Each year in North Carolina, thousands of people die of preventable diseases and almost 1.5 million North Carolinians currently lack health insurance. As Christians, we follow Christ, The Great Physician; someone who heals the sick, guides the lost, and liberates the oppressed. The NC Council of Churches shares God’s concern for all areas of our lives – our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. We believe that the Church remains an institution of great influence in the community and that faith leaders have a unique opportunity to positively impact the lives of congregants.
Joy Williams of Partners in Health and Wholeness, a Christian-based health promotion organization, will collaborate with churches in Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Montgomery and Robeson Counties on December 10th at the Pee Dee Building in Hamlet (119 Channie Mcmanus Dr., Dobbin Heights, NC 28345). Please call Joy Williams (919) 357-8625 to register. A light brunch will be provided.
Yvonne McGraw of the Baptist Association has been instrumental in opening this Richmond County event to surrounding counties and securing a location. Join us to make this success happen—all for the glory of God to be exemplified in our lives.
Mary McKeachin of the Bladen County Parish Nurse Ministry has a similar event to be held Monday, November 28th at 5:30pm in the fellowship hall of Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church at 800 W. Broad Street (across from the Municipal Building), to make our churches healthier for the glory of God. Call the Parish Nurse of Bladen HealthCare at (910) 876-3225 to register.
ALL churches should send at least one representative to collaborate on how to create jobs and gain access to health care and learn about the free resources and opportunities available for 2012. If you are a pastor, other faith leader, or member who desires to support the concept of health as a faith issue and acknowledge that our bodies are God’s temple, please join us on December 10th at 10am. A light meal will be provided.
By partnering with churches in these counties, we will support efforts to create healthy and whole congregants by connecting you with quality health programs and providing tools to help you promote health and wholeness in your congregation. It is our sincere prayer that these materials will not only improve your health and the health of those you love and serve, but that they will increase our effectiveness, as one body, to change the world!
Accept the call to lead your congregation into better health through the Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative. By making a few changes, congregants can potentially add years to their lives and reduce their risk of developing certain diseases – e.g., heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. Thank you in advance for joining this statewide movement to improve the health of God’s people.
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is generously funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. Please visit our website for more information: www.healthandwholeness.org
– Joy Williams, PHW Regional Consultant
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