I received an e-mail from someone who was asked to coordinate a health ministry in her church and was looking for help.  I thought perhaps my response could benefit others. 

I’m not in the medical field and I have never been involved in a health ministry of a church.  So, right upfront, I need to say that I am not coming at this from an experience base.  I am looking at it from a biblical perspective for balance and observation of what churches have done.

Some churches do nothing, solely dealing with spiritual issues.  On the other side of the spectrum are churches that have a health and wellness program that is so focused on the physical that it could just as well be done by a secular group.  Then there are churches that “dabble” in it, perhaps providing blood pressure screening and having a nurse/doctor within the church recruited to be on-call for emergencies or first-aid.  And, some churches have a full program of services but keep focus on people’s whole being and not just the physical.

It would seem to me that if you are going to have a health ministry in a church, it should have some purpose other than purely attending to the physical being of people, a distinct purpose or emphasis that distinguishes it from what people can find elsewhere. 

Scriptural principles that can be considered are:

1. We are to be stewards of our bodies and so a church can train people to treat their bodies (“a temple of the Holy Spirit”) in ways that glorify Him. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
2. We were made by God with a body, mind, soul, spirit.  The greatest command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30).  And so, a church can minister to the whole person, integrating physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and social health and wellness.
3. We are told that Jesus came “that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10).  Might that not include the whole of our lives and not merely the spiritual?  And so, a church can help people experience that abundant life spiritually but also physically as is possible on this side of eternity by helping people learn to prevent problems physically that could affect the rest of their being.

The questions are:

How far should your church pursue and provide a health and wellness ministry?  How much of the church’s resources (time, volunteers, budget, facilities) should be devoted to it?  — I cannot provide answers for your church.  Prayer is integral to answering those questions.

How many of the following services should your church provide?  blood pressure and other health screening, fitness training, nutrition classes, scheduling medical personnel (nurse, doctor) to be on standby for emergencies or first aid during services, participation in a blood donation program, HIV/Aids awareness, making referrals, providing information & resources about health care, massages of head, neck, and shoulders for stress relief, CPR training, flu clinic, help for living with chronic illness, visitation, basic care for the elderly, basic care for pregnant women or new mothers, visitation, serving as a liaison or advocate, etc.

How far should your church go in instructing about health and wellness?  (health fair, classes, preaching, workshops, seminars, newsletters, support groups, counseling of options, etc.)

How far reaching should these services be extended?  (your church family only or also as a community outreach)

If you are getting involved on the ground level then you should:

Build a purpose/vision statement.  — why you will do what you do

Build a profile of your church members (age, sex, physical issues and needs they face).  –  where you will focus (start with greatest needs)

Build a team of qualified people and train them.  — who will implement the ministry

Build a plan.  — how to meet the needs with the time, budget, facilities, and volunteers you have to work with

Build a calendar of activities.  — when you will provide services, training, classes, etc.

Build an awareness among the congregation and/or community.  — what this ministry can do for them

If you are directing or coordinating a pre-existing health ministry in your church, then you would probably not do the first task listed above unless  it was never done.  The other tasks will be ongoing activities.  You will organize, schedule, plan, recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to achieve the ministry’s objectives.

For more specific help, let me suggest that you network with people from other churches who have implemented an effective holistic health ministry.

I received an e-mail from someone who was asked to be the church’s youth director.  Though having been to seminary, this person did not feel trained for youth ministry.  Perhaps my response will help others with a similar dilemma.

I am all for training.  That is what Ministry Tools Resource Center is about … equipping / training people for ministry.  Let me suggest that you pursue training specifically for youth ministry.  That could include attending youth ministry conferences, networking with other youth ministers, and/or doing reading about it to learn from people who are veterans.  Look at training as an on-going process and not a one-time effort.  You can take a look at the Youth Ministry Resources page for help.

With that said, let me emphasize that training isn’t everything.  First and foremost, you need a love for the Lord that spills over into a heart for the teens.  If one or both of these are missing, teens will soon notice. 

