Getting Started

Start simple.

Tailor your health ministry to the needs of your parish community.

Parish Nurse(ing)

1. Parish Nursing is fairly new….started in the 1980s by Rev Dr Granger Westberg in Chicago as a reincarnation of the faith community nursing outreach done by religious orders, such as the “Parish Deaconesses” in Europe and America in the 1800s.

2. You need at least one registered, experienced, trained nurse who has community assessment skills, health counseling skills, community health experience (preferred), completion of the standard curriculum for parish nursing (recommended), and involved in on-going spiritual training (suggested). The parish nurse is health educator, personal health counselor, referral agent, health advocate, volunteer coordinator, developer of support groups, and integrator of faith and health. The parish nurse does not take the place of the physician.

International Parish Nurse Resource Center (Great resources, and Basic Preparation classes are available online, or as close as Texas or St Louis MO for around $300 for a 36 hour course

Kansas Parish Nurse Ministry was founded in 2005; $100 membership fee; 2 day conference in October; Offers the Basic Preparation Course 1-2 times a year in Wichita.

3. Consider liability issues,  budgetary and funding options,  office space and confidentiality requirements.

Health Cabinet:

1.  Includes members of the Congregation who are interested in health and wellness: Counselors, Nutritionists, Wellness Educators, Rehabilitation Staff, Laity….

2.  Pray about and discuss the purpose and scope of what you want to do in your church.

3.  Educate yourself

4.  Involve legal personnel to talk about the legal risks associated with taking on this ministry and how to minimize your legal risks.

5.  Conduct an assessment.

• Examine the services that are already being provided in the parish and avoid repeating these same services.
• Consider size and age of the community, and the gaps serving the membership physically, mentally and spiritually.
• Consider the experience and expertise you already have in the congregation.
• What would you like to see improved?
• Do you want to focus only on your faith community or do you want to provide outreach?
• What are the strengths of your community?
• How do ministries succeed in your community and how do they overcome obstacles?
• How can you get the congregation to support different ministries?
• Are there members in your congregation who are not able to participate in ministry because they are less than healthy?
• Do you have members who are chronically ill and due to their illness are not able to hear God’s Word regularly?
• Do you have children or youth in the congregation who are not getting Christ-centered information on various health issues such as nutrition, self-care,relationships, or leaving home?
• Do you have shut-ins who need more visitation, encouragement and assistance?
• Is your pastor spending more time visiting the sick and caring for the physical needs of the members than sharing the Gospel?
• Are members talking to the pastor about serious health issues but refusing to see a medical professional about those issues?
• Do you have health care professionals in your community who provide care or advice that directly contradicts the principles of God’s Word?
• Is there evidence that some members are not seeing positive results from their medications, and is there a sense that they are not taking their medications properly?
• Do you suspect that there are members who rely too heavily on medication to get through their daily activities?
• Involve the congregation in the Congregation Health Ministry: Ask about healthcare needs and what parishioners want to know more about. Use these results as a starting place for planning activities.

6. Based on your assessment, develop a clear mission statement and realistic objectives and goals to guide your work. Develop a way to evaluate your efforts, and plan to reassess yearly.

7. Determine and express how the Parish Nurse and/or Health Cabinet fits into the current congregational structure and establish communication lines with relevant individuals and committees.

8. Identify training needs

9. Start raising visibility

10. Start with small events and a small number of events. Advertise for three or four weeks prior and make sure the first event is well organized and that it gets the attention of the congregation. Ideas for activities include: blood pressure screenings, wellness education, health-related visits, transportation, going along with individuals for doctor visits for information clarification, start a health library, health fairs, Advanced directives workshops, Establish a “Loan Closet” for durable medical equipment such as walkers, crutches, canes, etc., Form a “healthy food line” at church dinners, Host Bereavement educational sessions…

11. Continue identifying ongoing needs within the parish via the pastor, visitation ministers, verbal referrals, etc., and add new services as warranted

Bereavement — Ministry of Consolation

1. Opportunities: Funeral Rites (Wake Service, Funeral Mass, Rite of Committal), Funeral Home Visitation, Funeral Luncheons, All Souls Day Memorial, Individual Support, Group Events, Support Groups (Parish-based support groups, Ministry for Bereaved Parents, etc.), holiday programs, bereavement networking fairs and guest speakers which include representatives from funeral homes, support groups, hospices, etc.

2. Skill Sets and On-Going Training Opportunities: Basic Understanding of Loss, Communication Skills, The Art of Listening, Boundaries and Relationships.

3. Devoting ministry efforts to bereavement education helps to lessen bereavement needs later on.

Resources:

International Parish Nurse Resource Center (www.parishnurses.org)

Kansas Parish Nurse Ministry (www.kansasparishnurseministry.com)

Patterson, Deborah (2003) Essential Parish Nurse: ABCs for Congregational Health Ministry, Pilgrim Press.

Sondra L Leatherman RN MSN, Hesston KS, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Deb Cable RN BSN BC, Pretty Prairie KS, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it