Unique Qualities and Challenges of Faith Community Health Ministry
Explore the unique qualities and challenges of faith community health ministries, emphasizing the importance of role expectations, sharing responsibility, and receiving support from leadership. Learn about the keys to success and the significance of practicing regular self-care in health ministry for sustainable impact.
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Presentation Transcript
Unique Qualities of a Faith Community Health Ministry Health ministry should be seen as being unique to each place of worship, its members, and its neighborhood. When you have seen one health ministry in action at one faith community, you have seen one health ministry in action.
Challenges to Health Ministry Sustainability: Role Expectations Role descriptions Understand your role on the health ministry team People do not want to become involved if expectations are not clear Time limitations for health ministry team increasingly important to our busy culture plan for mentoring, transition in the leadership of your health ministry team Define structures and roles of different people/disciplines
Keys to Success: sharing responsibility Know what you can bring to the table and recognize your limits. Build a health ministry committee or team that shares or delegates responsibilities. A one-man health ministry show is not sustainable. Build upon the strengths and assets that already exist in your faith community.
Keys to Success: Support from Leadership Important to receive support from faith leadership. Without support it is difficult to sustain. Clergy Denominational Find the passionate champions from pew to boardroom. Make a personal connection. Provide leadership with reasons to support health ministry. Provide evidence of the success of your ministry.
Practicing Regular Self-Care in Health Ministry Your health status (i.e. physical, mental, social health) impacts health ministry Do you practice regular self-care? prayer, meditation, exercise, art, etc. Do you maintain balance in various areas of your life (faith, work, relaxation, family, recreational time)? How is your current spiritual life? Provides perspective on your current & future vocation Be engaged in faith work in a healthy way Are you being authentic and maintaining your integrity? Value, respect, & honesty you and others have for people s contributions, gifts, & talents
Evaluation Addresses question: How do we know we are making an impact? Important to measure impact of your ministry Different approach for faith communities Faith community interested in stories & helping people Collecting and reviewing data can help us evolve our faith outreach Rating Your Health Ministry Tool (handout) Tool developed by Wesley s HTS program Tool is to be completed by a faith leader and health ministry leader at initial start up; every 6 months Based on best practices in 13 focus areas for health ministry Helps faith communities to measure their progress in developing/sustaining a health ministry
For more information: Wesley Theological Seminary www.wesleyseminary.edu www.wesleyhts.org Tom Pruski, RN, MAPS Heal the Sick Program Director 202-706-6843 tpruski@wesleyseminary.edu Lesli Vaughan Heal the Sick MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA 202-706-6839 vista@wesleyseminary.edu
