The Faith and Health Perspective, June 2020
Collaboration


Throughout these past few months, we have been challenged with not only a global pandemic, but with a marked increase in racial injustices. We are responding to worldwide oppression while taking time to acknowledge our pain, honor those we have lost, and to find ways to nourish our spirits. It is a time for grieving, a time for healing and a time for rebuilding. We have seen our communities come together in so many unique ways as we continue to lean on each other for support during this time.

"For the Body is not one member, but many" 

1 Corinthians 12:14

In this issue, we want to highlight our faith communities who have mobilized to meet the overwhelming needs of their larger communities. From providing daily meals to transforming church spaces into hotspots for students to becoming designated COVID-19 testing sites, you have been there for your people. You have become anchors that ground your community and beacons of hope for us all.

We are humbled.

We are grateful.

We are inspired! 
Events
Sacred Conversations: Becoming a Trauma-Informed Faith Community
 

Please join us for the next part of our Sacred Conversations series, on Friday, June 26 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. This will be part one of a two part series, titled “Becoming a Trauma-Informed Faith Community.”

We will define what a trauma-informed faith community is, how to become one, and look at the various ways in which faith communities can productively address trauma. This work is crucial as we find ourselves confronting layers of communal and individual stress in our world.

This conversation will be whole-person driven, with language that supports and honors our various stories and experiences. We hope that this time will empower you to invite new and healthy ways of doing life and ministry with your faith community.

Click here to view a preview of the event from the Rev. Jessica Stokes. You must register to receive call-in details - click the button below to RSVP.
 
Click here to register
PHW Collaborative Spotlights
Haywood Street UMC

Our first Collaborative spotlight features Haywood Street UMC, located in Asheville, NC. Haywood Street UMC has been a member of the PHW Collaborative since 2018. They have always been an anchor of support in their community through ministering with the unsheltered population of Asheville, serving fresh meals to all, and hosting a respite center for... 
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St. Stephen Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ

St. Stephen Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ is located in Trenton, NC, in the heart of Eastern North Carolina. They have been a member of the PHW Collaborative for almost 7 years.

Led by Bishop Rodney Parker, St. Stephen has been embodying the mission of our Collaborative through a Healthy Eating educational program, community garden, and exercise programs.

Health-lead Beverly Hines shared with us some of the efforts their faith community has...
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Oasis of Hope Ministries

Oasis of Hope Ministries is located in Henderson, NC, in Central North Carolina. 

Oasis of Hope Ministries has been centering faith, health, and well-being in their ministry for almost 4 years now. Some of the programs they offer include nutrition seminars, free exercise classes, a community health fair, and an annual mile challenge, just to name a few. 

Church Administrator Chalis Henderson shared with us some of the ways in which Oasis of Hope has adapted to meet the needs of their community throughout the pandemic...
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St. Paul Presbyterian Church 

Our last spotlight features St. Paul Presbyterian Church located in Louisburg, NC, in Central North Carolina. 

St. Paul Presbyterian Church has made healthy eating central to their ministry through the initiative "A Blessing Soup Kitchen," serving nutritious meals to community members twice a week, providing nonprofit day care, and hosting the Franklin County Reentry Program, to assist recently incarcerated individuals.

Roslyn Thomas, chair of the church's Matthew 25 Committee, committed to serving those in need, shared with us how...
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These Collaborative spotlights are just a few examples of faith communities across the state who have mobilized in response to COVID-19. To read more stories, click here to visit our website.

We encourage you to share with us what your faith community is doing right now by emailing information and photos to Lindsay Barth, PHW Communications Associate, at lindsay@ncchurches.org.
Meditative Moment: Prayer in a Time of Anxiety

Take a moment of your day to center your mind and nourish your soul with this poem from Xavier University (written anonymously and listed on our COVID-19 resource page here). We hope this will remind you that you are always surrounded by the loving arms of our Creator. You are so loved. 

"It seems that I return to you most easily when I need comfort, O God.
Hello… here I am again, knowing that you are waiting for me with love and warming light.
In the shadow of your wings I find respite and relief that feeds my innermost self and renews my soul. Day and night, you are my refuge.

These uncertain days of news conferences and quarantines tempt me to assume the worst for my loved ones, myself and my community. “Pandemic” is a frightening word, and I can easily feel confused or helpless to respond. Now I am relying on you to lead and guide me, to put my anxiety in its place. Help me see it as a human response that keeps me conscious of the seriousness of this moment, but do not let it overwhelm my spirit. Buoyed by your love, I choose each day to let peace reign in me. Breathing deeply of your calm, I repeat, again and again, 'You are here.'

Good and gracious Companion, my family and friends need tranquility and assurance. Help me to offer them your tenderness. Those in my community who are suffering need care. Help me to be generous and to keep contact with the forgotten. Our world calls for cooperation among national leaders, scientists, health care providers, and all who are instrumental in overcoming this crisis. May my prayers and support be with them all.

I have come back to you, and I will return, knowing that your open arms will never fail. God of hope, may your love blanket the earth, as you teach us to live more generously today than yesterday. May my anxiety be transformed into love."
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