Your love for the Lord will keep Him first and in the center of all you do.  Your love for the teens will give you the motivation to invest into them and the youth ministry what is necessary to help them love the Lord too. 

Out of your love for the Lord will come an authenticity that speaks volumes to youth, probably more than all the actual words you will speak.  Out of your love for the teens will come an atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and security which appeals to deep-rooted needs within them and opens them to further ministry.

Let me suggest that you work on three objectives:

1. Understand youth and their culture and meet them there.
    
   You need to meet them where they are to take them to where they should be, to go deeper in their walk with the Lord.  If you don’t understand how they view life, the messages you send might not get through the way you intended.  They might be hearing something different than what you think you are communicating.   –  Resources about Youth Culture
    
2. Build community in your youth group, making the emphasis about relationships … first with God and then with you and the other teens.
    
   Let me encourage you to read a previous blog posts, The Focus of Youth Ministry.  From this focus, you then strategize or plan out your youth program and meetings.  What can you do to help them “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), to love Him more?  What can you do to help them know one another better, not to be cliquish, but to engage in true body life to help each other grow?  What can you do to let them know you care?    — Ideas for Building Community
    
3. Disciple or mentor them in their love relationship with the Lord.
    
   Youth ministry needs to be about more than fun activities.  It even needs to be about more than simply learning “about” God or gaining head knowledge from the Bible.  Teens need help in navigating through life with Christ at the helm.  They need to see an example.  They need to be nurtured.  They need feedback and debriefing.  This can happen one-on-one and/or in small groups.  Some will happen in your regular youth group meetings, but it is going to take more than the large group setting. Given the number of teens in your church and your youth ministry staff, how can you best work toward this goal?  You might find the Shepherding Ministry section on the MinTools.com site to be helpful.  Start by reading through all the general pages.  Then under venues, look at discipleship.  It doesn’t specifically deal with youth, but the principles apply.

Sure, there is more to youth ministry … planning and scheduling activities, service projects, group dynamic, parent relations, dealing with conflict and discipline issues, staffing, working with a budget, etc.  However, if you work on the three objectives mentioned above, these other matters tend to fall into place.  You might need to learn some of the particulars involved in administrating or overseeing a youth ministry, but at least you will be headed in a good direction.

People take vacations.

Attendance fluctuates.

Teachers need time off.

Sometimes it is hard to keep the momentum going over the summer.  This is especially problematic for smaller churches.

Some churches will drudge through regardless of these issues.  But, doesn’t that get discouraging for teachers? 

Others will disband Sunday School for the summer.  But, aren’t the faithful few important? 

Summer Sunday School Opportunities:

Does it have to be an all or nothing matter?  Why not change the way you do Sunday School over the summer months to overcome obstacles?  You could make Summer Sunday School special or unique.

It might take a little planning and promoting but you could be surprised at the results, particularly if what you do it born out of prayer. 

What does God want you to do over the summer?  That’s the real issue, not what is expedient or what other churches are doing.

You can use it as a time to reach people you might not normally reach like people who are visiting regular attendees or the community.  (Parents especially might be glad to have something to send their children to every week now that school is out.)

You can use it as a time to get people involved who are not teachers.  People who will not teach during the Sunday School hour might be willing to commit to other types of serving if you offer something different over the summer.

Summer Sunday School Options:

Combine:

• Combine some classes close in age.
• Combine all classes for special events …. a movie, Puppet show, drama, magic, musical program, Bible game show, etc.

Revise:

• Use stand-alone lessons rather than a series that do not build on one another so people who miss a week or two won’t be lost when they return or so you don’t feel like you must spend half of each session reviewing for those who missed the previous week.
• Use a VBS curriculum, or perhaps a camping curriculum, during the Sunday School hour.  (Some churches do this in lieu of a week long Daily Vacation Bible School.)
• Bring in guest teachers to give your teachers a break.
• If you use traditional curriculum, switch to learning centers or use the rotation model.
• Take advantage of the good outdoors.  Hold classes outside when the weather isn’t too hot or raining.  Youth or adult classes can sit under some trees, under a pavilion or tent for a good discussion of relevant topics.  Children can sit in the grass for a Bible story and enjoy some added activity outdoors.  Many traditional games can be used to teach verses, truths, etc.  Kids would especially enjoy water balloons on a hot summer day.

