The past two years have been difficult. Many people have experienced a toll on their physical, mental and spiritual health.
The new year is an opportunity to take a fresh look at how your church can impact the health of your congregation and community. View the recording from our live webinar held on January 6, 2022. We heard from Healthy Congregations churches on innovative ways they have used their annual grants as well as their successful implementation of special grant opportunities.
Interested in a specific topic? Click the timestamps below.
0:43:42 – Colby UMC shares their experience with The Big Garden, Bike Share in a Box, The Giving Grove, Summer Food Service Program
1:02:20 – Newton UMC shares how they energized congregants around other facets of social determinants of health such as voting, racial equity, social isolation
A Guide for Talking to Your Congregation: Supporting Meaningful Congregational Conversations on the Importance of Mental Wellness
Mental health is a concern across the country. However, access to mental health services is not equitable.
Access is often determined by income, where you live, awareness of local services, education about mental health and illness, and the stigma surrounding mental health.
Congregations and community partnerships are vital to improving the use of mental health services and reducing its stigma. We regularly hear that congregations need tools to help address these needs.
For use during Advent or Ordinary Time, the Journey Toward Mental Wellness sermon guide and toolkit was designed to help faith leaders begin meaningful conversations on the importance of mental health. In this sermon guide, we define mental health as something we all have. It’s a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. Having great physical, spiritual, and mental health is key to ensuring that communities thrive.
In this toolkit, you will find resources on connecting others to behavioral health services. You will also find sermons on mental health and exercises to start thoughtful discussion with your congregation.
Ultimately, we hope this guide will help your congregation create a stigma-free, supportive environment that will encourage those affected to seek help.
We’d love to hear from you! Did you use the sermon guide and/or toolkit? Would you be willing to share your feedback and experiences? Would you consider recording a brief video to share? Questions or suggestions? Please send us an email at hcnews@healthfund.org.
If you need help right now, you can reach the Kansas Suicide Prevention center 24/7 every day at 785-841-2345 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 (TALK). Calls are free and confidential.
Below are social media tiles to help you promote the series. We would love to know if you use the guide—please tag us on Twitter or Facebook (@umhealthfund).
Applications due: ongoing Application details: see below
In partnership with Thrive Allen County, the Health Fund is excited to offer a special opportunity for Healthy Congregations churches to work with their rural communities to establish a free bike share program supporting active living and transportation. View a webinar about this opportunity below – slides available for download here.
Webinar recording detailing the Bike Share in a Box opportunity for Healthy Congregations.
A lead individual to work on the Bike in a Box program, along with a team or coalition to assist in making this program a success for the long term.
A location for the bike share program with an ability to assist bike share users with checking in and checking out bikes, answering questions, etc.
Ideas or connections to possible bike repair volunteers or a local bike store that can help maintain the bikes.
Enthusiasm, excitement and the understanding that every community is different and unique, meaning every community’s bike share program will operate slightly differently. Flexibility and openness are key!
Questions and Application
If you have questions and/or would like to discuss applying for one of the Bike Share in a Box grants, please contact Summer Boren at summer@thriveallencounty.org. If you have questions about the Healthy Congregations program, please contact Dashinika Poindexter: dashinika@healthfund.org / 620-662-8586.
Ottawa United Methodist Church is working with its local library, which shared that a few people check bikes out for a week at a time as it’s their only transportation to and from work.Colby United Methodist Church tapped into an unmet need when it partnered with the local community college; students use the bikes to make shopping easier.
