Partners in Health and Wholeness held an informational session/training at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro on Saturday, January 29. The event was a follow-up to the PHW Clergy Breakfast which was held back in August of 2010 at St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in Goldsboro, where clergy learned about the spiritual relevance of leading a healthy lifestyle and were asked to identify one or more health contact persons to take the lead on faith-based health promotion in their congregations.
Twenty-one individuals – many of whom have professional backgrounds in nursing or a related health field – were in attendance to learn about:
1. Partners in Health and Wholeness and our overall mission to improve clergy and congregant health.
2. The current problem of physical inactivity, poor nutrition and tobacco use in our state and nation.
3. What our scriptures teach about caring for own health as well as the health of our neighbors.
4. Opportunities to get involved in health programs and advocacy.
Also, a representative from North Carolina’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Living Healthy, shared their mission to improve our ability to self-manage our chronic health conditions (e.g., arthritis, diabetes and heart disease) through a series of evidence-based, highly participatory workshops. Workshop topics include: using your mind to manage symptoms, introduction to physical activity and exercise, pain and fatigue management, healthy eating, medication usage, depression management, etc. As a PHW Health Partner, Living Healthy will make their materials and services available to people of faith across the state in 2011.
PHW will hold clergy breakfasts and liaison trainings in different regions of North Carolina throughout the year. To find one near you or for more information about PHW, please visit our website.
Willona Stallings, PHW Program Coordinator
