Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness
The Wellness Ministries of the UCC Newsletter
(formerly The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter)

May-June 2019, Volume 4, Issue 4

“The butterfly counts not the months but moments, and has time enough”.  Rabindranath Tagore.  

Spring flowers are blooming, and young emerging plants rise upward to welcome the growth and sustenance summer will bring. This is a season of marking celebrations within the cycle of life: Mother’s Day, commencements, graduations, Father’s Day, marriages, new ventures, joys and sorrows. 

This issue marks another beginning.  We now plan to produce the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis.  The remaining issues for 2019 will be the July-August issue, September-October issue, and the November-December issue.

HEALTH OBSERVATION DATES IN MAY AND JUNE:

MAY:

National High Blood Pressure Education Month

Many health ministries programs and faith community nurses provide blood pressure screening.  These sessions are also an opportunity for education to promote healthy living.  Educational sessions can be offered on selection of blood pressure monitoring equipment and proper technique for obtaining home blood pressure readings.  The Mayo Clinic has a webpage, Get the Most out of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring with helpful tips:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20047889

An inactive or sedentary lifestyle has recently been identified as increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.  During National High Blood Pressure Education Month in May, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is challenging Americans to participate in a national pledge to #MoveWithHeart to help reduce their risk of high blood pressure. NHLBI is asking people to pledge by posting a photo or uploading a video being physically active and using the hashtag. http://www.movewithheartpledge.com/

A fact sheet is available for posting with tips on moving more: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/media/docs/Fact_Sheet_Move_More_508.pdf

Connect here for information on Hypertension risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and living with hypertension: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/high-blood-pressure

Bike Safety Awareness Month 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has information on bike safety tips for parents and kids. There are also videos on bike riding safety, fitting a bike helmet, rules of the road, and Driving Safely.  A bulletin board poster can be downloaded at https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/811557.pdf

National Melanoma Skin Cancer Prevention Month

Prevention and early detection of skin cancer is emphasized as we move into the warmer season with increased sun exposure.  This is the time to help spread sun-safety messages and increase public awareness about skin cancer.  The American Academy of Dermatology is promoting National Melanoma Skin Cancer Prevention Month.  The website includes 18 free educational resources to help others learn how to prevent and detect skin cancer.  You can download these free at this link:

https://www.aad.org/public/spot-skin-cancer/free-resources

JUNE:

Alzheimer’s Disease

Worldwide, 50 million people are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.  The Alzheimer’s Association is asking people to go purple and raise awareness this June. Purple is the official color of the Alzheimer's movement.  People are invited to share a photo on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #ENDALZ or #EndAlzheimers.
https://www.alz.org/abam/overview.asp#goPurple

On the Alzheimer’s Association’s website, you can find educational information and  professionals and support options located near you.  See section of page titled Find Local Resources:
https://www.alz.org/

Men’s Health Month

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.   Consider celebrating Wear Blue Friday, the Friday before Father’s day. Use the on-line Tool Kit to help enhance your outreach efforts.

The webpage http://www.menshealthmonth.org/ also includes a link to the Men’s Health Network, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health awareness and disease prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation. The Free Health Care listed under the Resources Section on the website is a search feature for Free and/or Low-Cost Health Care by state and city location. 

National Safety Month   

The National Safety Council holds National Safety Month each June.  Each week has a focus:

Week 1: Hazard Recognition

Week 2: Slips, Trips and Falls

Week 3: Fatigue

Week 4: Impairment

You can use this month to raise awareness about important safety issues like preventing poisonings;  medication safety and prescription drug abuse; driving, biking, and working safely; first aid and emergency preparedness; preventing slips, trips, and falls.  http://safety.nsc.org/national-safety-month-2019-post-launch

The US Department of Health and Human Services Healthfinder.gov website offers a toolkit for National Safety Month.  https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/JuneToolkit2.aspx  You can sign up to receive free safety materials: http://safety.nsc.org/national-safety-month-2019-post-launch

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IDEAS:   

Speaking of safety – this is a good time to provide educational information about food preparation and safety.  Outdoor picnics and parties may provide opportunity for spoilage and the potential for food poisoning.  Proper techniques for food handling, cooking, and storage are essential for preventing food-born illnesses.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers the Basics for Handling Food Safely.  It also has numerous fact sheets on topics such as Grilling and Food Safety, Handling Food Safely on the Road, Food Safety While Hiking, Camping, and Boating.   Another fact sheet that is helpful for Health Ministries Meal Ministries is titled Food Safety Tips for Home Delivered Meals Program Participants. 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling

DATES ON THE UCC CALENDAR:

May 2019: 

Mental Health Sunday:  The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network invites you to highlight mental health on the third Sunday in May or any Sunday that suits your schedule.  Worship resources and inserts are available http://www.ucc.org/mental_health_sunday_2017  The UCC Mental Health Network Congregational Toolkits are also available:

http://mhn-ucc.blogspot.com/p/congregational-toolkits.html

If your health and wellness ministries committee wants to explore becoming designated by the UCC Mental Health Network process as a WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged) Congregation for Mental Health can be accessed at this link: http://moredomainsforless.com/mhnucc/becomingaWISEcongregationformentalhealth2019ed.pdf

GENERAL SYNOD UPDATE:

Registration is open.  https://www.synod2019.org/en/uccsynod2019

The Wellness Ministries of the UCC will be participating at General Synod 32 in several ways.  Peggy Matteson will be moderating a workshop on the Opioid Crisis Response.  Alyson Breisch will be doing a short presentation about the Wellness Ministries at the General Synod 32 Health Wholeness & Human Service Lunch. Both are participating with representatives of the UCC Disabilities Ministries and the UCC Mental Health Network, and Rev. Sarah Lund in the planning for a quiet room and adjoining wellness-focused space at General Synod.

KEEP CONNECTED:

Visit our FaceBook and Linked-In pages: share information about your health ministries and join in conversations and postings. 

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6951713/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/UCCFCN/posts/

Previous issues of the newsletter: 
Use previous year’s monthly newsletters to aid your search for links to resources on health ministries and wellness topics: http://www.ucc.org/ucc_faith_community_nurse_network_newsletter

Contact us:
Have something you want to share with your colleagues?
Are you looking for something to assist you in your ministry? 
Interested in joining the Leadership Team for the Wellness Ministries of the UCC? 
Let us hear from you.

Contact:
Alyson Breisch and/or Deb Stankiewicz

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness
The Wellness Ministries of the UCC Newsletter
(formerly The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter)

April 2019, Volume 4, Issue 3

APRIL 2019

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare

April surrounds us with its beauty, renewal, and rebirth: a cardinal carrying strands of pine straw for a new nest in a shrub’s deep center; peony and asparagus stalks rising toward the sun; lilac and azalea buds pushing out at the ends of branches; local baseball and softball teams and the “ping” of a metal bat cracking in the air; a fresh garden plot tilled and readied for this year’s plantings; the welcomed births of lambs, kittens, puppies, piglets, calves, and the young of many species; longer days and walks along creeks, forest trails, and open meadows.  You are invited to venture out and see where April is astounding you with its glorious signs of spring.  

TAKE ACTION / SHARE YOUR VOICE:  

Mental Health:

The National Council for Behavioral Health has issued an action alert asking members of Congress to sign a Dear Colleague letter in support of increased funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant in FY20. The block grant is the largest funding stream going to states for substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery systems.

The Council also notes that bipartisan legislation has been introduced to increase access to mental health care. Two bills are currently in process:

1. The Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 286/H.R. 945) would allow marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and licensed mental health counselors to directly bill Medicare for their services. This simple change would immediately increase patients' access to needed mental health care.  You are urged to contact your legislators to cosponsor the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 286/H.R. 945).
2. The Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 824/ H.R. 1767), a bill to extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, has been reintroduced in the House and Senate.

https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/policy-action/write-your-legislators/

HEALTH OBSERVATION DATES IN APRIL:

Autism:

April is World Autism Month and April 2^nd is the twelfth annual World Autism Awareness Day. You are invited to join the pledge to go blue to increase global understanding and acceptance of people with autism by wearing something blue on April 2 in support of understanding and acceptance for people with autism.  On April 2nd, many landmarks around the globe will light up blue! You can purchase a special Autism Speaks Blue LED Colored Light Bulb at stores and join in the event by lighting your home or business BLUE!  A portion of the proceeds on bulbs benefits Autism Speaks.     

http://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-autism-awareness-month

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD):

April 10^th is National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD). NYHAAD is the first annual observance day set aside to recognize the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on young people.  In the United States, 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses were in young people aged 13-24 years.  Despite the disproportionate number of new HIV infections occurring among youth, the percentage tested for HIV is low compared to other age groups. Only 10% of U.S. high school students have ever been tested for HIV.  Infographics and other Resources can be found at this link:  

https://www.cdc.gov/features/youth-hiv-aids/index.html

National Healthcare Decisions Day:

April 16, 2019. :   The purpose of this day is to inspire, educate, and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.   The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care.  Its pamphlet can be downloaded at this link:

http://theconversationproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ConversationProject-ConvoStarterKit-English.pdf

Multiple Starter Kits are available to download and print for free.   Starter kits are available in 14 different languages as well as an audio version in English. 

http://theconversationproject.org/starter-kits/

National Infant Immunization Week 2019 is April 27-May 4, 2019.

