United Progressive Baptist Church has had many successes improving the health of the members of our congregation. During our Vacation Bible School, we were able to engage the youth of the church and community in physical activity. During Revival, we provided the pastors with fruit as a healthy option. Most recently, the church members redid the landscape of the church.
The most challenging issue we face as a congregation is being receptive to healthy options served at repass. Although smoking is not allowed in the building, another challenge we face is smoking on church grounds.
Tips for other congregations that wish to improve the health of your members but don’t know where to begin:
- Seek the support of the Pastor
- Form a committee
- Learn the health needs of your church
- Start simple with healthy options
- Target the youth
With four newborn babies in the church, United Progressive Baptist plans to use this award to improve our nursing area for mothers. We also plan to post no-smoking signs within and around the building, as well as purchase equipment for the youth to use during Vacation Bible School for physical activity. Finally, we plan to continue providing healthy food options to our congregation.
The success story above was submitted by Cheryl Warren, PHW Liaison at United Progressive Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, and under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Lewis E. Devlin. If your congregation would like to put your faith to action by prioritizing the health of your members, please visit the PHW website at www.healthandwholeness.org.