Integrate:

• This could be a good time to try some intergenerational learning where you bring all ages together.
• Prior to summer, have different classes plan something special to present to everyone or to other classes. Remember to have people check their calendars before assigning a responsibility.
• Develop a big brother/sister type of program wherein you pair older students with younger ones to read a book or Bible story together, do a craft together, etc.

Revamp:

• Plan field trips, outreach or service projects to sick/shut-ins, hospitals, nursing homes, tract distribution at parks, etc.  Adults could be assigned to groups of kids.  Travel time could be used to discuss things like being a Good Samaritan, etc.  Some projects could be done on church grounds such as preparing food boxes, making cards for missionaries, etc.
• Move small groups for adults and teens to the Sunday School hour and do something special for children like a movie, Puppet show, drama, etc.
• Serve breakfast each week and give a brief devotional or object lesson, some singing and break into small groups for fellowship and prayer.
• Do special outdoor activities during the normal Sunday School time with community outreach in mind like a carnival, breakfast under a tent, a car wash, etc. wherein tracts and/or information about your church can be distributed.

Some teachers wouldn’t leave home without it. 

These were teachers who were overly reliant on the curriculum.  They followed it to the letter, exercising little creative thought, making curriculum their all in all.  Some even taught with the teacher’s manual in hand, reading word for word.  If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed the curriculum.

Other teachers would rather leave it at home. 

These were teachers who used the curriculum begrudgingly, viewing curriculum as a noose around their necks.  They would rather completely do their own thing but since the curriculum was required, they did just enough to make it appear like they were using the curriculum.  If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed it on being confined by the curriculum.

What the Christian Education ministry skipped in the process, was training teachers on how to use the curriculum.

First, they needed to communicate why curriculum was necessary.  It was a means of keeping students on track to potentially receive a well-rounded Biblical education.  If teaching was not coordinated through the use of curriculum, it was possible content could be duplicated or overlapped within a short period of time and some important truths missed altogether.  Curriculum was not a substitute for the Bible but rather a tool to teach the Bible.

Second, they needed to present the curriculum as a a guide.  While it was important to use the curriculum, it was not expected that teachers had to teach it word for word.  At the same time, it did serve to keep everyone on track and so it was important to use it.

Third, they needed to emphasize that teachers held a critical part in making sure the lesson went well.  They couldn’t always blame the curriculum when teaching didn’t go well.  They needed to make any adjustments necessary to insure that the lesson plan fit their students.

I received an e-mail from someone who was appointed to be the Sunday School Superintendent in his church.  He asked for help as he had no training.  Perhaps some of my response could be helpful to others in the same situation.  My comments were assuming that he was going into an already existing program with established ways of doing things, a curriculum already chosen, etc.

1)  Learn what expectations your church has for someone in the role of Sunday School superintendent. 

Ideally, they would have a written job description to give you.  If not, perhaps you can request that one be drafted for you.  Find out to whom you are accountable (Christian Education Board, Director of Christian Education, pastor) and what the means of communicating or reporting should be.  Also, get a good idea of where your boundaries are.  For example, what kinds of decisions are you permitted to make on your own and what needs to be brought to the board or pastor (i.e., policies, model of Sunday School, curriculum choices, etc.)?

2)  Spend time talking with the past Sunday School Superintendent, the pastor, Director of Christian Education, and others who have been involved in Sunday School. 

Find out what procedures are already in place and how they are accomplished, the purpose for your Sunday School and what is in place to accomplish that goal, etc.  Learn from their experience and different perspectives.

3)  Study a little about the history of Sunday School and the potential that exists within this type of ministry program for discipleship, outreach, fellowship, assimilation, etc. 

You need a clear understanding of the importance of Sunday School if you are going to be instrumental in moving it forward.   –  Resource list of books and articles about Sunday School

4)  Become thoroughly acquainted with the curriculum that is used in your Sunday School. 

