Health Through Faith and Community: A Study Resource for Christian Faith Communities to Promote Personal and Social Well-Being

by Nelson-Becker; Holly

• ISBN13: 9780789028976
• ISBN10: 0789028972
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2006-09-06
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

"Health Through Faith and Community is a unique study guide that encourages Christian congregations to enhance the well-being of individual church members as well as society as a whole. Presented as eight study sessions that can be used independently or combined for an in-depth learning process, this notebook-sized guide includes valuable insights and learning activities from an ecumenical Christian perspective about the physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental aspects of health. This book includes more than 50 illustrations, handouts, and figures, as well as numerous resources for prayer, activity, discussion, self-reflection, Bible study, and practical applications that will help connect personal faith with congregations and communities."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
About the Authors	viii
About the Study Guide	1	(1)
Study Guide Purpose and Objectives	1	(1)
Design and Format	1	(5)
Session 1. A Holistic Christian Vision of Health Through Faith and Community	6	(31)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	10	(3)
Activity 2: Overview of the Study Guide	13	(2)
Activity 3: Commitment to Mutual Respect and Dialogue	15	(3)
Activity 4: Participants' Views on Faith and Health	18	(2)
Activity 5: Preliminary Definitions Regarding Faith and Health	20	(6)
Summing Up	26	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Exploring Personal Definitions of Spirituality and Health	27	(2)
Supplemental Activity B: The Healing Ministry of Jesus	29	(4)
Supplemental Activity C: A Story of Health Through Faith	33	(3)
Supplemental Activity D: Envisioning Your Ideal of Well-Being	36	(1)
Session 2. Faith and Physical Health	37	(26)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	41	(3)
Activity 2: Finding Meaning Through Suffering	44	(2)
Activity 3: Prayerful Physical Activity	46	(2)
Activity 4: The Connection Between Religious Participation and Physical Health	48	(6)
Summing Up	54	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Prayer and Healing	55	(3)
Supplemental Activity B: Ceremony and Healing	58	(2)
Supplemental Activity C: Meaning Through Suffering	60	(3)
Session 3. Faith and Mental Health	63	(27)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	66	(3)
Activity 2: The Connection Between Religious Participation and Mental Health: Examining the Scientific Evidence	69	(4)
Activity 3: Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs	73	(3)
Activity 4: The Symbolism of the Cross and Recovery from Addictions and Mental Illness	76	(3)
Summing Up	79	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Suffering, Faith, and Hope: The Example of Job	80	(3)
Supplemental Activity B: Mental Health and the Serenity Prayer	83	(4)
Supplemental Activity C: Congregational Supports for Coping with Severe Mental Illness	87	(3)
Session 4. Faith and Spiritual Health	90	(25)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	94	(3)
Activity 2: Stages of Faith Development	97	(4)
Activity 3: Reasons for Prayer	101	(4)
Activity 4: Spirituality Survey	105	(2)
Summing Up	107	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Christian Devotion and Imitation of Christ	108	(3)
Supplemental Activity B: Centering Prayer	111	(4)
Session 5. Faith and the Well-Being of the Church Community	115	(24)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	119	(3)
Activity 2: Interpersonal Relationships Within the Church	122	(3)
Activity 3: Leadership	125	(4)
Activity 4: Congregational Role Structures	129	(3)
Summing Up	132	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Social Health in the Christian Community: Parish Nursing	133	(3)
Supplemental Activity B: Koinonia: Building Community and Fellowship	136	(3)
Session 6. Faith and the Well-Being of Society	139	(27)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	146	(3)
Preface to Session 6 Activities 2, 3, and 4: Social Determinants of Health	149	(1)
Activity 2: Everyday Activities That Lead to Societal Well-Being	150	(2)
Activity 3: Faith-Based Community Organizing	152	(3)
Activity 4: National Religious Organizations and Social Justice	155	(5)
Summing Up	160	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Social Health and the Christian Community: An Example from Habitat for Humanity	161	(3)
Supplemental Activity B: Biblical Verse Activity on Community Organizing	164	(2)
Session 7. Faith and Global Well-Being	166	(31)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	171	(3)
Activity 2: Faith and Moral Responsibility	174	(3)
Activity 3: ``For I was hungry and you gave me food . . .'': Christian Responses to Global Poverty and Hunger	177	(4)
Activity 4: Environmental Stewardship: The Example of Noah	181	(3)
Summing Up	184	(1)
Supplemental Activity A: Faith and the Mission of Helping	185	(4)
Supplemental Activity B: War and Peace: Christianity's Just-War Theory	189	(3)
Supplemental Activity C: Taking a Home-Based Ecological Inventory	192	(5)
Session 8. The End Is Just the Beginning	197	(11)
Activity 1: Setting Intention Through Welcome and Prayer	201	(3)
Activity 2: Sharing Key Insights from the Sessions	204	(2)
Activity 3: Concluding Ritual	206	(1)
Summing Up	207	(1)
References	208	(3)
Index	211