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13
Apr
3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith

By: Karen Webster

church healthy ministry

3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith

 

  • Be contagious in worship by designating particular Sundays to highlight and explore various aspects of health (mental, emotional, physical, relational, spiritual, environmental, and more!).  There are many health-awareness calendars online that can help guide you.  For some examples specific to the United States, click here.  For some international options, click here.  

 

  • Be contagious in educational opportunities by offering health-oriented studies.  Something we have discovered, both in our research and through leading classes in congregational settings, is that there is a general lack of understanding of the body from a biblical and theological perspective, which significantly impacts how we treat our bodies (individually and collectively).  Since Christianity is rooted in the embodiment of Christ, and given current social movements as they relate to body image, body positivity, body shaming, etc., we think this topic is extremely relevant and foundational for congregation health ministry initiatives.  Here are a couple of books that we find to be helpful in exploring this topic:
    • Embracing The Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone, by Tara M. Owens
    • Reclaiming The Body in Christian Spirituality, edited by Thomas Ryan
    • Body: Biblical Spirituality For the Whole Person, by Paula Gooder

 

  • Be contagious in mission and fellowship events.  Does your congregation already provide yoga classes?  Exercise groups?  A food pantry?  Fellowship opportunities?  A lot of times, it is easy to think of these, and similar pursuits, simply as events that take place at the church or ministries supported by the church.  However, many of these activities are already improving the health and wellbeing of the congregation and/or the community.  Therefore, one strategy we want to encourage congregations to consider is exploring and defining a theological basis for health (in your context) and then tying these already existing health ministries into that theology.  Your congregation may find that they don’t necessarily need to add many new programs and/or events; rather, it is simply a matter of being more intentional about the why of what you are doing.

 

Would you like some more ideas?  Have stories about what has been successful in your congregation?  We’d love to hear from you!  Click here to contact us.

Peace,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-founders

* Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

07
Mar
A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*

By: Karen Webster

church education ministry tools

A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*

While January is sort of a let-down month for some people, I, personally, find it to be one of my favorite times of the year. With all of the hopes and possibilities that lie before me, I experience it to be quite energizing! Since, over the last several years, this has paired up with the beginning of the 16-week marathon training plans I began each January, I need all the energy I can get.

This year, however, I chose to take on a different kind of “marathon training plan.”

Rather than physically train in order to run a marathon, I decided to register at the beginning of January for a 15-week intensive online course focused on “Digital and Collaborative Teaching and Learning.” Plus, just to make sure I wanted to commit myself to such an undertaking (one in which I would have never imagined enrolling… kind of like when I signed up for my first marathon), I took a free, one-week online course on “Transforming Digital Learning” and loved it.

In other words, this year, I decided (God called me) to take on the challenge of 16 weeks of intense sitting (or standing) in front of my laptop and persevering through each and every mental “workout” (homework assignment) so that I could become  better equipped to serve in the ministry (vocational marathon) to which God has called me… despite the numerous hours I had already spent in front of my screen due to COVID! 

So how is my training going as I’m about to enter week 7 (almost halfway done)?  My brain and body are exhausted, but I am loving the experience every step of the way… most of the time!

As a result of taking the class, I have found some new favorite ministry tools and resources, and wanted to share 4 of them with you:

Audacity: a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder.

    • Great for creating podcasts.
    • Compatible with Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
    • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.

Canva: featuring a SUPER user-friendly interface, this free resource allows you to create flyers, social media posts, videos, cards, presentations, photo collages, and more.

    • Prior to taking this class, I had used Canva for a variety of different projects, but I hadn’t previously realized:
      • Nonprofits can gain free access to all of their premium features, including amazing pictures and graphics.
      • They have some amazing templates.  If you haven’t taken advantage of those, I highly recommend it!

Padlet: an online digital bulletin board (and so much more!)

    • It is used by teachers, students, professionals, and individuals of all ages and all around the world.
    • It has a free basic plan (more tools and resources require a subscription).
    • It makes collaborating fun and easy, especially because it supports any file type you can imagine, from Spotify Playlists to Excel Spreadsheets.
    • The app is compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, and Kindle.
    • To see Padlet in action, click here and let us know what your newest favorite ministry tool is! 

OpenShot: a free, open-source, easy-to-use video editor.

    • Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
    • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.
  •  

And, another result of participating in my online course “marathon training program” is that, despite my best efforts, I’ve found myself having to be even more mindful of my screen time and lack of movement (again, COVID had already made that challenging enough).

Here are some resources that have helped me address both of these health challenges:

  • 4 Stretches to Combat Too Much Screen Time
  • The Ultimate ‘Deskercise’ Routine: Stretches for the Office
  • Take Five 51 Things to Do When You Need a Break at Work
  • Best Apps for Limiting Your Screen Time

 

Again, since there are so many wonderful tools and resources available for us to use in our various ministries (whether it is serving in churches, nonprofits, as chaplains, or something else), I hope that one or two of these will be helpful for you.  Please take a moment and share your favorites via the Padlet link! 

 

Peace be with you wherever your ministry takes you!

Karen H. Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

* Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

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Recent Posts
  • Health of Seminarians Research Findings Spring 2022
  • Trail Notes Spring 2022: Actively Working Towards Becoming MORE Contagious!
  • 3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith
  • Three recipes for celebrating Earth Day or any other springtime gathering!
  • A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*
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