of your Creator? Are you the Ear of Jesus?

If this is you, please reach out to me, Chris Morris, here: cmorris@chaplains.ca

*This article was originally published in September 2022, and has been updated & republished with permission. 

Chris Morris is the National Director for BetterIt Workplace Chaplains. Chris graduated from SFU with a BA in English Literature, and he has a Masters in Applied Theology from Regent College. After pastoring in Burnaby and then teaching overseas, Chris, his wife Lindly, and their two girls returned to the Lower Mainland to join Corporate Chaplains Canada, which is now BetterIt Workplace Chaplains! While at Regent, he first heard of workplace chaplaincy and became intrigued at showing Christ’s love for people in the middle of their own life stories at work.