Look at the scope and sequence charts to get a good idea of where the curriculum will take your students and how that fits into your purpose.  You need to know not only what students are learning but also what teachers have to work with so you can best serve them.

5)  Get a grasp on basic administrative and supervisory skills and specifically how they apply to overseeing the Sunday School program. 

Sunday School Superintendents are heavily involved in administration and staffing to facilitate an effective Bible learning strategy each Sunday.

Organization:  This involves grouping for departments/divisions and classes based on a proper teacher to student ratio.  It is good for you to develop an organizational chart.  Know that this may need to be adjusted quarterly or yearly based on attendance, etc.

Delegation:  This involves building a team to assist you and delegating responsibilities to them.  In addition to teachers, helpers, and department heads, you could benefit by having an assistant and/or secretary to help you with some of the various details.  The smaller the church, the more you might find yourself doing many of the tasks but should still delegate as you can.  The larger the church, the more you will need to delegate.  Some of the many tasks that could be delegated are:  ordering and distributing curriculum and classroom supplies, maintaining records, facility management to keep it inviting and conducive to learning, following-up with absentees and visitors, maintaining supplies and equipment, etc.  While all these tasks could be delegated, as superintendent, you still need to supervise those to whom tasks are delegated, giving deadlines and means of reporting and accountability.

Staffing:  This involves recruitment of teachers, department leaders, etc., providing training to equip and encourage them and supervision.  Job descriptions for everyone and evaluation or feedback is most helpful.  Plan meetings with staff to get them involved in the planning process, to keep them informed, and build an atmosphere of teamwork.  The staffing ministry section on the MinTools.com site could be helpful.    The  resources at TrainBibleTeachers.com could be useful to you for teacher training. 

Coordination:  This involves scheduling, facility/room usage based on group sizes and age level developmental space needs, dealing with safety/security issues, allocating and/or managing budget needs, etc.

Planning: This involves strategizing the best way to accomplish various tasks that need to be done annually, quarterly, weekly.  Developing a planning calendar for when various tasks must be accomplished could be helpful.

Promotion:  This involves publicizing your Sunday School to your church members and in your community with the hopes of keeping people aware of its importance to their spiritual growth and increasing attendance.

Communication:  This involves keeping in contact with teachers and parents, perhaps through a newsletter, e-mail, or other means.  You will be communicating changes, schedules, plans, procedures, policies, etc.  You need to be concerned about parent-church relations and keep lines of communication open between you and teachers.

Evaluation: This involves surveying teachers, leaders, and/or participants to see if the purpose is being accomplished.  Doing a needs assessment can help you determine what must be done to improve and grow.  This also involves observation as you are present each Sunday to not only be available to teachers and deal with unexpected needs or issues but also to observe problems to determine what needs improvement and to observe progress being made to extend appreciation and affirmation to others.

6)  Most important, seek after God through prayer and study of His Word. 

He will give you wisdom and understanding as you look to Him.

Obviously I can’t answer that question for you.  You need to look at your particular situation.  I can, however, give you a few suggestions to maximize your effort.

1) View prayer as critical.
Make sure this is what God wants you to do. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). If this type of ministry is His will for you, ask Him to give you a clear purpose for it. Then envelope everything you do in prayer. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). For more help on praying your way through VBS, read: 4 Critical Steps to Effectively Prepare for Vacation Bible School.

2) Have a clear purpose and diligently pursue that purpose.
Having Vacation Bible School because “We’ve always done VBS” probably isn’t the reason God would have you hold VBS. We have a purposeful God.

Is your VBS to be a way to disciple your own church’s children and youth during the slow summer months? If so, get beyond the fun of VBS and make sure it also truly helps students know and love the Lord better.

Is your VBS to be a means of community outreach? If so, do everything you can to make sure community kids come and not just those from your own church. And, make sure the Gospel is clearly presented.

