CHAPLAINCY The Chaplaincy program at Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton is made up of lay members and pastors of the various churches in North County. Plymouth has several serving as chaplains in this area currently. The chaplains must go through an intensive training program emphasizing the importance of listening, confidentiality, empathy and understanding of patients, their families, doctors, nurses and other staff. Chaplains are there to listen when patients and their families need to unburden themselves, make difficult decisions, endure multiple surgeries, or realize they may not recover from an illness. The chaplain encourages them to talk, not by providing advice, but by helping them ithrough the healing process. They offer spiritual strength and prayers, as life can be very difficult at times. Seeing how other people cope and gain a healthy perspective when they are struggling gives the chaplains an inner strength and helps them to know that God, the loving Presence, is always there.