This annual observance is meant to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/index.html

Educational materials including videos, infographics, fact sheets and booklets are available: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/partners/childhood/multimedia.html

Immunization Schedules can be downloaded:

• English immunization schedule
• Spanish immunization schedule

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27th

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.  The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.  https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/content/national-take-back-day

The intent is to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. Click on this link to locate a site near you: https://takebackday.dea.gov/    

OTHER APRIL EVENTS:

Earth Day – April 22^nd   This year’s focus: Protect Our Species.  Activities are designed to:

• Educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.
• Achieve major policy victories that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats.
• Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values.
• Encourage individual actions such as adopting plant-based diet and stopping pesticide and herbicide use.

Multiple Toolkits available: https://www.earthday.org/earthdayinabox/

EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:

Westberg Symposium: April 8-10, 2019 in Memphis, TN.  Theme: In These Times: Serving Through Adversity

UCC Insurance board:  Check the website for upcoming and previous webinars. One of the previous webinars, Risk Management for Keeping Youth Safe at Camp, is timely with Youth Camps beginning as we move into the season of summer.

https://www.insuranceboard.org/online-learning/

DATES ON THE UCC CALENDAR:

UCC Earth Sunday:  April 28, 2019    http://www.ucc.org/earth_day_sunday_2019_20190428  

Earth Day Sunday and Easter fall on the same day this year, so faith communities are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day when it makes sense for the individual community. 

The UCC Environmental Justice Ministry joined with the ecumenical Creation Justice Ministries to author and produce reflective materials on generational justice for this Earth Sunday. The 2019 theme is "Next Generation Rising" and focuses on children and youth leading the way for creation justice.    Download a copy of this resource today.

May 2019: 

Mental Health Sunday:  The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network invites you to highlight mental health on the third Sunday in May or any Sunday that suits your schedule.  Worship resources and inserts are available http://www.ucc.org/mental_health_sunday_2017  The UCC Mental Health Network Congregational Toolkits are also available:

            http://mhn-ucc.blogspot.com/p/congregational-toolkits.html

This may be a time for your health and wellness ministries committee to explore the process to be designated by the UCC Mental Health Network as a WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged) Congregation for Mental Health.  The pdf explaining the 10 steps to becoming a WISE congregation can be downloaded from this link:  http://moredomainsforless.com/mhnucc/becomingaWISEcongregationformentalhealth2019ed.pdf

GENERAL SYNOD UPDATE:

Registration is open.  https://www.synod2019.org/en/uccsynod2019

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond, winner of numerous awards for his book which chronicles the lives of several families in the poorest neighborhoods in Milwaukee, will be the keynote speaker at the United Church of Christ General Synod 32 in June. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, a New York Times Bestseller, will also be the subject of the denomination’s 2019 All Church Read.

A Faith-Based Reading Group Guide is available for groups using this book as a Book Club selection:   

https://www.uccfiles.com/synod/2019/Evicted-Faith-Based-Discussion-Guide.pdf

Keep Connected:      

Previous issues of the newsletter:  Use previous year’s monthly newsletters to aid your search for links to resources on health ministries and wellness topics: http://www.ucc.org/ucc_faith_community_nurse_network_newsletter

Contact us: Have something you want to share with your colleagues? Are you looking for something to assist you in your ministry?  Interested in joining the Leadership Team for the Wellness Ministries of the UCC?  Let us hear from you.

Contact
Alyson Breisch and/or Deb Stankiewicz

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness
The Wellness Ministries of the UCC Newsletter
(formerly The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter)

March 2019, Volume 4, Issue 2

“Daffodils that come before the swallow dares and take the winds of March with beauty.”
William Shakespeare

March – the month that heralds the close of winter’s grip and beckons vernal spring’s arrival.  This year, March is also the harbinger and onset of the Easter season.  

March 2019 includes these celebrated days: 

March 5^th is Shrove Tuesday or as it is better known in many locations, Pancake Day.  This day is associated with eating fatty and rich foods that cannot be eaten during Lent. In Pennsylvania - German communities it is called Fasnacht Day (translation: the night before the fast).  Fasnachts are donuts made to use up the lard, sugar, butter, eggs and other rich foods in a house before the austere diet of Lent begins.  Other areas of the country call this day Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. It is the last day of the Carnival season which began on January 6^th, the Feast of the Epiphany (King’s Day).    Churches may host pancake dinners as part of their preparation for Lent. 

March 6^th is Ash Wednesday.  This day marks the beginning of Lent.  It is always 46 days before Easter Sunday.  During Ash Wednesday services, parishioners receive ashes on their foreheads. In many congregations the ashes are prepared by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday as a reference to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 

Lent: March 6 – April 21.  Not counting Sundays, Lent is 40 days in length and marks a time for repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration.  Lent is an intentional season focusing on the life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Sunday, March 10, 2019: Daylight Savings Time: begins at 2:00 A.M. Remember to “spring forward” in the spring and set your clocks forward one hour (losing one hour of sleep). 

Wednesday, March 20^th  is the March Equinox; also called the vernal Equinox:  This year it falls on Wednesday, March 20^th  at 5:58 pm EDT.  It marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  The sun sits directly over the equator so day and night all over the world are of equal length. 

Observe World Water Day March 22, 2019:  World Water Day.  Support various campaigns and check out the water resources provided by Creation Justice Ministries: http://www.creationjustice.org/water.html

Observe Earth Hour 2019 on March 30, 2019: Turn off the lights for one hour to observe how much energy will be saved  if people around the world cooperate with energy saving. Click here to see the impact from years before and how you can get involved.

Living In The Lenten Season:   

Lenten Program Ideas:
Our thanks to First Congregational Church (UCC) Western Springs, Illinois for sharing their  activities planned for Lent:

• Walking the Way of the Cross - This labyrinth walk is held on Good Friday evening. The Passion Story from Luke is read as participants walk a candle-lit labyrinth. The area around the labyrinth is embellished with symbols of the scripture story. Walkers are instructed to stop on the labyrinth each they hear a prayer bell rung. With the ringing of the bell, a section of the scripture is read. Taize music is played during the walk. By the time a participant walks the labyrinth, they have heard the whole scripture story.
• Lenten Devotional - About six weeks before Lent begins, congregation members are invited to submit a personal devotion, poem or story which speaks to a specified Lenten theme. Some examples of themes used are: God Was There, Pray without Ceasing, Sharing the Cross, and We are Pilgrims.  Members of all ages are invited to participate. The pieces submitted are organized into a booklet with each submission being assigned a day during Lent.  Members enjoy the Devotional for daily spiritual reflection and feel more connected to fellow congregants during their Lenten journey.
• Lenten Connection Groups - Congregation members are invited to join small groups of 8-12 led by congregation members trained to lead the scripture reading process of Lectio Divina. It is a way of studying the scriptures using repetitive reading, meditation, reflection and discussion to discern how God is speaking to the individual and the group through selected scripture.

Self-Care:

Moonlight Reflections: A. Breisch

I have had a fascination with looking at the moon since a young age.  In adult life I discovered that I was born on a night of a full moon!  This February the “Super Snow” Moon occurred on February 19th.  It was also called a “Supermoon” because the moon was at its closest point to the earth. In fact, it was the largest, nearest, and brightest full moon of the year.  Gazing up at the moon draws us into quiet reflection.  It reminds us to “look up”.  As noted by Galileo in 1610, “it’s a beautiful and wondrous sight to behold the body of the moon”.            Watch this short video, A New View of the Moon, to see the awe and wonder experienced as Wylie Overstreet invites everyday people to view the moon up-close through a powerful telescope: https://www.mountainfilm.org/media/a-new-view-of-the-moon

A looking up moment: D. Stankiewicz

While working in nursing administration years ago, I would often vent my frustrations to my administrative assistant, Rosebud. She was an especially spiritually mature woman who would respond “Just keeping looking up Deb”. I try to remember to do that each day especially in my work as a faith community nurse.  I am finding it increasingly difficult to endure Midwestern winters.  This winter in Chicago has been particularly bad with unprecedented arctic temperatures and frequent prolonged ice storms. My work visiting congregants requires me to be out in the weather.  Most days I have railed against the winter and fall into the habit of counting the days until it’s over, as if wishing my life away.  Recently, I found myself gingerly driving to visits in the aftermath of a night-long ice storm.  On that day, I looked up in the literal sense.  The sun was shining, but it was still so cold that the treetops were encased in ice!  Voila! Crystals sparkling everywhere I looked in the light of the God-given sun.  The beauty of it was breathtaking and my heart lifted in gratitude for having had a glimpse of it.  I brought that experience into my visits with congregants that day; realizing that coping with extreme climate and helping those I serve also do so, might best be enhanced by focusing on the beauty in every season.

