Is a Faith Community Health Ministry in Your Future?
Find resources and information to assist in the planning and development of health ministries and faith community nursing within communities of faith.
211 Info is a resource for gathering and sharing information about non-profit organizations, community resources, and public services available in Oregon and southwest Washington.
ADRC has a database with private and public resources/services specializing in older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans.
Community Services Consortium serves Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties. They provide tools and resources to help overcome poverty. They can provide assistance for rent, deposits, utilities, and emergency housing.
Connect Oregon is a referral platform for connecting people to the resources in their area. UniteUs is available at the local, state, and national level.
Crossroads Communities is a non-profit organization provides wrap-around services to the vulnerable populations.
Love INC of Linn County is part of a nationwide network of Love INC affiliates. Launched in 2009, they are comprised of 35 partner churches in Linn County and numerous Christians who are mobilized to see the love of Christ in action.
Family Assistance and Resource Center Group is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Linn County, Oregon.
This website, hosted by Oregon lifestyle physicians, has weekly classes, videos, and handouts that can be used in a variety of settings
It is important to make care preferences known, even now while still healthy. This site explains the difference between the Advance Directive which should be completed while individuals are still healthy and active, and the POLST (Portable Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) Form completed with the individual’s primary care provider (PCP). POLST site: https://oregonpolst.org/. There are several excellent video resources at this link; the video entitled “POLST: When is the right time?” is short and clearly communicates when each of these forms is appropriate.
There are some excellent resources at the National Institute on Aging site. Hospice offers welcome support at end of life, but it is not the only option, and it is not the only end of life challenge. Check out these resources to learn more.
Thanks to our own Marcy Shanks who ran across this fabulous resource, NurseHack4Health! From their website: “NurseHack4Health is a community of nurses, healthcare professionals, developers, engineers, IT experts and other innovators focused on ideating and collaborating to address today’s most pressing healthcare challenges.” They have an intriguing resource called the “Innovation Academy” to equip nurses and others to effectively articulate the challenge they are striving to address through innovation.
Do you have home bound seniors in your faith community who are lonely, isolated, or in need of companionship? Here are some companion resources; one from Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley and one that is national.
Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties in Oregon:
https://www.ocwcog.org/community-services-programs/senior-companion-program/
National program information:
https://www.pathways2promise.org/companionship
Websites with information on Diabetes and Diabetes management programs.
Dignity Health:
https://www.dignityhealth.org/central-california/classes-and-events/community-wellness-program/diabetes-education
American Diabetes Association:
https://professional.diabetes.org/clinical-support/national-diabetes-prevention-program
Oregon Health Authority:
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/…
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/living-with/index.html
Faith Community Nurses International (FCNI) is a membership association that represents the interests of faith community nurses by providing nursing education and practice resources – including the online, peer-reviewed International Journal of Faith Community Nurses (IJFCN) – to promote optimal health outcomes for the individuals and communities they serve. Our professional nurse members teach, manage, and practice faith community nursing, and are leaders in nursing education and research.
The Health Ministries Association (HMA) is a recognized professional membership association for health ministers, faith community nurses, clergy, chaplains, faculty, and program leaders who have developed and provided health ministries in diverse faith communities. HMA promotes education, research utilization, and evidence-based practice. They are the co-authors with the American Nurses Association of the ANA-HMA publication, Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, 3rd Edition. 2017. This organization is open to individuals of all disciplines who are interested in health ministry. They have many resources available to members.
The International Journal of Faith Community Nursing is an esteemed open-source peer-reviewed journal hosted by Western Kentucky University. Read articles to expand your faith community nursing knowledge and consider writing up your own practice experience and submitting it for publication to this respected journal by navigating to this link. We are thankful for Dr. Ziebarth’s patience and mentorship as we learn to navigate this publication process.
Marcy Shanks and Deb Fell-Carlson recently partnered with Deb Ziebarth to publish about the FCHN’s experience with their first grant. You can read that article, Faith Community Nursing Case Study: SHARE Grant Procurement during the COVID-19 Epidemic here.
The Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation, or The Center, was formed to transform the health of communities through faith-rooted, collaborative action. They work to create health equity by building community, nurturing leaders and connecting with the unique spirit power of faith communities to promote social justice and abundant life for all. Check out their Resources and Toolkits!
The Health Ministries Network serves in the Bellingham, WA area and beyond to link faith community nurses, health ministers, congregations and local resources to nurture community health equity with spiritual well-being.
This Wellness Ministries Toolkit was created by UCC Wellness Ministries and is described on their website as a tool that is intended “to assist you in understanding the basis for Wellness Ministries and their role as we strive to care for all God’s children. It is meant to assist the process as your congregation develops its programs based on the resources and needs of its congregation and the community it serves.”
The Westberg Institute for faith community nursing has a wealth of information about the specialty practice of faith community nursing. As you visit the various information tabs, you will find information about the history of faith community nursing in the United states and around the world, educational offerings and events, resources for practice, and much more.
We’re supporting faith community nurses and health ministers bringing access to preventive care to faith communities in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties of Oregon and beyond. The FCHN does not directly or indirectly practice nursing, deliver nursing services, or hire nurses as employees, rather provides administrative support to the FCHN team to make such services available in the community setting.
The Faith Community Health Network is a 509(a)(2) public charity and can receive tax deductible donations under its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.