Articles on "Health and Wellness"
An Action Plan for Health
by Gwen Wagstrom Halaas
Commitment to good health starts with a personal action plan that is supported by families. The local congregation can step up and play a unique role, as it is well situated to understand and respond to community health issues.
Burnout: A "Cry-sis" of the Spirit
by Stephen L. Ganzkow-Wold
Facing the malady of burnout is crucial for today's ministers. There is hope through the resources God gives us.
A Cavalcade of Crankiness
by Steven McKinley
Did you ever have one of those weeks, sisters and brothers? I’ve had one this week. Even as I type, it is a Friday morning, and I am praying that the week will soon arrive at a peaceful end.
The Church's Role in Health Care
by James K. Struve, M.D.
To help our society face its health-care crisis, the church should take hold of its calling to be a primary health setting that preaches, teaches, and heals through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is especially true in the areas of lifestyle behavior, chronic-illness care, and end-of-life issues.
Holy Communion and Infection Risks: An Age-old Concern
by Anne LaGrange Loving
A microbiologist shows, through scientific studies, that receiving Holy Communion does not increase one's illness rate when compared to the general population which does not take communion.
Nurturing Life: the Ministry of Healing in the Congregation
by Kirsten Peachey
Healing plays a great part in the story of Jesus. That story continues today through a variety of congregational models.
One Pastor's Journey into Burnout…and Beyond
by Darlene B. Muschett
A pastor shares her ordeal with burnout–and how she has regained hope and strength.
Providing a Pastoral, Caring Ministry to People Suffering with Alzheimer's Disease
by Joseph W. Hager
How pastors and the church can care for those with Alzheimer's Disease through its various stages.
Research, Cancer, and God
by Andrew J. Weaver and George F. Handzo
Two chaplains share what current research is discovering about the place of religious faith as cancer patients and their caregivers cope with the disease.
Weakened Immune Systems and Communion Practices
by George Koch
Recently, scientists have identified a powerful anti-AIDS agent in tears and saliva called lysozyme (see The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 96, issue 6, March 16, 1999). This well-known protein is an anti-cancer agent and is abundant in tears, saliva, and the urine of pregnant women.
When "Baby Blues" Turn Purple
by Everett Nielsen
Serious birth-related problems, such as postpartum depression, continue to arise among new mothers. Here are ways in which leaders can shape a supportive congregational life for families of newborn children.