Mind Body Spirit – August 2018

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Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness
The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter


August 2018, Volume 3, Issue 7


Sharing activities & resources is one way we minister to each other.  
We are seeking colleagues to collaborate in this activity.
If you can create a Word document this is for you.
Want to know more?  Please contact: peggymatteson@cox.net

 

HONORING AND PROTECTING THE TOOL FOR GOD’S WORK

To carry out that which we are called to do God has given each of us a unique tool – it is the physical body in which our being dwells.  We show our respect for this gift by taking intentional care of it.  Preventing or reducing the severity of an illness that we might contract is one way to do this. 

Providing information about the purpose and availability of immunizations for disease prevention is an effective first step for a health ministry to achieve.  Then collaborate with community health services to provide immunization clinics within your building that are open to both the congregation and the community.

This collaboration becomes part of an outreach ministry.  

01-Vaccines.pngAugust is National Immunization Awareness Month and public health departments across the country are promoting the benefit of immunizations.  Vaccines play a vital role in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases in people of all ages and for the community as a whole.  This is explained at

Vaccine Basics, a site for those unfamiliar with the process.   A Toolkit promoting the importance of immunizations is available as a download from the National Public Health Information Coalition.  Supplying printed information, posters, and handouts it can be used throughout the year.      

Updated immunization schedules with the new recommendations for all ages as to and when different immunizations should be given are also available.  Also the Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers educational materials. Your state of local health department may have additional materials.

There are people within every congregation and community who can’t receive some vaccinations.  But when enough people are vaccinated against a certain disease, the germs can’t travel as easily from person to person.  The entire community is less likely to get the disease and those people who can’t get vaccinated will have some protection from getting sick.  This concept is called community immunity or herd community.   Explaining the benefit of community immunity often leads those who can be vaccinated to do so in order to protect both themselves and those around them, “to care for one another”.


SELF-CARE

As we prepare to move into a hectic period of church activities the hymn Come and Find The Quiet Center may offer a reminder to seek moments of peace.  The first verse offers an invitation and then a request for assistance in finding what really matters.

Come and find the quiet center
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.”

02-YogaPrayer.pngThe next two verses encourage us first to journey toward peace and then to bravely return to the world of pain, love and fear prepared to use our sense of strength as we walk with others on their life journeys. (History of hymn) 

The world of pain and fear is the one we minister within every day.  We are better prepared to accompany and support others on their journeys from our own sense of peace.  What a gift Shirley Erena Murray provided when she wrote these meaningful words and then the music was provided by Swee Hong Lim.  More information and materials are available from Hope Publishing.


RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE

Opioids and Your Church: What You Should Know

The widespread misuse of opioids and the resultant increase of opioid overdoses is a Public Health Emergency in the U.S.  There are more than 250 million opioid prescriptions written each year that then lead to the majority of the addiction issues. The summer edition of The Steward published by The Insurance Board offers an article that provides general information about the opioid crises and what to consider concerning Including Naloxone (Narcan) as part of First Aid response in a church

Also see below information about a free webinar on August 15th


RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s: Which Is It?

The terms “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” are often erroneously used interchangeably.  AARP has provided in its newsletter a resource that explains the difference and why it matters. Information and resources are available.

CDC’s Atlas Plus

The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s (NCHHSTP) AtlasPlus has added to the data set five indicators of social determinants of health: poverty, uninsured, less than a high school education, and vacant housing with the data grouped nationally and by state and county; the percentage of population living in rural areas nationally and by state; and the county urbanization level.   Six new HIV indicators, including estimated incidence, estimated diagnosed HIV among all persons living with HIV infection and estimated persons living with HIV infection nationally and by state, and their linkage to care, receipt of HIV medical care, and viral suppression by state.

With the inclusion of this information, we now have the ability to look at the complex, integrated, and overlapping social structures and economic systems that influence most health inequities.  Using the new data, we can gain a deeper understanding of the intersection of social determinants of health and HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB infections within our communities.

Visit the NCHHSTP AtlasPlus website to see how the burden of these diseases involve the congregation and neighborhoods your church serves. Knowing the data enables you to collaborate with public health providers in designing effective prevention programs and interventions.

Continuing Education

Free CE credit for nurses and other clinicians from CDC

In support of improved patient care Medscape, LLC provides online continuing education (CE) approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). 

