Let’s Move!Jan 4, 2011Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Let’s Move! On November 29, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House Office of Faith-based and… Continue Reading
As We Enter A New YearJan 4, 2011Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director As We Enter A New Year Friends, We look ahead to 2011 knowing we face many challenges and that our commitment to… Continue Reading
Partners in Health and Wholeness TrainingJan 3, 2011Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Partners in Health and Wholeness Training Are you a pastor or parishioner who is concerned about the health of God’s people? Are you troubled when you read the names of congregants who are home-bound or have been hospitalized due to an illness in the weekly church bulletin? Do you believe that our bodies are God’s temple and that we can improve our health and, in the case of secondhand smoke, the health of others by being physically active, eating healthily and not using tobacco products?
Statement on Physical Activity and NutritionDec 6, 2010North Carolina Council of Churches Statement on Physical Activity and Nutrition The issue of overweight and obesity has been well-publicized in recent months. In the United States, more than 23 million kids (nearly one-third) are overweight or obese. In North Carolina, 65%[2] of adults and 36% of children and youth age 6-17 fall into one of these alarming categories – alarming because of the adverse effects on one’s health resulting from carrying excess weight as well as the financial impact on the individual, his/her family, employer and the overall health care system.
Moving Forward with the NCCCDec 2, 2010Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director Moving Forward with the NCCC As December begins, we make the transition from a time of thanksgiving to a season of… Continue Reading
Clergy and Real LifeNov 29, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Clergy and Real Life Raleigh News & Observer Thank you for bringing awareness to the issue of clergy mental health in your Nov. 11 article, “Depression is an Occupational Hazard for Clergy.” Too often, we expect ministers of the gospel to have all of the answers and to be available 24/7 to listen to and meet the needs of God’s people. We fail to realize, however, that they are only human – like many of us, they have families, mortgages to pay and concerns about the future, and some clergy even take on additional jobs to help make ends meet.
The Child Obesity CrisisNov 16, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness The Child Obesity Crisis Raleigh News & Observer The issue of overweight and obesity is not new – earlier this year, it was reported that NC is the 10th most obese state in the nation for adults and the 11th most overweight and obese state for children… Through Partners in Health and Wholeness, an initiative of the NC Council of Churches, congregations in NC are taking steps to improve the health of children by offering healthier snacks at youth events and encouraging physical activity. As people of faith, we acknowledge that our bodies are God’s temple and that we must love ourselves as we love and care for others.
Exciting Progress for Partners in Health and WholenessNov 9, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Exciting Progress for Partners in Health and Wholeness Congregations across the state are now taking part in the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Certification Program, demonstrating that their bodies are God’s temple by eating healthier, being more physically active and reducing the impact of smoking on themselves and their neighbors.
Reflections on Our 75th AnniversaryOct 29, 2010George Reed, Former Executive Director Reflections on Our 75th Anniversary I was struck, as I listened to remembrances from the past, that we really are seeing progress on issues of social justice. But it happens over a period of years or even decades. The issues we heard about at the Anniversary are difficult ones. They have produced years of frustration and sometimes what looked like complete failure. And yet . . .
Health StewardshipSep 7, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Health Stewardship Raleigh News & Observer I appreciated the Aug. 22 article about Ben Roberts, owner of Foundation Fitness in Greensboro, who traveled between Raleigh and Greensboro challenging employees to be physically active. When working with different groups, Roberts stresses the simplicity of living a healthy, active lifestyle. Small changes during the work day such as taking the stairs, using a pedometer to track the number of steps taken and keeping hydrated can help boost energy levels and overall confidence.
PHW Clergy Breakfast on Health: A Resounding SuccessAug 30, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness PHW Clergy Breakfast on Health: A Resounding Success The North Carolina Council of Churches held its first-ever Clergy Breakfast on Health on Thursday, August… Continue Reading
2010 Session Wrap-UpAug 12, 2010Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration 2010 Session Wrap-Up Yesterday was the deadline for Governor Perdue to sign or veto bills passed by the General Assembly in the last weeks of the session. Interestingly, yesterday she let a bill become law without her signature. Also in this Raleigh Report: Domestic Violence, Environment, Gambling, and more.
Community Gardens Sprout in TriangleAug 4, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Community Gardens Sprout in Triangle More and more North Carolinians are getting involved with community gardens. Through our Come to the Table program, the Council’s Rural Life Committee has been promoting this work for the past few years. We’ve been visiting gardens, leading workshops, sharing best practices, eating delicious local food and making friends across the state.