Health Observation Dates in March:

Sleep Awareness Week: March 3-10, 2019.  This is a good topic for health ministries bulletin board displays or newsletter articles.  World Sleep Day: March 15, 2019.  World Sleep Day is held the Friday before the spring vernal equinox each year.  Sleep Hygiene tips can be incorporated into a bulletin board display: 

http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html

Good Sleeper or Bad Sleeper: Dr. Darius Loghmanee, a pediatric sleep medicine physician at Advocate Aurora Health System in the Chicago area, is on a mission to help parents realize that good sleep is a learned behavior made by promoting good sleep habits. He teaches parents and teachers about the science of sleep and the importance of good diagnostic assessment to determine why children have trouble getting good sleep. Poor sleep in children may manifest in symptoms such as emotional outbursts, learning difficulties, and daytime sleepiness. These are some of the same symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Children may be misdiagnosed and medicated for ADHD when in fact they are suffering from Sleep Pattern Disturbance. Medications prescribed for ADHD often worsen the sleep difficulties. A comprehensive diagnostic work-up for behavioral problems should include assessment of sleep pattern and quality to rule out such physical problems as sleep apnea. To learn more about healthy sleep in children and strategies to help children become good sleepers, check out this link:  https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170820/are-good-sleepers-born-or-made

National Nutrition Month:  this initiative focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.  https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month/national-nutrition-month-celebration-toolkit

American Lung Association: Year of Air Pollution and Health 2019: 

During 2019, The American Lung Association (ALA) will celebrate progress in reducing pollution in the air we breathe and highlight remaining obstacles to healthy air for all.  Each month will spotlight the lifesaving importance of healthy air, focusing on different themes such as how air pollution harms health, who is at risk and ways to act to protect our communities.  Their topics may be a resource for Bulletin Board displays, educational articles, or small group discussions. The focus for March is Where Does Air Pollution Come From? The topic for April is State of the Air.  The ALA website will feature resource content each month. https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/outdoor/fighting-for-healthy-air/year-of-air-pollution-and-health/

Educational Happenings:

Healing touch:  Deb S. recently attended the 2019 Healing Touch Worldwide Conference, Being the Healing Bridge: Expanding Spirit Into Practice, in San Diego, California. Over 400 Healing Touch Practitioners gathered to learn how to use personal stories to constructively impact healing work.  The Keynote Speaker, Zelda Lockhardt, MA, PhD, spoke on Building Community Through the Mutual Vulnerability of Shared Stories.  Her latest book, due out this spring, is The Soul of the Full-Length Manuscript. Learn more about this excellent storyteller:   https://zeldalockhart.com/

Religion and Public Health Collaborative at Emory University:  Emory University is conducting an assessment to guide them in the development of a continuing education program for religious and health professionals.  They are asking for input from practitioners in the fields of religion, community-based health programs, and public health.  You may participate in the survey which will take about 15 minutes to complete and is available through the link below:
Religion and Public Health Collaborative Survey   

NOTE:  Deadline to complete the survey is March 15, 2019

Webinar: Tuesday, March 19, 2019:  Free webinar by the Insurance Board: Training Parishioners to Recognize and Respond to the Active Shooter Threat.  www.anymeeting.com/insuranceboard

Connecticut conference: The CT Council of Parish Nurse Coordinators is offering a one-day conference April 3rd, 2019 for lay health ministers and parish nurses. Alyson Breisch MSN, RN-BC will speak about trends in faith community nursing and the revised Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice,3^rd ed. on behalf of Health Ministries Association, Inc.  Reverend Carl Anderson will provide insight on caring for people with dementia. Join us to network with vendors and colleagues promoting the integration of faith and health. click the link for full details:  CCPNC Symposium Health Ministry/ Parish Nursing Trends for 2019 

April 8-10, 2019: Westberg Symposium for Faith Community Nursing. In These Times: Serving Through Adversity. Memphis, TN   https://westberginstitute.org/symposium2019/

Dates for Your UCC Calendar:

Plan Early to Go Green:  One of the UCC’s 3 Great Loves initiative is Love of Creation.  April is Earth Month and the UCC has designated Sunday April 22 as Earth day.   March is the time to plan for your church’s activities focusing on care of creation.

April 22: Earth Day Sunday – UCC Creation Justice Ministries.  http://www.creationjustice.org/earth-day-sunday.html

Keep Connected:      

Previous issues of the newsletter:  Use previous year’s monthly newsletters to aid your search for links to resources on health ministries and wellness topics: http://www.ucc.org/ucc_faith_community_nurse_network_newsletter

Contact us: Have something you want to share with your colleagues? Are you looking for something to assist you in your ministry?  Interested in joining the Leadership Team for the Wellness Ministries of the UCC?  Let us hear from you.

Contact
Alyson Breisch alyson.breisch@gmail.com and/or Deb Stankiewicz debbie@wscongo.org

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness
The Wellness Ministries of the UCC Newsletter
(formerly The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter)

January/February 2019, Volume 4, Issue 1

As we embark into the new year, 2019, there are two important announcements to share with you:

• First, two new editors have been selected to serve in this fourth year of the newsletter. We start this edition with our heartfelt thanks to Peggy Matteson for her leadership and strong editorial skills serving as editor for the first three years.  Deb Stankiewicz, MS, RN-BC, HTCP, Parish Nurse at First Congregational UCC of Western Springs, Illinois and Alyson Breisch, MSN, RN-BC, former Parish Nurse and Director of Congregational Care at United Church of Chapel Hill UCC, Chapel Hill, NC are now sharing the editorial work; we hope that you will continue to support this newsletter and keep in touch with us by sharing information for upcoming issues and feedback. 

• Second, The UCC Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry also has a new name selected by the leadership group: Wellness Ministries of the UCC. This new title reflects the broad dimensions of Health Ministries and Faith Community Nursing activities that promote and support activities of health, healing, and wholeness within our congregations and the communities served. The leadership group chose this new title after discussions about the scope of health, wellness, and healing ministries within local congregations and review of the intent and mission from the Resolution passed at the Twenty-first General Synod in 1997 titled Reclaiming The Church's Ministry Of Health And Healing.  http://www.ucc.org/justice_health_general-synod-21-reclaiming

JANUARY NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES:

1. Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: A common misperception among lay people is that any type of memory loss is dementia and that all dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. In reality, dementia describes a set of signs and symptoms whose etiology is varied. Treatment depends on the etiology. Alzheimer’s Disease is just one type of memory disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Dementia indicates problems with at least two brain functions, such as memory loss, impaired judgment or language, and the inability to perform some daily activities, such as paying bills or driving.”

The burden of Alzheimer’s Disease and related memory disorders on family caregivers is becoming increasingly apparent to Faith Community Nurses.  To be responsive faith community nurses need to be both well- educated about the disease process and have a firm grasp on available resources for patients and caregivers.

Alzheimer’s Association- www.alz.org is a comprehensive, detailed educational resource on disease etiology, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment as well as stages of dementia and dealing with behavioral issues. These pieces are well-written and understandable for lay people. There is an extensive section for family caregivers that provides information on caregiving at every stage of the disease, support resources and caregiver health and well-being. For professionals, there is an extensive research section which details current research progress, available clinical trials for patients and specific instructions for professionals who wish to pursue research grants. This website should be a go-to referral source for any faith community nurse working with patients and their caregivers with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.

2. Cervical Health Awareness Month:

Nearly 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, but the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening (Pap and HPV tests).

With our interest in educating and advocating for increased knowledge of cervical cancer and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) disease, there are resources available through this link: http://www.nccc-online.org/hpvcervical-cancer/cervical-health-awareness-month/

There is also a continuing education series (each viewing awards 0.25 contact hour) you can access here: https://www.medscape.org/viewcollection/34363?src=acdmpart_asha_34363

3. National Glaucoma Awareness Month:

Nearly three million people ages 40 and older have glaucoma and those numbers are projected to increase steadily as more baby boomers move into retirement.  In the early stages, glaucoma has no symptoms, no noticeable vision loss or pain, which is why it is called the “sneak thief of sight.”  Prevent Blindness offers a dedicated web page providing patients and their caregivers with additional free information at https://www.preventblindness.org/glaucoma.

 FEBRUARY NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES: 

1. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month:

• AMD:  there are videos and publications available at this site:  https://nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen
• Resources from National Eye Institute are available in English and Spanish: https://nei.nih.gov/catalog/by-type

2. American Heart Month:

There are many online resources available related to heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, stroke.  One resource that is very comprehensive is the Million Hearts website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  This year’s focus is on young adults.  More younger adults are dying of heart disease, and their rates of risk factors—such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, and hypertension—are also increasing.  https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/news-media/events/heart-month.html

Another resource is The American Heart Association website: https://www.heart.org/

A Different Approach to Heart Health:  Personal Perspective Deb Stankiewicz, MS, RN-BC, HTCP, Faith Community Nurse

As February approaches many faith community nurses will want to plan educational events to promote heart health. Logical approaches are to focus on blood pressure, heart healthy diet and exercise promotion. As important as these are to good heart health, emphasis on them can run the risk of ignoring the mental and spiritual aspects of heart health.  As a faith community nurse, I am always on a quest to find user-friendly ways to better my health. 

What I have learned in thirty years practicing as a faith community nurse is that members will usually embrace that which is at their finger-tips, doesn’t take a lot of time and is easy to use.  I have also learned that through sharing stories of my own experience successfully using a health promotion strategy, members are more likely to try suggested strategy! Peace of mind and spirit are vital to good heart health and self-care in general. Last fall, I came across an article in the Health section of the Chicago Tribune describing an app for meditation, called Insight Timer. The article said it is one of the most popular meditation apps. I started using it first daily and then during the night when I had difficulty sleeping. After several weeks of using it I was not only sleeping better but noticing a difference in mood, a palpable sense of spiritual grounding and eating habits changing for the better.  Four months later, I am absolutely loving using this app which for me has become a daily health habit.