Selected journal articles that cover a number of topics.  Find relevant topics and meet the continuing education requirements for your nursing license for free.

Free Webinars

Insurance Board Webinars
Register at https://www.insuranceboard.org/online-learning/ 

  • August 8th, 2:00pm (EDT) – Unique Risks – Preventing Sexual Abuse in the School Environment
  • 12th, 2:00pm (EDT) – Trending Risk Management Concerns for Churches

Webinars remain on the site after the initial date and are available for viewing.  Check out some of the ones you may have missed.  They could be helpful in training new staff and volunteers.
     – Preventing and Dealing with Sexual Harassment at Church
     – Sexual Abuse Prevention – policies and training staff
     – Know Your Score! Abuse Prevention Self-Assessment

  • August 15th, 12:00pm (EDT) – Prevention in Practice: Building Communities that Strengthen the Resiliency of Future Generations.

Faith and community groups are getting ahead of the problem of substance addiction in younger generations with smart and proven practices.  In this webinar learn from faith and community leaders about the strategies they are implementing to strengthen the resilience of young people to resist the pressure and temptation to begin using drugs and alcohol.  More information & registration form available

04-NursesConsult.pngConferences

  • 7th – 9th Practice & Presence: A Gathering for Christians in Healthcare, at Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC. More information is available at Duke Divinity School
  • 8th – 10th The Sacred Practice of Caring: Partnering for a Healthy, Hopeful Future. Health Ministries Asso.  Annual Conference and Meeting in Erlanger, KY (Right next to Cincinnati Airport).  Register Now.  HMA Conference Brochure
  • 29th WISE Congregations for Mental Health Conference, Offered by the UCC Mental Health Network.  This one-day conference offers: ways congregations can address mental health concerns, share stories from persons affected by mental health issues, learn practical steps to engage in a mental health ministry, learn about the WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, Engaged) Covenant, and network with those who are on the journey to address mental health challenges.  It is being held at South Congregational Church, UCC, 41 Central Street, Andover, MA 01810.  Flyer and Registration Information
  • 1st – 3rd Widening the Welcome 2018: Living, Learning, Leading offered by the UCC Disabilities Ministries in collaboration with the NY Conference.  Workshops will bring attendees enlightenment in various areas including: Accessibility & Inclusion (A2A), Advocacy, Christian Education, and more.  It is being held at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY.  Registration Open Now.

 

DATES TO PUT ON YOUR PLANNING CALENDAR
Some of these dates provide the opportunity to integrate your health ministry activities with other activities in your church such as advocating for a just wage, working with the building and grounds committee addressing access issues, collaborating with the Christian Education committee regarding the health needs of students with medical or behavioral issues, etc.  

Sept. 2nd       Labor Day Sunday
Health is affected by the place and type of work a person does and the level of benefits and compensation they receive. The UCC provides resources to celebrate Labor Day Sunday, a day to lift up workers and celebrate their contributions.  It is also a day to commit ourselves to improving jobs and our economy so that all workers have wages, benefits, and work hours that allow them to live in the fullness of life – which is God’s intention for each of us.

Sept. 16th      Just Peace Sunday
This year the theme is “Wisdom Cries Out!” based on Proverbs 1:20-33.  Just Peace is not a destination, but a path requiring awareness and constant vigilance to resolve existing and developing conflict in ourselves, our families, our communities, our institutions, and our world. 

Worship, learning, and craft resources are available

Oct. 14th           Access Sunday and Disabilities Awareness Week
An occasion when all the UCC will join together in celebrating the gifts of persons with disabilities and the strides that the church has made in being more whole through being more accessible.  It is also a day that we, the church, acknowledge the journey yet to be taken with our sisters and brothers with disabilitiesInformation and resources available.

Oct 19th-21st  27th Annual National Observance of Children’s Sabbath® Celebration
“Realizing Dr. King’s Vision: Ending Child Poverty” –
Ideas for how to begin conversations with other congregations and community groups so that you might partner together are available.

Dec. 1st                      World AIDS Day – Materials available in October

Dec. 10th                    Human Rights Day – Advocating for all God’s children


QuestionMark.pngFUTURE ISSUES

Have something you want to share with your colleagues?
Are you looking for something to assist you in your ministry?
That which we share with others multiplies immeasurably. 

Contact: Peggy Matteson