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Parish Health Ministry: A Primer for Parish Involvement
Section One: Parish Health Ministry
And by faith in His name, this man, whom you see and know, His name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given Him this perfect health) in the presence of all of you.There are several approaches a parish can take to learn more about health ministry. One lead person or a small group of people (such as the human concerns committee) needs to take initiative to provide information and education on the topic. A parish nurse or speaker on health ministry could address a parish council or committee meeting. There is no one correct approach to establishing a health ministry in your parish. An excellent resource is a booklet from the Catholic Health Association entitled, Partners in Healing: Healthcare Organizations and Parish Communities. This booklet looks at how parishes and health-care organizations can work together to develop partnerships for promoting health. It explores scriptural accounts of Jesus' healing in a physical, moral, and relational sense. It also examines changes affecting our current healthcare system, looks at the healing ministry of the Church, and advocates for wholistic parish health ministry. The booklet emphasizes that the gift of healing, in an inclusive and wholistic sense, has been entrusted to the entire faith community. Another resource, Elements to Consider When Planning a Health Ministry Program, from the Archbishop's Commission on Community Health in St. Louis, offers additional ideas. This manual was developed in 1991 and looks at how health ministry functions, what is involved, mission statements, job descriptions, assessment tools, resources, budgeting, liability issues, and more. Please see the appendix for more information on both of these resources. In addition to pursuing information and self-education about parish health ministry, the parish should determine its specific healthcare needs. The human concerns committee might undertake such a study. The parish needs to dialogue with its members to determine what would be useful in health ministry for the parishioners and the community. Conducting a needs assessment may be helpful. The following questions should be explored when considering a needs assessment:
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