As a follow-up to annual health screening during one-on-one consultations with participants, I introduced them to the app. In the three months since, several members continue to use the app and are reporting health improvements similar to those I noticed. Regular meditation is known to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, to improve mood and to promote neuroplasticity.  You don’t have to be an expert to do Meditation Facilitation or to cultivate your own meditation practice. All you need is a Smart Phone or an iPad on which you can use the meditation app. Did you know there is a standardized nursing intervention named Meditation Facilitation?  Why not implement Meditation Facilitation as part of your February efforts to promote heart health? See my description of the app below and feel free to use it in your newsletters or bulletins as a promo for this heart healthy strategy!

Insight Timer is a wonderful free meditation app which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. It is “the largest library of free meditations on earth”. The app contains guided meditations on a multitude of topics including things such as stress, anxiety, motivation, gratitude and sleep to mention a few. There is also a large collection of meditative music tracks within the app. The user can filter their search by how much time they want to meditate as well as by topic. Educational podcasts within the app can be purchased for a nominal fee but are optional. Check it out!  https://insighttimer.com/

PREPARATION FOR LENTEN SEASON:

This year Ash Wednesday falls on March 6^th.  Lent is often described as a time of prayer, fasting, charitable giving, and service.  Lent is also a time for self-reflection.  Walking offers us an opportunity to be outdoors in nature – either alone or with friends – and make time for quiet reflection.  Many churches invite members to walk a labyrinth or participate in a community Walk to Jerusalem which includes teams cumulatively walking the distance between your faith community’s location and Jerusalem and can also include reflective readings and discussion.                

Begin now to plan for Lenten activities that promote whole-person wellness during Lent. 

UCC GENERAL SYNOD 2019 UPDATE:

Wisconsin is hosting General Synod from June 21 through June 25, 2019.  The theme is “Shine”. 

The Rev. Franz Rigert, Wisconsin Conference Minister notes “When we light just one candle in the darkness, it illuminates dimly, but when many candles are lit, and all let their lights shine, together we can bring brightness to the world.”

Complete General Synod information is now available on the national UCC website: ucc.org/synod

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

The Health Ministries Association Annual Conference will be held October 11-14, 2019 in the Cincinnati area at Erlanger, KY.  The theme is Faith-Based Approaches to Cultivate Healthier Communities.  The speakers and schedule are being finalized.  Watch for registration information to be posted at https://hmassoc.org/news-events/upcoming-conference/

Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing will be held in Memphis, TN April 8-10, 2019.  The theme is In These Times: Serving Through Adversity.  Registration is now open.  https://westberginstitute.org/symposium2019/

Deborah Ringen, a member of our leadership team was recently interviewed by Rev. Kent Siladi, Conference Minister of the Connecticut Conference of the UCC; the webinar focused on health ministry and faith community nursing.  You can view the webinar (32.5 minutes length) through either of these links:

Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/recording/share/eHswMs6hiwnptdPstB6ZUz4AhCD9ClWsMJE2nPe0iRiwIumekTziMw

Facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/CTUCC/videos/364750871004710/

FUTURE ISSUES

Have something “you want to share with your colleagues?
That which we share with others multiplies immeasurably”. 

Contact
Alyson Breisch alyson.breisch@gmail.com and/or Deb Stankiewicz debbie@wscongo.org

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

October/December 2018, Volume 3, Issue 10

A Message of Gratitude

Thank you for the privilege of serving you and your ministries for the past three years ago.  In the fall of 2015 I started gathering information for the first issue of our newsletter “Mind, Body, Spirit – Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness”.   Since January 2016 there have been 30 issues.  (They are archived at ucc.org.)  Thank you to those who shared information to include.  Also, thank you to all who expressed appreciation for this resource.

A call to another facet of health ministry is now unfolding for me.  As a result the Leadership Team is planning that with the January/February 2019 issue a new editor will continue the process of compiling this newsletter.  I will continue to support that ministry.  With prayer for abundant blessings on our diverse ministries,  Peggy Matteson

The Opioid Epidemic and the Role of Your Church

Churches are not neutral bystanders:
what they don’t say is just as important as what they do say.

-A West Virginia pastor

Background information

All opioids are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain.  Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription).  Regular use—even as prescribed by a doctor—can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to addiction, overdose incidents, and deaths.

Substance use disorders affect people from all walks of life and all age groups. About 11.5 million Americans age 12 and older misused prescription pain medicine in 2016 (Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the U.S. 2017).  As the misuse of prescription drugs grew so did the number of people who had to ultimately turn to cheaper and m ore available non-prescriptive opioids.  The use of the illicit drugs heroin and fentanyl has grown exponentially in recent years.  On average 115 Americans die from opioid-related drug overdoses every day.

What can churches do?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognizing that churches are willing to reach out to meet the needs of their families, friends, neighbors and colleagues have developed an Opioid Epidemic Practical Toolkit  that can be easily downloaded.  The toolkit is segmented into seven key areas and briefly covers practical ways you can consider bringing hope and healing to those in need.  The labeled key areas with a brief description are:

1. Open Your Doors – Host or offer space to recovery programs and support groups
2. Increase Awareness – To increase awareness partner with local community health experts to help educate your community about the reality of who this epidemic is affecting. Better understanding leads to compassion which then encourages action.  
3. Build Community Capacity – Offer training programs provided by community partners to train members of the congregation to become peer-recovery coaches, understand where to make referrals, know how to respond in an emergency situation, and provide ongoing support for those in recovery.
4. Rebuild and Restore – Individuals and families when attempting to rebuild their lives. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has identified the four dimensions that support moving to a successful life in recovery as:
   1. Health – overcoming or managing one’s disease or symptoms;
   2. Home – having a stable and safe place to live;
   3. Purpose - conducting meaningful daily activities; and
   4. Community – having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
5. Get Ahead of the Problem – Focus efforts on youth and prevention. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can increase a person’s risk for substance abuse.  Read below more about the lifelong effect of ACEs below and ideas for how a church might assist individuals.
6. Connect and Collaborate - Join local substance-use prevention coalitions to inform, connect, and strengthen your efforts. Review One Voice, One Community: Building Strong and Effective Partnerships Among Community and Faith Organizations.  This guide offers strategies for churches to collaborate with community organizations to address the needs of people living with mental illness, substance use disorders, or both.
7. Utilize Federal Resources – Government agencies have developed many tools that are available free from websites. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other HHS divisions are very helpful.

What is the best way to respond to a person having an overdose?

If there are prescription opioids in your house Naloxone (Narcan) should be there, too.  It is an easy to administer, safe, and effective way to save a life by stopping the effect of an opioid overdose.  Understanding that its use can easily save a life Narcan is becoming available to the public without a prescription. 

In April of 2018 Dr. Jerome Adams, the U.S. Surgeon General stated that carrying and knowing how to use Narcan should become as “ubiquitous as knowing CPR and calling for a defibrillator when someone is having a heart attack, or using an EpiPen when someone’s having an allergic reaction”.   In our churches we support the tools of CPR, a defibrillator, and an Epi-Pen.  It’s time to consider the availability of Narcan.  The Steward, the newsletter of our Insurance Board has a very helpful article in the Summer Issue titled Opioids and your Church: What you should know.  It provides guidelines for a church choosing to include naloxone (Narcan) as part of their first aid program.

SELF-CARE

Who are your Caring “Cs”?

There are five kinds of people that we need in our lives so we may each grow towards our fullest God given potential.  Rev. Nancy Grissom Self has labeled them the Five Caring “Cs”.  

People that comfort us,
People who clarify issues with us,
People who challenge us,
People who collaborate with us, and
People who celebrate with us.

God provides people in our lives who provide one or more “Cs”.  Identify them, celebrate them (even the ones who challenge you) and thank God for each of them.

(Hollies,L., 2006, p. 105).  Learn more specifics about each “C”
in the Appendix of her book Inner Healing for Broken Vessels. 

RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. They may also include household dysfunction such as witnessing domestic violence or growing up with family members who have substance abuse disorders.  ACEs are strongly related to the subsequent development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, including those associated with substance misuse.  The CDC provides an extensive list of resources at  Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Resources.

As more is learned about the causes and effects of adverse childhood experiences, new efforts are emerging nationwide that help families raise healthy children and increase resilience.  The RWJF website: Adverse Childhood Experiences  collection contains resources for churches and communities working to raise awareness about and mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences, and help every child have a healthy start in life.

Sometimes, congregations must back up and start again

If your ministry is no longer achieving its intended impact, it may be time to ask why. Probing a ministry’s purpose and progress may reveal that it’s time to reverse course and start again.   Have you wondered about the ministry you lead, is it still achieving its intended impact?  You may find the article Sometimes Congregations Must Back-up and Start Again written by Dave Odom in the learning resource Faith & Leadership available from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.

Loneliness and Isolation

In the October 7^th, 2018  stillspeaking Daily Devotional – Lonely Hunter, Vince Amlin writes about the study released by the insurer Cigna earlier this year.  The study found that loneliness and isolation have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S.   Loneliness (also known as subjective isolation) is how people perceive their experience and whether or not they feel isolated.  Isolation is a growing health epidemic.  More than 8 million adults age 50 and older are affected by isolation. The health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. 

We speak of being a church family or a church community.  Our opportunity to worship and fellowship together develops connections between individuals.  We can assist in reducing the isolation of individuals by:

• Addressing transportation challenges
• Addressing health issues such as hearing loss, mobility impairments and supporting chronic disease self-management
• Identifying life transitions, role loss or change as times of risk and offering options
• Addressing social barriers with intergenerational programs, lifelong learning events, and identifying opportunities for individuals to engage and contribute
• Increasing access to a variety of community based programs

RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

New edition of Manual on Ministry is now available

After a four-year process of discernment and conversation, the newest edition of the UCC Manual on Ministry is now available to support Committees on Ministry in the work of authorizing and overseeing ministers of the 21^st century Church.

