St. Mary Health Ministry
 
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?…Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God.      – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
 
St. Mary Health Ministry’s Mission Statement
 
The St. Mary Health Ministry (SMHM) through divine guidance and partnership with national and local health & wellness organizations and others will assist our congregation and community in maintaining wellness, improving health and awareness, preventing disease, and managing illness while promoting and administering Christian fellowship.
 
For many, health is narrowly defined and specifically targeted to one dimension—the physical. Health consists of five dimensions—physical, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual. An individual is considered healthy when all of these dimensions are working together in harmony. Because healing does not necessarily mean curing (as we tend to think), a Health Ministry in a congregation involves emotional, mental and spiritual healing which can occur during illness even when curing of the disease is not present. Galatians 5:15 reminds us to “Love our neighbors, as ourselves”. As Christians we are called to love as Jesus Christ has loved. We are called to service, as Jesus Christ served. We have the responsibility to minister to those in need. In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:37-40) Jesus invites the righteous (the sheep) to receive their inheritance by entering the kingdom which has been prepared for them because of their faithful service and unselfish, compassionate giving. (“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me”). We should strive to be sheep.

 

Can the church make a difference in reducing disability and death? The church today still represents a natural point of reference for many communities. It is because it is a natural reference point that focusing health promotion and disease prevention activities should be given careful thought. “We are finding that all the ‘expert and expensive health care solutions’ still do not guarantee better health outcomes and quality of life. It may be that to mobilize, educate, and coordinate resources through congregations works better”. It is not a new idea for churches to develop health programs whose purpose is to have an impact upon the most significant health risks and crippling health conditions in congregations. However, it is an increasingly important one as health care funding and services gradually shrink. Local churches can help address the need for more appropriate and accessible health care services and the inadequacy of our health care system. In addition, the local church can bring a holistic perspective to an understanding of health as being in harmony with self, others, the environment, and God. Health is a continuum of physical, social, psychological, and spiritual well-being.

Today, social service and social action are seen as integral and complementary forms of ministry. Church-related social services and institutions serve many needs. Church-related social action and policy formation cover a wide range of contemporary issues which include: urban life, poverty, housing, health care, family life, women’s issues, child care, aging, hospice, racial and ethnic concerns, needs of handicapped persons, peace, and refugees and immigration. As both social services and social action ministries remain faithful to God’s vision of shalom, they will respond to the changing needs and new possibilities among people and within society, working always toward liberation from life’s bondage and reconciliation of the alienated. The development of health ministries within the congregation helps focus the members’ awareness on the essential Christian ministry of health and healing.

When health ministries are an essential part of congregational life, the members:

A. Find opportunities to volunteer their help to those who are in the hospital, or those who are home bound or living in residential care centers;

B. Have the opportunity to learn about wellness and disease prevention. Healthy lifestyle choices are promoted through seminar and workshops, giving information in such areas as exercise, nutrition and handling stress;

C. Through health screening, make early detection and treatment possible; and

D. Provide appropriate resources and advocacy to individuals and community.

A health ministry can promote healing and health as wholeness, as a mission of a faith community to its members and the community it serves. This takes a variety of people, paid and volunteer, laity and clergy, all committed to sharing the compassionate love and grace of Jesus Christ.

As we weep for the hurt and pain of each as we stand in amazement, silent, and dumb with grief; as we wonder if there is medicine in Gilead; as we wonder if there is a physician there; as we wonder if God is going to do something or if God will help, God will, for God is the ultimate Balm in Gilead. But, God also wants us to be a Balm, a healing salve. Developing a health ministry does not require vast sums of money. It only requires us to become the body of Christ. We must have the compassion of Christ, the heart of Christ, the soul of Christ, and most importantly, the love of Christ.

 
Remember, your body is a temple and we want to be the best temple we can be!