January 11, 2021
It is impossible to write about the nature and quality of our connections with one another in ACPE without acknowledging the significant strain in our civic life, made plain last week on Epiphany, when a violent mob stormed the Capitol while both houses of congress were receiving the electoral college votes.
The Foundation for ACPE Service Awards Committee invites you to nominate someone for recognition of outstanding contributions or service to ACPE.
Welcome to 2021! We are very excited for the new year and the hope that comes with it. As the pandemic changed a lot, we are grateful for your continued pursuit of excellence in our ACPE accredited programs and to working together with the ACPE Accreditation Commission.
Once a month the ACPE Professional Ethics Commission (PEC) posts a couple of statements from our Code of Professional Ethics for ACPE Members
We invite all ACPE Certified Educators who are working with Educator Candidates to join us for informal consultations and conversations via Zoom in 2021. The drop-in meeting (no RSVP required) will take place on Mondays, beginning from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Eastern time.  
ACPE rolled out a new Salesforce database, website, and SharePoint sites in 2020. Join John Roch, Director of Communications & Technology, and Carl Jones-Reid, Technology Specialist for a Tech Talk ACPE on January 12, 2021 at 2:00pm or on January 15, 2021 at 11:00am.
The Glaz-Plummer Plenary Address for the Annual Conference 2021 is proudly presented May 10, 2021 by Emilie M. Townes Dean and distinguished professor of Womanist Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
Take the Survey to Explore the Impact of COVID-19 on the Delivery of ACPE Spiritual Care Education
In Case You Missed It
Thank you to the participants of the 2020 salary survey. The survey results are posted on ACPE’s SharePoint site. You can access ACPE’s SharePoint site by visiting www.office.com, and signing in with your “ACPE.EDU” email address. 
The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling Vol. 74, No. 4, is now available online. ACPE is a proud sponsor of the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling (JPC&C). To access the journal, you will need to sign into the ACPE website.
Based on feedback from educators, students, and staff, we developed an updated how-to guide for students enrolling in a CPE unit. The guide is also posted on the website for future reference.
The ACPE SIP Program offers trainings to help mental health practitioners work more competently with spirituality in the context of psychotherapy. The 30-hour NBCC-approved continuing education curriculum is a specialty training for persons who have previous training in psychotherapy.
Weekly Highlights
This Week's Reflection
While this is a season of resolutions, perhaps it is best used as a season of contemplation, of reflection, of musing about possibilities. This poem invites us to take time, perhaps by a fire or bundled for an outdoor stroll. Either way, it is an invitation to turn from the cacophony of the moment to listen deeply and faithfully:
Winter Is the Best Time
by David Budbill
Winter is the best time
to find out who you are.
Quiet, contemplation time,
away from the rushing world,
cold time, dark time, holed-up
pulled-in time and space
to see that inner landscape,
that place hidden and within.
David Budbill, "Winter Is the Best Time" from While We've Still Got Feet. © 2015 by David Budbill. 
Reflection on 2020 may be a difficult exercise for many. While there are years of emotional processes to consider, there is also the “stuff” of 2020. Take a look at this reflection on the things that were a part of our 2020 lives: 

This Week on the Calendar
January 12
Baptism of Lord Jesus (Christianity)
Although Eastern Christianity celebrates the baptism of Jesus at Epiphany, Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate his baptism by Jean the Baptist on the following Sunday. This day is also the beginning of ordinary time on the liturgical calendar.

January 13
Maghi (Sikhism)
Maghi is the day in which Sikhs commemorate the martyrdom of the Forty Immortals, followers of Guru Gobind Singh, who were all killed while fighting a Mughal army. On this day, many Sikhs gather in Muktsar, India, the original site where Gobind Singh blessed the martyrs and cremated their bodies. Sikhs visit their places of worship (gurdwaras) and listen to hymns (kirtan).

January 14
Makar Sankranti (Hinduism)
Seasonal celebration marking turning of the sun toward the north.

January 18
Feast Day Sultán (Bahá’í)
The Baha’i calendar has nineteen months, all named after attributes of God. Sultán is the Arabic word for Sovereignty. The word "feast" suggests that a large meal will be served, but that is not necessary for a Bahá'í Feast. The use of the term "feast," in this case, means that the community should enjoy a "spiritual feast" of worship, fellowship and unity.
This Week in our Thoughts
  • No news to report

Visit the ACPE Memorials and Milestones page for more details. Please email webmaster@acpe.edu to add someone to our thoughts.
CAREER & RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES
La Crosse, WI
This position is full time, working with our Hospice patients and families.

Clearwater, FL
The Morton Plant Hospital Association Inc. has opportunities available for residents.

Educational Opportunities
ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education
ACPE is the standard for spiritual care and education. Our diverse membership includes Certified CPE Educators, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapists, Spiritual Care Professionals and Practitioners, Pastoral Counselors, Chaplains, Faith Communities, and Seminaries. Our multi-disciplinary, multi-faith, multi-racial community of professionals provides education, connection, and formation through continuing education, networking, and leadership development.
 
ACPE is the premier, Department of Education recognized, organization that provides the highest quality CPE programs for spiritual care professionals of any faith and in any setting. We do this through a rigorous accreditation and certification process for centers and educators that provide CPE.
 
The depth of our training enables students to realize their full potential to strengthen the spiritual health of people in their care as well as themselves.
 
ACPE members are actively engaged in a wide variety of professional development activities including communities of practice, conferences, spiritual care research, and informal networking. We are more than just an association: we are a movement committed to the transformation of the human suffering.Our opportunities for formation and community enrich our member's work of healing and transforming people and communities in the US and across the globe.