The role of the Manual on Ministry (MOM) in the United Church of Christ is to serve as a living guide, a grounding perspective, and a resource for shared expectations in the essential ministry of Committees on Ministry. The 2018 edition of the Manual on Ministry is the work of the Habakkuk Group, a 17-member committee called together by the Ministerial Excellence, Support, and Authorization (MESA) Team to write the vision of authorized ministry in the 21st century and to make it plain for the United Church of Christ.  You may order the new edition of the Manual on Ministry from UCC Resources: $25.00. Shipments of pre-orders will begin in mid-November.

If you seek to become an authorized minister of the UCC with a focus on a ministry of wellness, (this is now an opportunity in place of the former formal commissioning process) this guide provides the steps to follow.  It is recognized that what we do is ministry.  The Committee on Ministry of your Association guide you in the discernment of your role in ministry and the steps that are to be followed on that journey.  

Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Progress and Opportunities.

New articles in the ANA Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) discuss aspects of these determinants in clinical settings.  Of special interest to our various practices are:

• Child Poverty, Toxic Stress, and Social Determinants of Health: Screening and Care Coordination
• Mobile Traveling Healthcare Teams: An Innovative Delivery System for Underserved Populations
• A Nurse-Led Intervention to Address Food Insecurity in Chicago

If you are an ANA member you may log in now to read them.   As of January 31^st the topic will be available to all viewers.

7 States Now Report Obesity at or Above 35%

The CDC released new data on self-reported adult obesity prevalence for all 50 states.    The 2017 Adult Obesity  study found that obesity prevalence ranged from a low of 22.6% in Colorado to a high of 38.1% in West Virginia.  Adults with obesity are at an increased risk for many serious health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and poorer mental health.  Children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity.  

Turning the tide on obesity will take a comprehensive by all parts of society.  To protect the health of the next generation support for healthy behaviors such as healthy eating, better sleep, stress management, and physical activity should start early and expand across the lifespan.  There are many evidence-based resources available through the Health and Human Services (HHS) websites that will guide your choice of programing.  

A resource that provides a new perspective is the site  Weight of the World – Connecting individuals through the power of the personal story.   There are several resources here that haven’t appeared elsewhere.

Monthly Announcement of Mental Health Resources

Mental Health First Aider eNews is a bi-weekly newsletter that provides news, updates, and useful resources.  Previous newsletters are posted at  https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/first-aider-newsletter/#

Mental Health First Aid Blog is available at: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/news-and-updates/

Conferences and Meetings

Jan. 23-27     Creating Change Conference – Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.  Presented by the National LGBTQ Task Force.  More Information and Registration

March 18^th     2019 Refresh Your Soul Conference Living Well with Purpose at Xavier University Cintas Center.  For more information contact Jeanne Palcic at jpalcic@erslife.org

June 18-20^th  National ONA Gathering, Milwaukee, WI

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.

Dec. 1^st   World AIDS Day – A day to honor those who have died and re-commit to ending the AIDS epidemic. Worship materials are available on the UCAN pages of the UCC.org website.

Dec. 10^th   Human Rights Day – Advocating for all God’s children.
Search the UCC.org site using the words Human Rights Day to find a liturgy to use in worship, an Intercessory Prayer as well as stories of the actions the UCC and other denominations have taken to advocate for human rights for all.

Jan. 27^th   Health and Human Services Sunday

June 21^st – 25^th   UCC General Synod, Milwaukee, WI

FUTURE 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

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

September 2018, Volume 3, Issue 9

Sharing activities & resources is one way we minister to each other.  
Volunteers are needed to continue this newsletter.
If you can create a Word document you can do this.
Orientation and sites for resources will be provided.
Please contact: peggymatteson@cox.net

PLANNING FOR HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

This is the time of the year when we are coordinating with other church staff the variety of activities that will occur between the middle of November and Epiphany, the first weekend in January.  There may be plans to expand visitation activities, go caroling, share gifts such as bake goods or plants, support to those who find the holiday period difficult, or are affected as the darkness of night before the winter solstice.

How do these activities interrelate relate to a ministry of health?

• Are there people in your congregation who will be spending Thanksgiving alone because family members or close friends aren’t around?

Organize a “church family” Thanksgiving dinner at the church.  This isn’t a soup kitchen meal.  It is a church family potluck where the church supplies the turkey and attendees bring their favorite Thanksgiving food item.  The various food items brought to share in turn leads to the sharing of memories from past Thanksgivings.   The tasks of set-up, cleanup and distribution of leftovers are shared just as they would be within any family gathering.  This event also supports families who are facing the holidays after the death of a loved one, people new to the church and community, and those who have a family member who has to work so no dinner is happening at home, etc.

• Is there a cookie exchange planned?

Suggest that each package be labeled with a complete list of ingredients so the chance of allergic reactions is reduced. 

• Are food items being taken as Advent gifts to the home-based or those in residential facilities?

Review the list of recipients and offer guidance if you are aware of any dietary limitations.  Authentic caring shows when the item given is something the recipient can safely eat.

• Will flowers, small plants or pieces of pine be shared?

Suggest the selection of items that have no or extremely low levels of fragrances, other wise the recipient may have to remove them from their room or home.

• Are trips for caroling being planned?

During the winter months contagious illnesses are common.

Plan ahead and call individuals in their homes and residential facilities to receive permission for a visit.  Explain to the listeners you will not be coming in.  Explain to the singers why you will not be having close contact with their audiences.

• How are you supporting those who find Advent a difficult time?

Collaborate with the pastor in offering a special service.  The most common services are either “Blue” Christmas or The Longest Night. 

- A  ‘Blue” Christmas service focuses on recognizing that for a variety of reasons many of us do not feel the joy that is advertised in the media and expressed by others.  This is especially true if a person has experienced the loss of a loved one or other tragedy.  The service validates the pain, emptiness, or loss that may be felt, supports the person in using healthy means to bear it, and most importantly provides a reminder that God is still present. 

- The Longest Night service is generally held the evening of the winter solstice.  This is the longest night of darkness in the year.  After that date the time of daylight increases each day until the summer solstice in June.   The symbolism of the light returning may be addressed in within a variety of themes. 

- A church may offer a service focused more on one or the other of these themes, however many combine them.   Since congregants across a variety of faith communities experience these feelings, within a community one or more churches may collaborate in offering a service to which the whole community is invited.  Resources may be found by searching the web using Longest Night service or Blue Christmas.

SELF-CARE

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118: 24

In the entire history of the universe let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today.  There will never be another one just like it again.  Each new day is a gift from God, offering new grace and new opportunities.  This day will be gone before you know it, so rejoice in what each hour provides whether it be for an activity or rest.

RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE

• Holiday Fire Safety

Holiday activities present an increased risk of fires.  They often involve cooking, Christmas trees, candles and decorations.  Holiday Fire Safety and Talking Points provides some preventive steps.  Following simple rules most fires can be prevented.

• Changing Misperceptions to Create a Healthier Community.

During the Advent holidays we see attendance at our services and other activities increases.  This provides an important teaching moment that could start conversations that positively affect a whole community by reducing isolating tensions and mistrust.   Jesus of Nazareth had a darker complexion than we often see depicted.  It was not unlike the olive skin common among native Middle Easterners today.   As a Jew, Jesus was part of an ethnic minority.  He was a refugee.  He was poor.  He knew the pain of being a member of an ethnic group whose culture and religion were marginalized by those in power. 

What might change if we were more mindful that the person we celebrate during Advent was a Middle Eastern Jew?   Using accurate images of Jesus might lead us to thinking more inclusively of all those in our community.  We can then “delight in the magnificent array of shade and shape, of culture and context, of personality and purpose and give God thanks for it.”  (John Dorhauer)  With intention, openness, and awareness we can then move beyond the illusion of separateness.  Honoring our human commonalities we can start to heal ourselves and our community. You may read more in an article in Christianity Today titled Why Jesus' Skin Color Matters. and a number of other articles on the web.

• Spiritual Practices that Re-orient the Shopping Experience.

For millions of people around the world, December means going shopping for family, friends, and others.  However, the activity of shopping can create feelings of anxiety, indecisiveness, and sometimes even guilt.   The article Spiritual Practices for Shopping – 20 ways to make shopping a richer and deeper experience suggests intentions and prayers to integrate into your shopping experience.  When used they slow your level of activity and refocus your mind, bringing you to a place where you nurture yourself while making important choices.  Provide the list to the congregants and discuss how they have been able to integrate these spiritual practices and how it has affected their shopping experiences.

• What Individuals Can Do to Respond to Sexual and Domestic Violence

Recently the public has been made more aware of or drawn into exchanges about sexual and domestic violence.   After learning the extent of the problem the question is often raised,  “How can I effectively intervene when I suspect that someone is a victim?”  

The Faith Trust Institute has a list of 18 suggestions in a document titled: What Individuals Can Do with links to further resources.  Also connect with you local domestic violence prevention organization and learn what workshops they offer for church and community groups. 

• Caring responds when life happens

CVS and Hallmark cards have collaborated in developing helpful one-page guides that share ideas for how to be supportive of people we care about. 

They are titled:

- Reaching out when someone Looses A Loved One

- When someone is Battling Cancer

- Awareness of Mental Illness

- If a friend or loved one is undergoing a Medical Procedure or Treatment

Look for them in a rack located beside the Hallmark cards that you might be looking at if a friend or family member was experiencing one of these situations.

RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Moral Courage, Moral Distress, Moral Resilience

Moral resilience has been defined as “the capacity of an individual to sustain or restore their integrity in response to moral complexity, confusion, distress, or setbacks” (Rushton, 2016a, p. 112a).   Most individuals experience moral distress due to employment situations, activities of social or community organizations, and/or actions and activities within their church.  Moral resilience is a health promotion factor to foster in ourselves as well as those we serve.

No matter our practice roles and specialties ethical challenges, uncertainty, and distress arise from conflicts among competing values and obligations.  Upholding our professional commitment to individuals and communities requires significant moral courage and resilience. It involves the willingness to speak out, whether alone or collectively, to do what is right.  Download A Call To Action Report: Exploring Moral Resilience Toward a Culture of Ethical Practice.  It provides guidance in how to respond to moral distress and further develop moral courage and moral resilience.  Additional articles are available on the American Nurses Asso. website Ethics in Healthcare: Nurses Respond

• Why Faith Matters in Ending Gender-Based Violence

Faith is fundamental to ending gender-based violence.  Through the Faith Trust Institute website there is access to a section titled Why Faith Matters that offers educational videos that assist survivors, advocates, groups in faith communities, and allies explore the role of faith and religion in addressing and ending domestic and sexual violence. 

Some of the featured videos are:

• Keeping the Faith - How to Respond to Domestic Violence in Your Faith Community
• Battered African American Women: An Examination of Gender Entrapment
• Batters: What Does Accountability & Forgiveness Look Like?
• What to Do If a Registered Sex Offender Comes to Your Church
• The Role of the Faith Community in Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse

A wide variety of other specific topics are also available.  Each one could be used to stimulate a group discussion after viewing.

• Keep Safe the Haven of Your House of Worship

The Insurance Board is a nonprofit corporation established by the participating Conferences of the United Church of Christ.  They provide very helpful resources free of charge.  The Steward, their quarterly newsletter provides relevant articles that can guide us as we strive to ensure the safety of all who enter our facilities.  The Steward Issue Archive lists the titles of articles in the 50 past issues and provides links so they are easily accessible for use.

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.  

Oct. 14^th                  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 disabilities.  Information and resources available.

Oct 19^th - 21^st      27^th 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.

Nov. 11^th              National Donor Sabbath
Donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation professionals participate in services and programs to educate the public about the need for the lifesaving and healing gifts passed to others through transplantation, while also encouraging people to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donors.

Materials are available

Dec. 1^st                 World AIDS Day – A day to honor those who have died and re-commit to ending the AIDS epidemic. Worship materials are available on the UCAN pages of the UCC.org website. Additional teaching resources are also available at https://worldaidsday.org

Dec. 10^th               Human Rights Day – Advocating for all God’s children.  Search the UCC.org site used the words Human Rights Day to find a liturgy to use in worship, as well as stories of the actions the UCC and other denominations have taken to advocate for human rights for all.

FUTURE 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

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

September 2018, Volume 3, Issue 8

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

Shining a Light on the Violence Around Us

October provides the opportunity to join community groups in shining a light on a commonly occurring type of violence.  Domestic violence affects young and old, people of all economic classes, people of all nationalities, religions and races.  Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over the other partner.  Domestic violence includes behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish or force them to behave in ways they do not want.  It includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse and economic deprivation.  These different forms of domestic violence/abuse can be co-occurring at any one time within the same intimate relationship. 

In the U.S. physical abuse occurs frequently.

• 1 in 3 women experience sexual assault or domestic violence at some point in their lives
• 1 in 6 men experience sexual abuse before the age of 18
• Every 10-12 seconds a woman is battered by her significant other or husband.
• Every minute more than 1 woman reports being raped in this country. Keep in mind that this number is low because most rapes are not reported.
• 65% of victims who come forward say no one helped them.
• 3 to 4 women are killed by their lovers or husbands every day.

When we neither talk about domestic violence nor lift the victims up in prayer we are by omission supporting this violence, a violence that many abusers justify with selected quotes from the Bible. 

By presenting information in our newsletters, on bulletin boards, and through programing we acknowledge this violence exists and supportive assistance is available.  The variety of resources provided below will enable you to broaden the understanding of people in the congregation and the community at large.

Many Helpful Resources

• The FaithTrust Institute is led by Rev. Marie Fortune, a UCC minister.  The website offers resources that will facilitate programing for Domestic Violence Awareness Sunday and other services.
• Worship Resources for Domestic Violence Awareness SundayCompiled by Yvonne DeVaughn (PDF)
• Liturgy for Domestic Violence Awareness Month Submitted by COSROW members (United Methodist Church of Wisconsin) – PDF
• Prayers for the Faithful and Domestic Violence Awareness Liturgy(Archdiocese of Chicago) – PDF
• Remembering Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse(Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence Network) – PDF
• Liturgy for Healing from Abuse for Women(The Liturgical Commission of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) - PDF
• Across the country during Domestic Violence Awareness Month families and friends of victims gather to remember and honor the loved ones who have lost their lives at the hands of a person they once loved and trusted. Often faith communities and community organizations that assist victims work together to offer a joint service of prayer and remembrance.  The publicity surrounding these events let those currently in relationships where possessive and controlling behaviors exist learn that there are people and programs available to help them.

• NO More
  With a goal of working together to end domestic violence and sexual assault the NO MORE website provides:  Know the Facts, Supporting Survivors, How to intervene and Bystander training programs.  This training prepares a person to intervene appropriately when active abuse is encountered so that the abuser will not punish the victim later.  There is also a link to locate local organizations.  Education materials are available through local groups.
  

• Take A Stand Against Domestic Violence is a request to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) as well as throughout the year.  By taking a stand we remind the nation that there are countless people - victims and survivors, their children and families, their friends and their communities – that are experiencing spiritual, mental and physical challenges as a result of domestic violence.  Standing up and explaining the extent of the violence is the only way to stop it. Materials to share are available

• The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers a Social Media Toolkit DVAM, 2018 that provides online resources, sample social media posts and shareable visual content.

• Organize a Clothesline Project
  The Clothesline Project is a visual display of shirts with graphic messages and illustrations that have been designed by women survivors of violence or by someone who loves a woman who has been killed. It originated in Hyannis, MA in 1990 when a member of the Cape Cod’s Women’s Defense Agenda learned that during the same time 58,000 soldiers were killed in the Vietnam War, 51,000 U.S. women were killed by the men who claimed to love them.
  
  The purpose of the visual display is to increase awareness of the impact of violence against women, to celebrate woman’s strength to survive and to provide an avenue for each one to safely and courageously break the silence that often surrounds her experience by making a t-shirt for display.

• Domestic Violence Hotline
  Publicize The Domestic Violence Hotline1-800-799-7233, 1-800-787-3224 (TTY), 1-800-799-7233 (Spanish).  This is a safe site that provides information and support 24 hours a day to those in an unsafe relationship and those who wish to help them. Information is available in English, Spanish, and many other languages.

SELF-CARE

RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE 

• Faith Communities are Saving Lives with Training in Mental Health First Aid.
  More and more faith communities are bringing Mental Health First Aid trainings to their members in order to increase understanding about mental illness, raise awareness and save lives.  There are two courses available: Adult Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid.  Read two explanations of how Mental Health First Aid training prepared a congregation and a pastor to become more knowledgeable and compassionate.

• Donate Life
  November is National Donor Month with one Sunday designated as National Donor Sabbath.  115,000 men, women and children await lifesaving organ transplants.  Another person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes.   22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time.  The site Donate Life provides information, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and provides a way to register to become a donor.   The donation of one person’s organs may save up to 8 lives.  A donation of corneas restores sight to 2 people.  A donation of tissue could heal the lives of 75 people.
  
  Jesus was a Donor writes Dwight Lee Wolter in a recent UCC Daily Devotional.  “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” (John 15:13)  He explains we can lay down our life for our friends after our death through organ donation.  He suggests a way we can lay down our life for our friends before our death is through blood donation.
  
  National Donor Sabbath is observed annually two weekends before Thanksgiving. During National Donor Sabbath, faith leaders from many religions, donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation professionals participate in services and programs to educate the public about the need for the lifesaving and healing gifts passed to others through transplantation.  Materials are available from the site above and your local State Team Leader of Donate Life.

RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Continuing Education

Online courses

• Healthy Boundaries 101 (2018)
  Offered by the FaithTrust Institute this online course Healthy Boundaries 101 (2018) begins October 15^th, 2018.   This five-week course allows participants to examine the complex roles and situations of ministry in a thoughtful, reflective way.  This course will equip clergy and spiritual teachers (FCNs, pastoral counselors, child/youth pastors, classroom teachers and lay leaders) in understanding the importance of healthy boundaries in ministry and to critically discern the complexities of boundaries in pastoral relationships.
  
  Week I: Live session introduction; Power, Vulnerability, and Healthy Boundaries
  Week II: Dating, Friendships and Dual Relationships
  Week III: Transference and Touch Boundaries
  Week IV: Emerging Issues in Maintaining Healthy Boundaries; Personal Needs and Self Care
  Week V: Final Assignment

• Learn about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) (Free Continuing Ed.) Did you know that Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is the most deadly tick borne disease in the U.S.?  Each year, 3,000-5,000 cases of RMSF and other spotted fever rickettsioses are reported in the U.S. including 5-10 deaths and substantially more severe cases.  Effective treatment is available, and severe and fatal cases of RMSF can be prevented through early recognition and treatment.  The CDC has developed a toolkit with resources that can be used to make your parishioners more aware of these ticks and the effective of early treatment.

