WAKE FOREST, N.C., Feb. 19, 2008 – Corporate Chaplains of America is providing an affordable option for small businesses to provide care and support to its employees through the Community Chaplains of America program.

“Corporate Chaplains of America has been providing care in companies of all sizes for more than 10 years,” said Chris Hobgood, Corporate Chaplains of America vice president of chaplain and project development. “Still, there are so many business owners who don’t have the financial resources to hire a full-time chaplain or who may want to be adequately equipped to care for their own employees. Community Chaplains of America can fill these gaps.”

The Community Chaplains of America program trains laypeople to provide genuine physical, emotional, spiritual and personal care in their communities where they work, rest and play. The creators of Community Chaplains of America have been providing care in the workplace since 1996 through Corporate Chaplains of America. With nearly 100 chaplains, Corporate Chaplains of America serves some 600 business locations around the U.S.

A term not often heard, a “community chaplain” is a person who reaches out to the community by building relationships with the hope of gaining permission to share the lifesaving good news of Christ in a non-threatening way. Community Chaplains of America volunteers are trained never to force this evangelistic message but to only offer it with the person’s consent. The training is modeled after that of Corporate Chaplains of America, which has nearly 100,000 associates under chaplain care and has never encountered a complaint regarding overstepping the faith boundaries of a client.

Training to become a Community Chaplains of America volunteer is accomplished through an Empowerment Kit which provides books, interactive workbooks and CDs for 84 hours of education. Written by seminary-trained corporate chaplains, the resources in the Kit provide step-by-step training on not only how to meet needs of people, but also how to determine one’s best place to serve as a chaplain. The Kit includes a Quick Start Guide, Community Chaplain Handbook, Empowerment Audio Series, Community Chaplain Training Workbook, “Caring Directions” book, “The Compass” book/CD/DVD resource, “Twenty Words That Will Change Your Life Forever” book and “C-Change” audio book.

“Our vision is to have thousands of chaplains serving millions of people by 2012,” said Mark Cress, founder and president of Corporate Chaplains of America. “While community chaplains are not professional counselors, they can offer care to people who may not have anyone else. They can be the light in the darkness for a person in need.”

Upon completion of the training materials within the Empowerment Kit, those seeking to become an official, qualified Community Chaplains of America volunteer are required to be commissioned by their local church, attesting to the person’s character and spiritual belief.

While each individual chaplain is encouraged and given suggestions on a place in the community to serve, business owners can also work with the leadership team of Community Chaplains America to request a chaplain to serve their employees.

Community Chaplains of America began a test phase of the program in the fall of 2007 with several individuals, including a few business owners. Those who have completed the training and are providing care in workplaces have already seen the life-changing effects it can bring to both the chaplain and employees.

Based in Wake Forest, N.C., Corporate Chaplains of America was founded in 1996 to provide genuine "Caring in the Workplace," while following a structured business plan built upon process management principles. The full-time, long-term, career chaplains hold seminary-level or higher degrees and pursue certification through 154 hours of continuing education within the first year of tenure, helping combine workplace experience with professional chaplaincy training. For more information on Corporate or Community Chaplains of America, visit www.chaplain.org.

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