Health Fundamentals
July 2011 Special Edition
Self-Care Workshops for Kansas United Methodist Clergy offered online
The steadfast dedication of Kansas United Methodist clergy to the spiritual and holistic health of those in their congregations and communities is clearly demonstrated day in and day out. But too often, pastors fail to adequately address their own care, placing their needs behind all others.
In Brief
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Without health in body, mind, and spirit together, we are less than what God intended us to be and less available to do the work to which God has called each of us in ministry. To help pastors access tools and techniques for self-care, the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is sponsoring a series of self-care workshops for Kansas United Methodist clergy, clergy spouses, and church staff.
Servant Leadership: Personal and Professional Self-Care provides a structured opportunity for individuals to examine their current choices within the areas of mental/emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health and to develop personalized plans for behavioral and environmental changes to improve their personal health.
Workshop participants explore connections between spiritual, mental, social, and physical health; understand how servant leadership requires self-care; experience stress-management techniques; learn how to say "no"; self-assess current health behaviors and choices; discuss current knowledge and recommendations for nutrition, physical activity, hydration, and sleep, and learn how to personally implement those recommendations.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have developed a structured self-care covenant for behavioral and environmental changes to improve personal health, and an accountability plan to help keep on track with the chosen self-care goals.
The online workshops are delivered as a series of four, two-hour sessions using a live electronic meeting room format with no travel required. The online workshops provide the same eight participation hours and cover the same materials as the in-person workshops. Online workshops for 2011 are scheduled in August, September, October, and November.
Pre-registration is required. Workshop details, dates, locations, and online pre-registration can be found on the Health Fund website www.healthfund.org/selfcare.php. The workshops are underwritten by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and are provided at no charge to participants.
Healthy Congregations Covenant Training Courses Scheduled
If your church is participating in the Healthy Congregations Covenant program, or would like to join, we want to remind you of the training sessions available for the balance of 2011. To be eligible for annual funding under the Covenant program, church teams of at least three members, not including the pastor, must complete the seven core training courses (pastors are welcome to complete the training, but don't count toward the three-person requirement). The tools and techniques provided through the courses will help empower your team to deliver high-quality health ministries in a sustainable program.
There is no cost to register or attend, but pre-registration is required.
In Brief
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The core courses count toward the training requirements of the Healthy Congregations Covenant program, but a Covenant agreement is not required to attend. If your church may be interested in future participation, or you would just like to learn more about ways to deliver high-quality health ministries, we encourage you to register today.
Training dates for the remainder of 2011 are July 30, August 27, and October 8.
Core courses scheduled are:
- Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
- Group Facilitation Techniques
- Health Ministry Communication and Marketing
- Program Evaluation and Using Data
- Health Ministry 101
- Outcomes-based Planning
- Program Options and How to Plan Program Events
The trainings are offered at several regional locations throughout the state:
- Baldwin City - Baker University
- Garden City - Southwest KU Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
- Hays - Northwest KU AHEC
- Pittsburg - Southeast KU AHEC
- Salina - Trinity United Methodist Church
- Wichita - University of Kansas School of Medicine
A Goodland training site is under development; check back for availability of that site.
More event information, including a full schedule, detailed course descriptions, and online registration, is available at www.healthfund.org/hcctraining.php.
Kansans Optimizing Health Program (KOHP) leader training available
KOHP is a 6-week, interactive workshop where participants learn self-management for chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and lung disease. The 2.5 hour sessions are held once a week in community settings and are facilitated by two trained leaders. Topics covered include techniques for dealing with frustration, pain, and fatigue; how to exercise safely; medications; communication techniques; nutrition; and making informed treatment decisions.
For more information, please see the program brochure and application form [pdf files]
In Brief
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Why implement KOHP?
As an evidence-based program, participant outcomes include an increase in physical exercise; a decrease in health distress; improvement in self-care; a beneficial effect on confidence in dealing with illness and its effects; and, some studies suggest, fewer days in the hospital and fewer outpatient and ER visits.
2011 sessions are offered in Wichita (September), Kansas City (October) and Manhattan (November). The leader training is offered free of charge, with mileage and hotel expenses covered. Leaders must commit to completing the four days of training and to provide a minimum of two 6-week community programs a year, with the first being held within 90 days of training.
Please see the brochure and application form for more information on the program and on how you can participate, have an implementation site at your organization, or complete KOHP leader training. If you are interested, or have questions, please contact Judy Johnston at jjohnsto@kumc.edu or 316-293-1861.
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