Free Webinars

• Insurance Board Webinars
  The Insurance Board has provided a number of free webinars to assist us in our work with other staff, church leaders, and the congregation as a whole.  Webinars remain on the site after the initial date and continue to be available for viewing.
  
  Connect through this link https://www.insuranceboard.org/online-learning/

Conferences

• Sept. 29^th 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
• Nov. 1^st – 3^rd 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. 16^th                   Just Peace Sunday

This year the theme is “Wisdom Cries Out!” based on Proverbs 1:20-33.  A Just Peace falls within the realm of our health promotion activities because it has a positive effect on all involved.  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. 14^th                        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 disabilities.  Information and resources available.

Oct 19^th - 21^st            27^th 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.

Nov. 11^th                    National Donor Sabbath

Donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation professionals participate in services and programs to educate the public about the need for the lifesaving and healing gifts passed to others through transplantation, while also encouraging people to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donors.

Materials are available

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

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

FUTURE 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

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.  

August 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.”

The 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 8^th, 2:00pm (EDT) – Unique Risks – Preventing Sexual Abuse in the School Environment

• 12^th, 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 15^th, 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

Conferences

• 7^th – 9^th Practice & Presence: A Gathering for Christians in Healthcare, at Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC. More information is available at Duke Divinity School. 
  

• 8^th – 10^th 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
  

• 29^th 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

• 1^st – 3^rd 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. 2^nd       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. 16^th      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. 14^th           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 disabilities.  Information and resources available.

Oct 19^th-21^st  27^th 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. 1^st                      World AIDS Day – Materials available in October

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

FUTURE 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

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness

The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter

July 2018, Volume 3, Issue 6

You are invited to join the
UCC Faith Community Nursing Leadership Team. 

This offers the opportunity to network with other
Faith Community Nurses (FCN)
and discuss how we may grow health ministries.

 Participation includes a 1-hour conference call each month and
contributing to other activities that interest you.

Want to know more?
Contact: Alyson.breisch@gmail.com or peggymatteson@cox.net

HEALTH MINISTRY PROGRAMS and the UCC WELCOMING MINISTRIES

 “…it is futile to attempt to heal the body without addressing the
emotional and spiritual dimensions of the person.”
-Paul Tournier, physician & theologian 

The four denominations that joined together to form the UCC each brought with them with a tradition of providing ministries of health and healing by and for members of their congregations and the communities they served.  These health ministries, in addition to praying for others, offered whole-person healing for people across the lifespan by concurrently addressing physical, mental, and spiritual health needs. 

Healing is the process of integrating the body, mind, and spirit to bring about wholeness, health, and a sense of well-being, although the … disease may not be cured (Faith Community Nursing, ANA/HMA, 2017, pg. 87).   As faith community nurses (FCNs) we continue the tradition of promoting health as wholeness within the faith community, its groups, families, and individual members.

Collaborating with UCC Welcoming Ministries

Feeling welcomed and accepted in a community has a major affect on a person’s health and well-being.  Through a Health Ministry we can lead a congregation into understanding that some individuals do not feel welcomed into our faith community or have encountered physical barriers that prevent their full participation in church activities. 

The three UCC ministry groups listed below provide resources explaining the steps to take to become more welcoming.  Each of these ministries has a specific focus, whereas a Health Ministry Team has an on-going whole-person focus.   

Collaboration between those interested in attaining one or more designations as ONA, A2A, or W.I.S.E. and the FCN led Health Ministry Team focused on spiritual health, mental health and physical health brings the welcoming ministries into an already established program within the congregation and will have a synergetic effect.

LGBT Ministries of the UCC

Since 1969 members of the UCC though LGBT Ministries have been affirming civil rights for LGBT people.  The Open and Affirming (ONA) movement for full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and same gender loving (SGL) persons continues to spread throughout all aspects of our denomination’s life and witness. The UCC Open and Affirming Coalition provides leadership and resources to support local churches and other settings of the church in every stage of their ONA journey.

Ten million American adults identify as LGBT and approximately 2.4 million of them are over 50 years of age (Gallup Poll, March 2017), The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has designated sexual and gender minorities as a health disparity population.   Being able to locate safe, supportive health care is often difficult.  We support health and well-being by providing individualized health promotion information and when asked, providing referrals to supportive providers.

Resources available on-line:

• UCC LGBT Ministries
• UCC LGBT Resources
• Open and Affirming materials
• How to Become a Welcoming Church resources

UCC Disabilities Ministries (UCCDM)

The UCC Disabilities Ministry (UCCDM) encourages and support local churches to become Accessible to All (A2A) in all aspects of their lives: buildings, worship, education, fellowship, and service in order to proclaim God’s word to all people.  There are two steps for a congregation to become A2A. The first is completion of the Church Building and Program Accessibility Audit. The second is to complete the A2A checklist. 

As FCNs we know of some of the challenges experienced by individuals with disabilities and the physical, spiritual, and social effect it often has on their families.  We are skilled in interviewing and then collaborating in the development of a plan of care with the person to address identified issues.  These skills are helpful when participating in the two steps to achieve A2A designation as well as in the ongoing assessment of ever changing needs.

Resources available on-line:           

• How to Become A2A provides a Church Building and Program Accessibility Audit as well as a Complete the A2A Checklist
• Any Body, Every Body, Christ's Body
• UCCDM Facebook page

The UCC Mental Health Network (UCC MHN)

The UCC Mental Health Network (UCC MHN) works to reduce stigma and promote the inclusion of people with mental illnesses/brain disorders and their families in the life, leadership and work of congregations. 

Nurses in all practices care for individuals who are experiencing mental illness/brain disorders.  As in the general population 1 in 4 of us have had a personal experience and all have been involved in advocating for and providing supportive care to friends or family members.  Our experience, knowledge, and empathy aid us in supporting and advocating for the health and well-being of individuals and their families experiencing mental illness/brain disorders.  We assist in reducing the stigma associated mental illness/brain disorders by providing congregants with accurate information and role modeling supportive behaviors.

Resources available on-line:

• Becoming a W.I.S.E. Congregation (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged for Mental Health) Toolkit

Other materials are available from UCC Resources such as:

• Mental Health - A Guide for Leaders
• Blessed Are The Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family and Church by Sarah Griffith Lund

SELF-CARE

As you enjoy this summer season may you be blessed:

   May the sun
   Bring you new energy by day,
   May the moon
   Softly restore you by night,
   May the rain
   Wash away your worries,
   May the breeze
   Blow new strength into your being,
   May you walk
   Gently through the world and know
   its beauty all the days of your life.

        Apache blessing

RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE

Spiritual Assessment

Our goals in learning a person’s spiritual and religious beliefs include: (1) to assess level of spiritual distress, (2) to enable a response that draws on their strengths, (3) to provide care that is within their beliefs, (4) to assist with finding inner resources for healing and acceptance, (5) to identify spiritual or religious beliefs that could govern their treatment choices, and (6) to identify if a referral is needed.

There are more than 25 spiritual assessment tools from which to choose. Each helps to start a conversation and we can learn about an individual’s perspectives.  Select the one you feel is most relevant to your practice. Below are three that have a mnemonic that organizes and facilitates the progression of the conversation.

• SPIRIT
  • S – Spiritual belief system
  • P – Personal spirituality
  • I – Integration with a spiritual community
  • R – Ritualized practices and restrictions
  • I – Implications for care
  • T – Terminal events planning

More information is available at Maugans TA. The SPIRITual history. Arch Fam Med. 1996;5(1):11-16

• FICA
  • F – Faith, Belief, Meaning – things that help a person cope with stress and bring meaning to life.
  • I – Importance and Influence – How belief affects self-care.
  • C – Community – Role of a spiritual community in a person’s life.
  • A – Address/Action in Care – Preference in how to address their concerns

More information is available from The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health

• HOPE
  • H - Hope – What provides hope?
  • O - Organized religion – Is one in a community? Is that helpful?
  • P - Personal spirituality/practices
  • E - Effects on health care needs and end of life choices

Source of information: Anandarajah G & Hight E. Spirituality & Medical Practice: Using the HOPE questions.... Arch Fam Physician. 2001; 63(1):81-89.

RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Mental Health Benefits of Religion & Spirituality by Laura Greenstein.

Both religion and spirituality can have a positive impact on mental health. In some ways, they provide the same impact. For example: Both religion and spirituality can help a person tolerate stress by generating peace, purpose and forgiveness. But benefits also vary between the two due to the differences between spirituality and religion.  Download article here.

Continuing Education

Webinars 

Insurance Board Webinars are Free

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

• August 8^th, 2:00 (EDT) – Unique Risks – Preventing Sexual Abuse in the School Environment
  

• 12^th, 2:00 (EDT) – Trending Risk Management Concerns for Churches

Webinars remain on the site after the initial date and are available for viewing.  Some of the relevant ones you may have missed:

• Best Practices for Allowing Offenders in Your Congregation: Recommendations.
• Preventing and Dealing with Sexual Harassment at Church
• Sexual Abuse Prevention - policies and training staff
• Know Your Score! Abuse Prevention Self-Assessment

Conferences

• 7^th – 9^th Practice & Presence: A Gathering for Christians in Healthcare,
  Duke Divinity School,
  Durham, NC.
  More information is available at Duke Divinity School.