Health Disparities: A Moral IssueAug 2, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Health Disparities: A Moral Issue Disparities in health often mean earlier death and increased morbidity for one group of people versus… Continue Reading
North Carolina Farmworker Health FactsAug 1, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate North Carolina Farmworker Health Facts Farm labor ranks as one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the United States. In addition to hazards in the fields, farmworkers and their families face unique burdens on their physical and mental health. North Carolina’s leading industry is agriculture, yet farmworkers are among the most underserved residents in the state. This colorful and easy-to-read fact sheet was designed for congregations and community groups. Download a copy today.
Promoting good health can be a spiritual callingJul 20, 2010Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness Promoting good health can be a spiritual calling Greensboro News & Record According to Trust for America’s Health, as reported in the News & Record on June 29, North Carolina is now the 10th-heaviest state, after ranking No. 12 just one year ago. This signifies a reduced quality of life for more North Carolinians, as research shows that persons who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. It also means additional financial costs for our state.
Partners in Health & Wholeness Worship AidJul 12, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Partners in Health & Wholeness Worship Aid Welcome to our worship resources for Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW). PHW is an ambitious program of the North Carolina Council of Churches designed to help people of faith to see health — their own health — as an issue of faith and to take action that will lead to healthier and more abundant living.
Recipes for the Heart & SoulJul 11, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Recipes for the Heart & Soul At the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness Program, we want to help people of faith and congregations become healthier. What better way to help people become healthier than by helping them prepare healthy foods? Not only do we want to show you how to cook healthy foods at home, we want to offer you recipes to use at church events, too. Our objective with this cookbook is to highlight healthy recipes for large groups. Our hope is that you will use these recipes to help feed your parishes, that they might receive spiritual and bodily nourishment at church.
A Day of Resource Sharing, Coalition Building and Remembering The Call to ServiceJul 9, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate A Day of Resource Sharing, Coalition Building and Remembering The Call to Service The North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness program held its 2010 Faith and Health Summit in March, drawing together nearly 250 participants to learn about integrating health practices and strategies within faith communities.
Partners in Health & Wholeness: Bronze-Certified CongregationsJul 9, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Partners in Health & Wholeness: Bronze-Certified Congregations These congregations have demonstrated that, as people of faith, they strive to live an abundant life of health and wholeness by naming a congregational health promoter, serving healthy food and beverage at church meals, and reducing the impact of smoking on themselves and their neighbors.
Raleigh Report: General Assembly Addressing Childhood ObesityJun 28, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Raleigh Report: General Assembly Addressing Childhood Obesity Unfortunately, the childhood obesity epidemic is drastically affecting North Carolina. In 2009, North Carolina ranked 14th worst in the nation in childhood overweight and obesity for children ages 10-17, with more than one-third (33.5%) of our children being overweight or obese. Also in this Raleigh Report: Domestic Violence, Environment, Gambling, Health, Housing, People with Disabilities, Public Education, and more.
Cooking for big groups doesn’t have to mean big caloriesMay 27, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Cooking for big groups doesn’t have to mean big calories Wilmington Star-News How do you fix lunch for a hundred or so fellow worshipers at your hometown church – and still keep the dishes low in calories, salt and cholesterol? The N.C. Council of Churches might have the answer to your problem.
The role of the church in modern politics and social changeMay 27, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate The role of the church in modern politics and social change NC Policy Watch In the 21st Century, we must no longer view Church as a semiweekly activity that occurs within the confines of a physical structure with four walls and a pulpit. Instead, we must take our message of hope, justice, unity and peace to the wider community, and, yes, even Capitol Hill! I believe that real change happens when various groups – public and private, secular and religious, progressive and conservative, privileged and disadvantaged, old and young, black and white – work together to achieve a common goal.
Short Session Convenes, Senate Adopts Budget in Record SpeedMay 27, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Short Session Convenes, Senate Adopts Budget in Record Speed The summer’s “short session” of the North Carolina General Assembly convened on May 12, a continuation of the 2009 session. Its primary task will be to adjust the 2010-11 budget adopted last year, though it can also take up bills that made it through one house last year, bills coming from study commissions, and bills amending the state Constitution.
Justice, rights, faithMar 24, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Justice, rights, faith Raleigh News & Observer As followers of Jesus Christ, a healer known as the Great Physician, as believers in a God who loves and cares for all of his children equally, we at the N.C. Council of Churches are profoundly grateful for passage of health care reform legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Russell: Faith groups back universal careMar 9, 2010Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Russell: Faith groups back universal care Durham Herald-Sun Opinion: Many of the noisy detractors who rail against universal access to affordable health care are the same folks who loudly proclaim a pious faith and claim ethical superiority on other issues. Maybe they should listen to other religious voices on faith and ethics, voices of those who spend their lives studying the scriptures and serving people seriously impacted by our current health-care system.