3) Choose your curriculum wisely.
A friend told me of her church choosing a certain curriculum because they liked the theme. As teachers prepared, they began to find teaching they did not believe was biblical. Now it was too late to change. All they could do was ask teachers to make necessary fixes … hoping they all knew the Bible well enough themselves to find what needed to be changed. There is more to consider than the theme. Get help here: Choosing Curriculum for Vacation Bible School

4) Plan well enough in advance.
The best time to begin is right after finishing. If you wait too long to begin, everything becomes a rush. You are tempted to take short cuts and not put adequate time into it.  People get frustrated not knowing what they are supposed to do, not having materials early enough, etc. Think through all that needs to be done and strategically plan when to do it. Here’s a tool to serve as a guide: VBS Planning Timeline

5) Recruit strategically.
There is no reason for a handful of people to be overwhelmed. The work of leaders and teachers would be greatly reduced if you got more people involved. How, you might ask, are you supposed to do that when you can’t even fill all the volunteer positions needed in the on-going work of the church? Most people are more willing to help out in time specific, low-commitment ways that fit their gifting and passions. Delegate to many rather than to few and you will spread the load. Yes, that takes coordination but if you do the previous suggestion to plan well enough in advance, that won’t seem so daunting. Here are some examples: A Place for Near All Spiritual Gifts in VBS

6) Take time to follow-up.
Don’t expect that just because you had a VBS program that brought in the community that they will come back. Don’t settle for an unspoken sentiment that those who got saved at VBS are better off than before they came, that you fulfilled your responsibility. If you want people to keep coming back and you want participants to continue growing, you need to follow up. You can read some ideas here: When VBS is Over, Then What?

These suggestions, if followed, could very well tip the scale on whether or not VBS is worth it for you because you

go beyond simply having a nice program that is an end in itself and stresses out its workers 

to something God is in and is able to bless that leads to an even greater purpose and that people find rewarding.

Here is the problem:  By the time we have reached adulthood, that child-like trust, transparency, and sense of awe so vital to our spiritual growth and relationships with one another has been replaced with walls.

Walls That Block Out Unwanted Feelings:

How quickly we learn that life doesn’t always go our way, that it sometimes includes suffering.  Bad things do happen to good people.  And, it doesn’t feel good.   We try to block out the negative reactions these events can cause, repressing our feelings.  Why?  Perhaps we have learned along the way that big boys don’t cry, that we shouldn’t be a wimp.  We may have gotten pegged as not having enough faith.  If we don’t feel, then we won’t react.  If we don’t react, we won’t have to be uncomfortable around others.  We’ve learned to mask our feelings so well that sometimes we aren’t even honest with ourselves about how we feel about both the good and bad of life.

Result:  We lose that child-like awe and wonder.

Walls That Keep a Distance Between Us and Other People:

Too often, as children, we are hurt by the very people who we most look to for care, understanding, attention, and love … parents, family, teachers, best friends.  Perhaps we were neglected, abused, rejected, or betrayed.  We feel like we’ve been let down.  Relational hurts, especially those experienced early in life, can cause us to say, “Never again.”  We try to prevent the same thing from reoccurring.

Result:  We no longer have that child-like trust.

Walls That Hide Who We Really Are:

We didn’t make the grade, get the part, or win the competition.  We felt the shame of disappointing our parents or teachers.  We were put down one too many times.  Soon we don’t even like ourselves.  We begin to play the part, saying and doing what we feel people expect of us.  We don’t want others to see our weaknesses or failures so we begin to make excuses or blame someone or something else.

Result:  We no longer have that child-like transparency.

Walls That Keep Us From Growing Spiritually:

If you are a teacher of an adult Bible class, you soon realize that these same walls also keep truth and growth opportunities from getting in.  Consequently, part of our task as teachers of adults is breaking walls down. 

The Breaking Walls Down Training Session for Teachers of Adult Bible Classes gives nine different tools you can use to chisel away at those walls.

Breaking down the walls in your life will probably take you out of your comfort zone.  You may not feel safe.  So, start in your relationship with the Lord.  Find your security in Him.  Get a sense of how much He truly is there for you, working on your behalf.  Pull on the power and resources He extends to you. Then, if others let you down or if life gets hard, you can be okay because your source of significance is in Him.  You are loved with an unending love.