This is going to be a VERY long post, it’s a paper I did for school about the importance of health and wellness as part of a church’s ministry. I went to Bible college as many of you know, and i really have a passion for “whole-listic” healing, and this includes the body as well. So many times the church lacks a proper approach to addressing health concerns, they focus on spiritual and emotional health and forget about physical health. I honestly feel that “called” to this area of healing in my ministry. so read if you want to, it’s pretty long (but I did edit it from 6 pages (single spaced!!) to 3 😉 )
Health and Wellness Ministry
Health and Wellness is a topic that has been on the rise over the past years, whether it has been a “new diet” or the rise of obesity. Nevertheless, we cannot escape this health conscience society, or lack thereof. Of Americans twenty years of age and older 67% of those are overweight or obese; 34% are obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Thirteen years ago, there was a study done about Americans and eating out. The study came to the conclusion that 57% of Americans ate something away from home everyday (McBride). This meant any drink or any food item that was bought at a restaurant. Another study was done that showed the average American walks 5,000 steps per day. This is half of the recommended steps of 10,000 a day (Bumgardner). With these health statistics, it shows of the need for healthy eating habits and daily exercise. But why a health and wellness ministry? Is that really something we need in the Church? Yes, absolutely yes.
The Church lacks a wellness ministry, and it is the church’s duty, to offer a health and wellness ministry in their church. Paul tells the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Believers are the Temple of God. However, if Christians truly believe their physical body is the Temple of God, then they must watch what they eat and how much they exercise.
Typically, Christians have used this verse to argue against tattoos, body piercing, modesty, drinking, and smoking. However, if Christians are going to use this verse to argue against an outward care of “the temple” (reference to “the temple” means a Christian’s physical body), they must use this verse to argue the care of the inward “temple” as well. Although the topics of tattoos, piercings, and dress are important issues and are very applicable to this argument, it neglects the other part of a Christian’s being/Temple. Christians are not the temple simply on the outside, but it applies to the inside as well. It is for this reason Christians must care for their “inward temple” by eating a well balanced, healthy diet, participate in daily physical activity, and implement disease prevention in their lives. Looking at the Old Testament Temple, it is very clear that the Temple/Tabernacle was not only taken care of on the outside. The inside of the Tabernacle was given great care, if not more care than the outside of the Tabernacle (1 Kings 6:15).
In the New Testament, Christians are commanded to “love God with all their heart, soul, and strength” (Luke 10:27). Luke references a Christian’s strength in a way they are to love God. Strength is in reference to the capacity for exertion or endurance (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). It is the physical part of a Christian’s being that they are to love God. The way this is accomplished is by the caring for the physical body, through nutrition and exercise. How will someone love God with their strength if they become obese and develop Type-2 diabetes? How will they love God with their strength if they cannot even go for an evening walk with their spouse? How will someone love God with their strength if they become ill because they were not proactive with their health? They cannot. It is the church’s job to empower people and train them to love God in all facets of life, including their strength.
The church lacks a wellness ministry. When the church does not offer a wellness ministry, it does the people a dishonor. When the church offers only ministries that minister to the “spirituality” of a person, the church withholds from those people, an aspect that God has demanded of us. Christians are to “glorify God with their bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:10). Therefore, it is the church’s job to empower people to do so. In his book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, Peter Scazzero states: “The link between emotional health and spiritual maturity is a large unexplored area of discipleship” (Scazzero 19). Part of emotional health is our physical health. There is a disconnect between Emotional/Physical health and spiritual maturity.
Health and Wellness is part of a well-balanced life. Eating Healthy and Exercising is no less important than getting sleep or drinking water. It is no more important than someone’s daily walk with the Lord; it is their daily walk with the Lord. “If one aspect of someone’s life is out of whack, then the other parts go as well” (Richey). We cannot expect a well-balanced life if the person is not eating healthy and not exercising. Luke did not say to love God with your heart and soul, and then love him with your heart, he says to “love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength” (Luke 10:27).
Pastors are neglecting their health. It is said that 73% of pastor’s are overweight, and 50% of those are 30lbs overweight (Russell). This is higher than the American average of 67% (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)! This is not a good witness. When pastors do not care for their bodies, they are essentially telling, and literally showing, they do not truly believe their body is the Temple of God. “Physical health, exercise, and ‘play’ are not seen as a spiritual value” (Russell). However, Physical health is very much a spiritual value. As stated above, Christians are to “love God with their bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
The goal of any church (at least the hope is this is the goal!) is to produce healthy, well-rounded disciples. This is done through offering a ministry for their spirituality, as well as their physical bodies. It is the churches obligation to offer a wellness ministry paired with a ministry for a person’s spirituality.