No Joy For YouOct 16, 2009Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate No Joy For You Rev. Deborah Patterson Babylonian captivity. I believe we are there again, both literally and figuratively. We are literally in Babylon as American troops serve in an unending war in Iraq, the new name for that land. And, working with parish nurses, daily I hear stories which attest that we are figuratively being held captive by a health system that excludes millions, bankrupts millions, and keeps millions in jobs they despise but need for health insurance. Doctors are held captive by reimbursement plans that penalize them for spending more than 7 or 8 minutes with patients. Nurses are held captive by staffing patterns that keep them working longer shifts, with more and sicker and patients to care for. Churches are being held captive by health insurance costs that prevent them from being able to call full-time pastors.
Don’t You Care?Jun 21, 2009Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Don’t You Care? Rev. Cliff Frasier, First Congregational Church, UCC (Washington, D.C.) In the policy-making reform-world, we may talk about health care as a “right.” In the economic world we may talk about health care as a cost or even as a profit. [“p-r-o-f-i-t]. In the health-care-delivery world, the social-work-world, we may talk about health care as a need. But in our faith world, let us also talk about health care as a responsibility. As a moral responsibility. To care for God’s creation — for ourselves, for each other. Let us talk about not-providing-health-care as a failure in the realm of moral-responsibility. In other words, to the degree we allow within moral reasoning the category of . . . . “sin” . . . let us allow the failure to provide healthcare to be understood in just that way.
Health and Secondhand SmokeSep 5, 2006North Carolina Council of Churches Health and Secondhand Smoke Even in 1984, the Council’s report suggested that there were “harmful effects . . . to those non-smokers exposed to the side-smoke of smokers.” Today, an increasingly strong body of research points to the fact that secondhand smoke (that which is inhaled by non-smokers in a smoking environment) does indeed pose serious health hazards. This risk is associated not only with long-term consumption but also with secondhand smoke breathed in for as little as thirty minutes.
Medical Malpractice Insurance IssuesDec 2, 2003North Carolina Council of Churches Medical Malpractice Insurance Issues The faith community, when true to its founding principles, has historically advocated for the common good over those of special interests. The faith community has also sought to be a voice for and a defender of “the poor, the orphaned and the widow”… A cap on medical malpractice damages would harm the common good because it would bring greater suffering upon those who have been the victims of medical malpractice. It would have its deepest impact upon the poor, who can least afford to have artificial limits placed on the compensation that might be paid to them, and it would do so to the benefit of individuals and companies of much greater financial power.
Increasing the Cigarette TaxDec 2, 2003North Carolina Council of Churches Increasing the Cigarette Tax The question of raising the tax on cigarettes appears to pose a conflict between positions taken by the North Carolina Council of Churches in previous years. On the one hand, the Council has warned of the health risks associated with cigarette smoking, supported measures leading to better health and providing more accessible health care, and called for steps to limit youth access to cigarettes. On the other hand, the Council has long supported a more progressive tax structure and opposed regressive taxes.
Youth Access to Tobacco ProductsJan 11, 1997North Carolina Council of Churches Youth Access to Tobacco Products A Policy Statement of the North Carolina Council of Churches, January 1997 Summary The Current Status Tobacco use… Continue Reading
A Policy Statement on Health CareJan 11, 1997North Carolina Council of Churches A Policy Statement on Health Care Four years ago, the Council of Churches issued a policy statement on health care that expressed concern about the large number of North Carolinians without adequate health insurance and about the high and increasing cost of health care. Our concern is especially great for those most vulnerable in our society: the poor, children, people of color, and the elderly. At that time, we called for a national health plan that would guarantee universal coverage for health care, coupled with effective cost control, broad-based and equitable financing, and assured quality of services.
Moral Dimensions of TobaccoJul 12, 1984Chris Liu-Beers, Former Program Associate Moral Dimensions of Tobacco The Study Committee on Tobacco was formed by the NC Council of Churches in response to a dilemma faced by the citizens of NC. On the one hand, mounting medical evidence links the use of tobacco with numerous health problems. On the other hand, the long established tobacco economy is threatened. The tendency in NC has been to avoid or ignore the dilemma. Farmers, agribusiness people, manufacturers and distributors of tobacco products, as well as state officials, have found it difficult to deal directly with he crisis precipitated by the increasing pressure of negative health data.