• 8^th – 10^th The Sacred Practice of Caring: Partnering for a Healthy, Hopeful Future.
  Health Ministries Association's Annual Conference and Meeting
  Erlanger, KY (Right next to Cincinnati Airport).
  Register Now.  HMA Conference Brochure
  

• 29^th - WISE Congregations for Mental Health Conference,
  UCC Mental Health Network. Being held at:
  South Congregational Church, UCC, 41 Central Street, Andover, MA 01810.  
  Registration opens soon.

• 1^st – 3^rd - Widening the Welcome: Living, Learning, Leading
  UCC Disabilities Ministries. 
  Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY.   
  More information to follow.

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 group over access issues, Christian Education committee, etc.  

Sept. 2^nd    Labor Day Sunday

A person’s health is affected by the type and place where they work and the benefits and compensation provided. Information will be available on the UCC.org website this summer.

Oct. 14^th     Access Sunday and Disabilities Awareness Week

Oct 21^st     Children’s Sabbath – Observed across all major religious groups.  Link to activities and worship materials will be available in October.

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

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

FUTURE 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

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness

The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter

June 2018, Volume 3, Issue 5

Update: The UCC.org website has been redesigned.
The Faith Community Nurses web pages are at UCC.org/nurses.

Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness – A Serious Health Issue

• Since 1990, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded studies of the effect of religious involvement and spirituality on overall health. These have shown that religious affiliation is a positive factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.   Whether it occurs because religions promote care of the body or is due to other reasons has been debated.

• Subsequent research identified benefits gaind from attending formal religious services and/or from participation in other church group activities. Being with others in a common provides opportunities for social support, a protective factor that provides higher levels of health and well-being and decreases the risk of illness and death. (Levin, J., 2001. God, Faith and Health: Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection. NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). 
  

• In 2010 the results of a survey conducted for a consortium of AARP and its partners indicated that loneliness, as well as actual or perceived social isolation are associated with an increased risk for early mortality and may be a greater health risk than obesity and as destructive as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness Among Older Adults: A National Survey of Adults 45+.  (An overview of the findings, the full report, and a one-page info-fact sheet are available on this site.)   Subsequently a mega-analysis of research with more than 3.7 million individuals ages 45 and older found that greater social connection is associated with 50% reduced risk of early death.  More information may be found in these reports Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality and So Lonely I Could Die  (APA presentation August 2017)

• In early 2018, Cigna was concerned about loneliness not just as a societal problem but also as a health matter, sponsored a study of 20,000 Americans from Feb. 21^st – Mar. 6th. Data was collected using the Cigna Loneliness Index that was developed from the UCLA’s Loneliness Scale. The higher the higher the score achieved the greater the indication of loneliness. The findings reported by the 20,000 Americans have implications for our practice:
  • 46% reported sometimes or always feeling alone and 47% feel left out.
  • 43% feel their relationships are not meaningful and that they are isolated from others
  • Only 53% have meaningful in-person social interactions on a daily basis.
  • Adults ages 18-22 are the loneliest generation and claim to be in worse health than older generations
  • 40%of adults over age 65 reported being occasionally lonely
  • Social media use alone is not a predictor of loneliness.
  • Getting the right balance of sleep, work, socializing with others and “me time” is connected to lower loneliness scores.

• A useful self-assessment tool. Want to evaluate your social isolation risk or perhaps offer the tool to others? A simple tool to evaluate an individual’s isolation risk, as well as other resources are available at Connect2Affect

What can we do?  Loneliness and perceived or actual social isolation has become a public health issue at the epidemic level among Americans and it is having a negative effect on our health. 

• How does your church encourage fellowship?
• What activities are offered that interest different age groups?
• Are people able to get to church activities? Are rides organized between individuals or provided by other means?  What public transportation services are available?
• Can an individual with mobility difficulties safely enter and navigate the building? If individuals have hearing or vision difficulties are there ways they are discreetly accommodated?  

Resources are available at UCC Disabilities Ministries

Additional suggestions are provided in Combatting the Epidemic of Loneliness in Seniors

What has your faith community done to address the isolation and loneliness of adults within your congregation?  

Please share your ideas with peggymatteson@cox.net

SELF-CARE

A gentle reminder that we are not asked to solve all the problems of the world, we are just to continue to do our part:

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. 

Do justly now.  Love mercy now.  Walk humbly.

You are not obligated to complete the work,

but neither are you free to abandon it.

The Talmud

RESOURCES FOR OUR PRACTICE

Important Update on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why

• In March 2017 a television series 13 Reasons Why was released on Netflicks. The program was based on a novel that documents events leading to the suicide of a fictional female teen.  Health care professions expressed concern that the idealization of suicide might increase thoughts of self-harm among vulnerable viewers.  The findings of two studies indicate this might have happened.  After the show’s release there was a 19% rise in Google searches using the phrases “how to commit suicide”, “commit suicide” and “how to kill yourself”.   The increase in online searches for ways to commit suicide and the strong possibility of contagion in suicidal thinking is impossible to ignore.

Netflix is now showing 13 Reasons Why Season 2.   Because of concerns voiced about Season 1 this season at the beginning of the first show the cast members came out of character and talked about depression, suicidal thinking and how to get help.  All adults interacting with teens, particularly vulnerable teens should be aware of the availability of Season 2 and the impact it may have on suicidal thinking and behavior.   More information and some resources are available at https://13reasonswhy.info

In the U.S. 1 person dies from suicide every 13 minutes. There are more than 25 attempted suicides for each suicide death.  Before the release of 13 Reasons Why Season 1 more than 17% of high school students had seriously considered suicide, more than 13% had made a suicide plan, and more than 8% had attempted suicide.   Those numbers have now increased so we must provide information and open lines of communications.  Suicide prevention information is available at SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Responding to the difficult question.

• A ministry with people who are often experiencing heartbreak, grief, fear of the future, etc. often leads them to question, “Is there really a God”? In the UCC Daily Devotional of May 19^th  Marchae Grair explores a possible answer to the age old question, Does God Exist?

Preparation for Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters

• The natural disasters that we experience in various parts of our country vary but all require the same general type of preparation. The site  Plan ahead for disasters provides the variety of information we need to be ready.  Information on some of the specific events are: hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, and volcanoes.  In addition the site provides a video: Six Things to Know Before a Disaster. 

Thank you to Deborah Ringen MSN, RN-BC, Faith Community Nurse at the Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, CT for providing this link.

Infant and Toddler Nutrition

• A new CDC website Infant and Toddler Nutrition brings together existing information and strategies on developing healthy eating patterns for babies and toddles, from birth to 24 months of age. 

RESOURCES FOR OUR ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Continuing Education

On-line Free Continuing Education credits

The CDC is now offering free continuing education from MMWR and Medscape.  One of particular interest to us for health education is the new Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults 19 years and older available at https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/894540

Webinars

Insurance Board Webinars are Free

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

• August 8^th, 2:00 (EDT) – Unique Risks – Preventing Sexual Abuse in the School Environment
  

• 12^th, 2:00 (EDT) – Trending Risk Management Concerns for Churches

Webinars remain on the site after the initial date and are available for viewing.  Some of the relevant ones you may have missed:

• Best Practices for Allowing Offenders in Your Congregation: Recommendations and Best Practices.
• Keeping Campers Safe
• Risk Management for Keeping Youth Safe at Camps
• Preventing and Dealing with Sexual Harassment at Church
• Sexual Abuse Prevention- policies and training staff
• Know Your Score! Abuse Prevention Self-Assessment

From UCC Open and Affirming Coalition

Register at  https://openandaffirming.org/ona-webinars/

• July 10^th , 7:00 pm (EDT) Trans Family

Families with children who fall outside of the binary gender spectrum are struggling. Many of them hide, afraid that their child or their entire family will be bullied if the world finds out. Too many families find that their faith communities, extended family, or friends reject them. This webinar will offer some practices and ideas to help churches re-examine their youth ministries and policies, and expand on some methods congregations can adopt to support families while maintaining confidentiality. It will also provide information on how to support parents and help them adjust when their family dynamic changes.

• June 26^th, 7:00 pm (EDT) ONA and the BIBLE

ONA and the BIBLE helps congregations respond to the eight verses of scripture commonly used to argue that same-sex relationships are "sinful," but also shows how the Bible can be foundational for a healthy ONA process.

Conferences 

• June 18^th – 21^st Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing Conference, Indiana Wesleyan University – School of Nursing, Marion, IN. For more information go to Nursing Innovations

• July 19^th – 22^nd Infusing Hope in Nursing: A Christian Perspective, at Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA.  For more information go to Nurses Christian Fellowship International Regional Conference
  

• 7^th – 9^th Practice & Presence: A Gathering for Christians in Healthcare, at Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC. More information is available at Duke Divinity School.

• 8^th – 10^th 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

SOME DATES ON YOUR UCC CALENDAR

Some of these dates provide the opportunity to integrate health ministry activities with programming of other ministries. 

June 24^th   Open and Affirming Sunday
Learn more and download resources                                   

June 27^th    National HIV Testing Day
Religious Leaders and HIV Testing has information about how we religious leaders can lead by example to end AIDS.

Sept. 2^nd     Labor Sunday
A person’s health is affected by the type and place where they work and the benefits and compensation provided. Information will be available on the UCC.org website this summer. 

FUTURE 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