What then, can the Church do? Ideally, have a nutritionist on staff. However, this is not feasible in most cases. Therefore, it is the church’s job to have well informed staff members in the area of nutrition and health. However, this person or persons will not be able to give medical advice. A solution to this problem may be to offer quarterly health seminars. These health seminars would need to be performed by a nutritionist or doctor. These health seminars would consist of proper eating habits for adults and children, proper physical activity, disease awareness, and disease prevention. Perhaps even supply health screening for cholesterol and blood pressure. These seminars should be open to the public, but should always meet the needs of your congregation. For instance, if no one in your congregation has diseases, the primary focus of the seminar should be to inform and teach prevention of diseases, rather than how to live with a disease such as diabetes or heart problems.
One thing that needs to be kept out of the church is “health trends.” It seems as though every year a new “diet” comes out. Whether it is the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, or the like, they need to be kept out of your church. The goal of these diets or “health trends” typically is not for health. They are a means to become thin. This should not be the goal of a wellness ministry. The goal of the wellness ministry should be for overall health. This is why it is dire to keep health trends out of the church.
A second thing that would need to be implemented into the church and a wellness ministry would be in the realm of church activities. The church needs to implement exercise and physical activities into the church activities. Instead of having a “movie night” at church, go on a Saturday afternoon hike with the church members. Instead of having an “in house pot-luck”, go to the beach or park and barbeque, and then play volleyball. Small changes in the activities you choose will have a huge impact on your church.
Lastly, if all else fails, practice health and wellness in your daily walk. There is no better witness than your life. If church leaders are practicing good eating habits and good exercise habits, it will serve as a witness to those who are watching. However, if you do not practice good health practices, do not expect your church members to either. The church members will only go as far as the leader does.
However, Life Pacific College has failed me in many ways in regards to Health and Wellness. Although I learned principles that will help me tremendously, the specifics of Health and Wellness were lost in the cracks. I do not feel adequately prepared to face this.
Life Pacific College did not require any exercise or nutrition classes as part of the degree. They have failed me in this area because I was not given the opportunity to learn these practices at Life Pacific College. I was forced, and luckily willing, to take health and wellness into my own hands. With the stresses of college and ministry, I think it was a really hard balance. I will be honest, I wasn’t the greatest at this balance, but I tried my hardest given the circumstances. If Life Pacific College had offered Nutrition or Exercise classes, I believe I would have been more successful in this area of my life. Something that Life Pacific College could do, is require each student to take at least 2 semesters of exercise classes. These classes could count as required electives. I would also suggest there to either be a nutrition class offered, or a seminar that happens every semester for students to learn proper nutrition. I believe this to be especially important with incoming freshman. We have all heard of the “freshman fifteen.” If the school would help students to learn proper nutrition, I believe we can help develop healthy eating habits in our future pastors and leaders.
Secondly, Life Pacific College has failed me because it is so overloaded with academic, that I sometimes do not have the time to practice proper health. At times I have been so overloaded with homework that I was not able to get proper sleep for and extended amount of time, I relied on snack foods and late night eats to help me through it. I do not believe there is a remedy for this, except for the school to stress the importance of health above good grades. I learned this on my own and through God, not Life Pacific College.
Overall, my time at Life Pacific College has been amazing. I would never trade it for the world, and I feel ready to face all the problems that come with ministry. I know that my Biblical foundation acquired at Life Pacific College will be the foundation of my daily life, whether I am in ministry or not. For this I am grateful.
Works Cited
Bumgardner, Wendy. “What’s Typical for Daily Steps?” 27 Nov. 2009 <http://http://walking.about.com/od/measure/a/averagesteps.htm>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Obesity and Overweight.” 2 Apr. 2009. 27 Nov. 2009 <http://http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm>.
The Holy Bible: ESV. Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2001.
McBride, Judy. “USDA Finds More and More Americans Eat Out, Offers Tips for Making Healthier Food Choices.” 20 Nov. 1996. 27 Nov. 2009 <http://http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/1996/eatout1196.htm>.
“Strength.” Fredrick C. Mish, ed. “Strength.” MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY. 11th ed. 1898.
Richey, Angie. “Counseling.” Personal interview. 1 Nov. 2009.
Russell, Ryan. “Fat pastors | ryan russell.” Ryan Russell. 16 Nov. 2009. 11 Dec. 2009 <http://ryan.russell5.com/fat-pastors/>.
Scazzero, Mr. Peter, and Warren Bird. Emotionally Healthy Church, The. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2003.
Elizabeth Horn 