Theological students from , along with clergy and laypersons pursuing , will be able to continue earning credits toward their denominational ordination requirements and/or certification as professional chaplains at National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS). NLCS will now serve as a satellite site to the seminary.
The program offerings will start at 鈥擜 National Lutheran Community in Winchester, Virginia, in the fall of 2016. Participants will gain hands-on ministry experience through supervised learning opportunities as on-site chaplains. The Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE, program is designed to help participants develop self and interpersonal awareness, conceptual knowledge and competence.
鈥淎s one of the few seminaries in the country hosting its own CPE program, we鈥檙e delighted that Eastern Mennonite Seminary is able to offer resources to a growing number of practicum locations鈥攊ncluding The Village at Orchard Ridge,鈥� said , seminary dean. 鈥淭hese hands-on CPE sites offer our students invaluable learning opportunities.鈥�
, who directs the CPE and mentored ministry for the seminary, added: 鈥淣LCS is on the cutting edge of understanding what contributes to a purposeful and satisfying life in retirement, and The Village at Orchard Ridge is an excellent setting for equipping pastors, seminarians and lay leaders for effective ministry to seniors and their families. With the percentage of our population in their retirement years growing every year, it is essential that pastors understand the needs of seniors.鈥�
Based in Rockville, Maryland, NLCS is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America鈥檚 Delaware-Maryland, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Virginia Synods, serving people of all beliefs. NLCS provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. Other communities and services sponsored by National Lutheran include The Village at Rockville in Rockville, Md., The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Va., The Village at Orchard Ridge and myPotential at Home in Winchester, Va., and The Village at Crystal Spring in Annapolis, Md., subject to Maryland Department of Aging approval.