Essential Chaplain Skill Sets: Discovering Effective Ways to Provide Excellent Spiritual Care

Chaplaincy is an active force in the realm of ministry to a world that is hurting and needing a moment of empathy and an encouraging word of hope. In Essential Chaplain Skill Sets, author Chaplain Keith Evans lays the initial foundations of chaplaincy, its need, what it is, who can be a chaplain, and further develops the cornerstone of skills employed in chaplaincy.

Essential Chaplain Skill Sets is an easy-to-read book that is full of practical tools and resources that chaplains of all ministry settings and experience levels can quickly utilize and master. The four main sections of the book are: 1) The Fundamentals: The Why, What, Who, and How of Chaplaincy, 2) Understanding Spirituality and World Faith Expressions, 3) Understanding Spiritual Needs Assessments, and 4) Bringing the Pieces Together. The fourth section is very practical. It includes eight real-life “verbatim” of chaplain encounters. A list of additional questions have been included at the end of each verbatim that allow readers (individual or in groups) to evaluate how they may have conducted the encounter differently or not.

“What you have with Essential Chaplain Skill Sets is a pastoral practitioner’s guide to proven skills learned through compassionate care and competent practice. Keith is a pastoral clinician sharing out of his own experience and doing his part to assist his pastoral colleagues in congregational and clinical settings and building upon their own art of pastoral care. He is a pragmatic realist and a patient teacher. Thank you, Keith, for this good companion book for those of us on the journey of becoming better clinical pastors.”

Evans draws from his in-depth experience in law enforcement and trauma chaplaincy in creating this primer for chaplains serving in any ministry setting. Evans covers key fundamental concepts for any chaplain to become more effective in their role, as well as discussing spirituality and world faith expressions, and how to master spiritual need assessments. He addresses what chaplains are, how they are engaged, what they look like, and what the initial outcomes can be as a result of their employment. He describes the importance of having well-meaning, devoted chaplains to help people on their spiritual journeys.

In Essential Chaplain Skill Sets, Evans shares well-respected resources and learned lessons geared toward assisting any chaplain of any faith background in any ministry setting.

Chaplain Keith Evans is a graduate of Parker College of Chiropractic, Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and Temple Baptist Seminary. He's a board certified clinical chaplain with specialty experiences in law enforcement and trauma healthcare chaplaincy. Evans is currently a senior manager of Spiritual Care Services for Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona. He's also an adjunct faculty member for Grand Canyon University College of Theology.