Support for Clergy Spouses

If you are a Clergy Spouse in the Diocese of Rochester, then this page is for you.

Rochester Clergy Spouses Network (ROCS Connect) exists to provide opportunities for clergy spouses to get together in a variety of settings to give both informal and more intentional opportunities to share both the joys and sorrows of being married to a clergy person.

On this page you will find information on:

Challenges facing clergy spouses
How the ROCS network can support you
Forthcoming events
Other support available


Challenges facing clergy spouses

Many people have spouses whose work impinges on family life - shift workers, those whose work takes them away from home for days or even weeks on end, those whose work is especially physically or emotionally demanding, but being married to a clergy person has particular and peculiar demands all of its own.

  • Not only is the family home often also a workspace (again, common to many) but there may well be the expectation that it is also a church meeting space, where hospitality is assumed and boundaries with family life can be hard to maintain.
  • There may also be totally unfair or unrealistic expectations of some towards your own involvement in parish life and ministry.
  • We live in an age where the vast majority of clergy spouses have careers of their own, where men and women are being ordained much later in life and so clergy spouses also have very different and varied involvement, if any, in their partner’s ministry.

Inevitably this means that there is also a huge variety of expectations on how the Diocese responds to and connects with those clergy spouses.

 

How the network can support you

Throughout the year we organise walks, pub meals, an open house for tea/coffee and retreat days.

If you would like to receive the regular email update about events, please contact Margaret Wooding Jones on: margaret@woodingjones.net

You can also view our forthcoming events in the section below.

 

Forthcoming events

Living with SEND in the Vicarage Zoom gathering on Monday, 12th February at 8pm.

This is the second time we will be gathering in this way and anyone who may be interested is most welcome.  Those who attended last time were all deeply encouraged and enjoyed the time together, hence another opportunity to connect.

If you are interested, please email the Clergy Spouses Network Lead.

 

Other support available

Even if you do not have the time or interest to be involved in ROCS Connect, the following resources may be useful to you:

Counselling Provision
The Diocese is committed to the well-being of clergy and their families and appreciates that from time to time private, independent counselling may be a helpful resource for clergy, their spouses and, where appropriate, their children. The Diocese is committed to providing up to six sessions free of charge to you. This is a completely confidential service. You may access this facility by visiting the Your Wellbeing pages of this website.
The Clergy Support Trust
The Clergy Support Trust is a charity that helps serving and retired clergy and their families across the UK with well-being support (grants for holidays, retreats, respite breaks, sabbaticals), mental and physical health (providing help with diagnostic tests, mobility aids, insomnia programmes and free counselling referrals) and any other unexpected financial crisis such as car repairs or high energy bills.  They may also be able to help with debt problems. The majority of grants are non-means-tested.
Visit: www.clergysupport.org.uk, call 0800 389 5192 or email grants@clergysupport.org.uk
St Luke’s For Clergy Wellbeing
When psychological or mental health issues are causing problems for you or a family member, we can offer help.
We can help with a range of services which St Luke’s for Clergy Wellbeing can fund up to specific limits.
In the first instance visit www.stlukesforclergy.org.uk
Clergy Family Network
Clergy Family Network is a new, national organisation set up to support Clergy households recognising that every Clergy household is unique but all share similar challenges. CFN offers practical and spiritual support to individuals and seeks to be a united voice for Anglican clergy partners and children. Visit www.clergyfamilynetwork.co.uk for more information.
Facebook groups
Mr & Mrs Vicarage and Clergy Spice are just two amongst many that you may find helpful along with our own ROCS Connect private Facebook group.
Sheldon – heart & soul for ministry

Sheldon Retreat supports people in ministry at times of stress/crisis and with resources for ongoing wellbeing. Spouses and partners are eligible on an equal footing. For retreats and other good space, including family holiday weeks see www.sheldonretreat.com/visit.

One to one support is available on private retreats and R5 weeks. A home from home run by an experienced lay community who understand something of the joys and strains of living in a clergy household.

The Sheldon Hub is a free, confidential online space with forums for peer support and a growing reference library of useful resources. Register now for the day you may need it – because both role and email are validated for security the easiest way for spouses to join is an introduction from an existing member but other routes are available. www.sheldonhub.org

Please email Margaret Wooding Jones if you require validation.

The Eggbeer Trust

The Eggbeer Trust has two lodges in Dartmoor National Park providing free holiday accommodation for clergy and their families; unsurprisingly, they get very booked up but can be contacted here: www.eggbeertrust.org.uk/

 


Key Contacts

Margaret Wooding Jones

Clergy Spouses Network Lead

Get in touch

 

 
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