We Believe

By Nicole Johnson, PHW Intern

March is already here, with the official start of spring only days away.  Is your New Year’s resolution a distant memory?  Resolutions are so inspiring; it is a New Year and the future looks so bright. We’re more optimistic and believe that whatever comes next will be better in some way. By the time March rolls around, our optimism sometimes dims and the inspiration that buoyed us through the first few weeks of working out more, saving more, and giving more begins to get crowded out by everyday life. It does not have to be that way.

Partners in Health and Wholeness is dedicated to saying we can change our lives, our churches, and our communities. We have a vision that faith communities can be healthier and more physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually whole. We believe that small changes together make a big impact. Every day is a new day. Every day is a chance for us to make changes in our lives and in our communities to develop wholeness and health. At our Faith and Health Summit in 2014, dozens of churches demonstrated what can happen when we commit to making changes over time. Some of their stories can be found here.

So if your faith community started out saying this was the year to make a positive impact on its health, don’t stop now.

• Haven’t started yet? Explore our website and contact us about participating in PHW Certification.

• Started, but don’t know where to go next? How about taking a look at some of the ideas in the gold, silver or bronze level and implementing one idea at your church.

• It’s just you and no one else at your church seems interested? Make an individual pledge here, but don’t give up on your faith community just yet. Let us come and share our vision for healthier churches nurturing healthier people.

• Want to go solo to start improving your health? Make changes one at a time. Some changes can be to a) drink one more glass of water every day, b) set aside 15-30 minutes for daily exercise, c) take the stairs instead of the elevator, d) park a little farther down in the parking lot, e) get your physical, f) eat one more serving of fruit daily, g) eat one more serving of vegetables daily.

We at PHW believe in healthier churches, healthier communities, and healthier people.