Jul 24, 2017

49 Eastern PA churches sign up for Abundant Health Challenge 

The July-August issue of Wellspring, the Eastern PA Conference Health and Healing Council’s bimonthly newsletter, is online with 12 pages of valuable information, insights and even inspiration about living abundant healthy lives. Included are articles on:

  • promoting children’s nutrition and protecting them from food allergies;
  • suicide prevention;
  • avoiding stressful living through faith and self-acceptance;
  • the importance and miraculous effects of consuming water;
  • a “Letter to Our Youth” with truths about alcohol and other drugs;
  • self-care for the caregiver; and
  • a personal testimony about the life-changing benefits of volunteering to serve others.

There are also healthy recipe ideas, tips on healthy eating from Methodism founder John Wesley, a glimpse of a hands-on, therapeutic arts ministry at one church, addressing health care issues in later life, and more good book suggestions for children.

Council members greeted members at their busy Annual Conference display table in June, handing out free healthy snacks, bottled water and chopsticks….yes, chopsticks. They also celebrated that 49 of our churches so far have answered our Bishop’s challenge to join the General Board of Global Ministries’ 10,000 Church Abundant Health Challenge. Those churches now have access to free GBGM resources for promoting health for their members and communities in whatever ways they see fit. You can sign up your church to take the challenge today. Just select one of the options for promoting good health by:

  • Providing opportunities for physical activity;
  • Promoting healthy diet and nutrition;
  • Helping people end the dependency or damaging effects caused by addictive substances; andor
  • Promoting mental wellbeing in your congregation and community.

“Above all, we want members to be aware of the state of their health: physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally, environmentally, etc.,” says council co-chairwoman Sharon Hachtman, a Deaconess and Registered Nurse.