What is Healing and Wholeness ministry? Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes very clear the connection between spiritual healing and physical healing. He confronts physical brokenness: those with leprosy, those who are paralyzed, a man with a withered hand, a woman with constant bleeding, a blind beggar, a parent mourning a child, a friend (Lazarus) who has died. As the body of Christ, the church, too, concerns itself with physical brokenness. As we follow Jesus, we also discover the connections between spiritual and physical (including emotional, social, vocational, and intellectual) well-being. We also see how brokenness is greater than any one person or body, but infiltrates our entire world. Healing is often confused with a cure, but one may occur without the other. As healer, Jesus creates the possibility of life that transcends pain and has deep meaning. Jesus does not present himself as "curer" of our every ill, that is, as one who eliminates pain. For example, healing can see death as a blessed outcome, while cure views death as defeat. Perhaps those who have died have experienced healing before passing on, by having the chance to mend rifts with family members. Perhaps someone discharged from the hospital has been technically cured, but their life can so easily slip out of balance all over again and put them in need of healing. The church, then, continues the healing ministry of Jesus. This is its witness to the kingdom already among us and the kingdom to come. Although there are many specialized and primary health care services out there, the congregation has an important role in confronting brokenness and becoming a center for healing the entire person. Amazing Grace has made healing and wholeness ministry a special focus for mission. At Amazing Grace, healing and wholeness ministry concentrates on the following things:
We also hold healing services periodically during the year, in which our pastor(s) pray individually with people for healing, and our parish nurses anoint them with oil.
Parish Nurse Ministry Parish nursing is a ministry of health promotion and disease prevention based on the care of the entire person, physical and spiritual. Parish nurses integrate faith and health, educate people about health, serve as personal health counselors and referral agents, train volunteers, develop support groups and advocate for health. They do not engage in traditional "medical" roles like administering medical treatments. Parish nurses at Amazing Grace engage in a number of important ministries. They regularly hold blood pressure checks along with time for health consultation. They serve as visitation partners for the pastor when visiting someone in the hospital or at home. They help guide and advise people as they navigate the maze of medical treatment and caring for loved ones who are ill. They educate, encourage, console, listen, and pray with people. They provide leadership in the community and to other parish nursing colleagues around the country. To contact a parish nurse, please e-mail the church office and your message will be forwarded to them. You can learn more about parish nursing at the International Parish Nurse Resource Center online.
Education on Healing and Wholeness issues The Healing and Wholeness Committee provides several educational opportunities throughout the year for people who are interested in learning how to promote their own health and the healing and wholeness of us all. Usually these classes are offered in a multi-week series, often on Sunday evenings. Recent opportunities have included:
Community Care Coordination The Healing and Wholeness Committee makes it possible for people at Amazing Grace to help provide meals, transport and support to fellow members in need. A recent example would be when one of our members was restricted to bed rest before the delivery of her twins this summer. Several families in the congregation provided meals on Wednesday evenings until her delivery. Assistance is tailored to each person's individual situation. Every month a different person serves as Community Care Coordinator. That person stays informed of any ongoing needs in the congregation, and where needed, phones fellow members who have agreed to help with providing meals and other forms of support. If you are interested in serving as a Community Care Coordinator, or in finding people to coordinate for a certain month, please e-mail the church office and your message will be forwarded to the committee. Partnership with the greater community Amazing Grace has taken a leadership role in promoting awareness of healing and wholeness ministry among Anchorage churches. Our leaders provide community education about what healing and wholeness is and how to initiate parish nurse ministry in a congregation. Our parish nurses also play a prominent role in continuing education for health professionals around this ministry.
© 2005 Amazing Grace Lutheran Church (or the author, when listed). All rights reserved
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