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Congregational Health Ministries

   The United Methodist Church understands health as:

• A dynamic state of well-being of the individual and society.
• Holistic wellness, which is physical, mental, spiritual, economic, political, and social.
• Being in harmony with each other, with the natural environment, and with God.

   John Wesley, in his book Primitive Physick and in his sermons, established for today's United Methodists the interconnectedness of health with spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. As a church, we continue to claim and build on that understanding. Today, the Health and Welfare Ministries of the General Board of Global Ministries resources the promotion and development of holistic congregational health ministries.

   Most health problems are related to lifestyle and are preventable. Research on the immune system and other studies on what keeps people healthy have identified the following important factors:

• Hope (a spiritual energy that activates the human will).
• Religious belief and faith in a higher power.
• Meditation and prayer.
• A sense of meaning and purpose in life.
• Belonging, a sense of connectedness to others (individuals and small groups) and community.
• A sense of responsibility.
• A positive self-image.
• Touch and love.

   These are spiritual factors and traditional areas for church involvement in the lives of its members and community. The church can empower people to take responsibility for their health by making positive lifestyle changes. A transformation that is deeply rooted in an enduring spirituality will lead to healthy behavior and thinking.

   We believe the human body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a sacred place consecrated by God's presence. People who believe that the body is a gift and the dwelling place of God will treat it with great care.

   Holistically healthy people become other-directed rather than self-serving. Loving and serving others are close to the heart of the United Methodists and our Christian understanding of wellness. Churches have an historic tradition of caring and reaching out, especially to the hurting and the marginalized.

The Congregation

   Local churches can help address the need for more appropriate and accessible health care services and the inadequacy of our health care system. More importantly, the church can bring a holistic perspective to a community's understanding of health: one that integrates body, mind, and spirit in congregations and communities, promoting prevention and wellness. The church, therefore, is a strategic place where all elements of health and healing can be discussed. Here people can learn and be nurtured.

   The church is the only community-based organization that is found in virtually every community in this country. It is able to reach people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds, and it can strongly influence people's values and personal life choices. Because the church is generally more integrated into the life of individuals and communities than our modern medical establishment, it can better enable people to assume responsiblity for their own health.

Models of Congregation-Based Health Ministries

   Four basic models of congregation-based health ministries have emerged over the past 15 years. They have provided effective structures for the development of congregation-based health ministries. Each emphasizes holistic health for the individual as well as the community. The models are not mutually exclusive. They are presented here separately for ease of description.

• Health Minister:
  A professional health caregiver on the church staff who provides services to individuals and groups
• Lay Counselor:
  A trained volunteer who serves as an advisor on health education and promotion for individuals and groups
• Healing Congregations:
  Congregations that engage in a holistic health program
• Participatory Health:
  A group in need that analyzes its problems and develops its own solutions

   While each model performs a different function and requires various resources and structures, all four models follow a similar pattern of development:

• Initial interest can come from a variety of sources--the Health and Welfare Committee, the pastor, individuals who have professional interest or who were inspired at a conference.
• A committee is established for developing and assisting with programs, promoting the congregational ministries, and supporting personnel.
• A needs assessment is performed, using input from the persons to be served.
• A strategy is developed.
• An assessment of resources (funds, materials, personnel, partners) is completed.
• Key leaders are identified to implement the program.
• An event is held to enlist congregational support and participation.

   These ministries can also be carried out cooperatively with other churches, health agencies, and institutions in the community.

For more information:
Health and Welfare Ministries
General Board of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Church
475 Riverside Drive, Room 330
New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212-870-3869; FAX: 212-870-3624
E-mail: hwmin@gbgm-umc.org
Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/health/

One model of a health minister is a parish nurse. A parish nurse is a registered nurse with additional preparation in holistic ministry who assists members of the congregation to become more aware of their health and to move toward a fuller sense of wholeness. Parish nurses are health counselors and educators, community resource liaisons and facilitators.

Parish nurses engage in the following ministries:

• Visit church members in their homes or hospitals.
• Provide counseling on health-related issues.
• Make referrals to community resources and assist in obtaining needed health services.
• Help members understand the relationship between body, mind, and spirit.
• Assist members in adapting to important lifestyle changes.
• Teach classes on how to maintain good health.
• Provide nursing services across the life span.
• Provide health screenings.
• Develop support groups within the church.
• Train and coordinate congregational volunteers.

Parish nurses are not expected to provide patient care in the church or at a patient's home. They are a source of referrals for the services available in the community. They coordinate existing services and supplement them with a holistic dimension of health and caring.

Parish nurses are ministers of health and members of the church staff. A parish nurse program can operate in several different ways. There may be one church with a full-time or part-time paid nurse, several churches supporting a nurse, or a team of volunteer nurses. Sometimes the parish nurse is related to a hospital or clinic, which may pay some of the nurse's salary.

 

More About Parish Nurses

The following links to other web sites will open in a new window.

• International Parish Nurse Resource Center
  International Parish Nurse Resource Center at Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries
  475 East Lockwood Avenue
  St. Louis, MO 63119
  Telephone: 314-918-2559
  Fax: 314-918-2558
• Parish Nursing: Basic Online Preparation Course
  Kris L’Ecuyer, RN, MSN
  Director of Nursing Continuing Education
  Saint Louis University School of Nursing
  3525 Caroline Street
  St. Louis, MO 63104-1099
  Telephone: 314-977-8975
  fax: 314-977-8949
  Email: lecuyerk@slu.edu
• Parish Nursing Team of New York Annual Conference, United Methodist Church
  Email: woodcockr@wcsu.edu
• What Is Parish Nursing?
  National Episcopal Health Ministries
  10 West 61st Street
  Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
  317-253-1277, Ext. 17
  Fax: 317-766-0569
  Email: jeandenton@aol.com
• Local Links

Parish Health Ministry of Episcopal Retirement Homes, 3870 Virginia Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45227, 1-800-835-5768, Contact- Mary Ellyn Pusz- mpusz@ERHINC.com

Mid-Ohio Valley Health Ministry Council – Contacts: Carol White- cwhitern@gmail.com , Irene Atwater- atwater@1st.net

Sherrie Hoffman (Marietta Christ UMC)- 1-740-373-1512

Lenora Leifheit (Meigs Cooperative Parish) 1-740-992-7400

Genesis Congregational Health Program- Contact: Carol Howdyshell- Chowdyshell@genesishcs.org

The Heinrich Center for Wellness Ministry and Education (United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio)

Church Partnerships & Mount Carmel Health (Columbus, Ohio)- Contact: Rebecca Madine

 

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