These goals are accomplished through experiential means, with much emphasis placed on presenting verbatim accounts of pastoral visits, recording significant learning incidents, preparing pastoral case studies, examining worship and preaching, small group interaction, and individual supervisory sessions. While didactic input and required reading may be utilized, they are of less importance than the exploration of the meanings of experiences of pastoral care. Functions Chaplains are, first of all, spiritual caregivers. Their primary job is to see that those within their congregations receive spiritual care. In order to accomplish this task, however, chaplains function in a variety of roles.
Many institutions provide their residents with worship services.
Chaplains conduct worship in a chapel or other worship spaces and, where indicated, on wards where there are residents who cannot attend otherwise. Other religious rituals will also be offered by chaplains, according to the needs of the residents. As staff members, chaplains frequently serve as members of one or more treatment teams, acting as an interpreter to the staff of the religious ideation and spiritual orientation of patients. Spiritual assessments may be included in the institution's overall plan of holistic health care, and chaplains provide these for the benefit of the residents and staff. Chaplains are included on many institutional committees, such as quality assessment, hospital ethics committees, research, professional library, and employee wellness.