The Wellness Coalition is excited to continue partnering with St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church this year to enhance their health ministry and healthy food policy.

St. Paul has continued to shine bright despite the unique circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Their health ministry has continued its efforts to host activities and events in and around their church and community.

Crystal Nelson, one of the health ministry leaders for St. Paul, recently shared the latest and greatest achievements for their church’s health ministry.

“The pandemic has pushed our ministry to use different platforms to reach the community,” said Nelson. “As a result, our health ministry has grown quite a bit since last year due to the our increased use of social media.”

Community members that are not necessarily a part of their church’s congregation have become more aware of health-related activities at St. Paul because of the Facebook posts and video messaging. Also, community members are attracted to the ministry group when passing by on Saturdays while the group exercises on the church grounds or across the street in the open lot.

“This pandemic has increased the overall creativity of the health ministry team and allowed us to think outside of the box for other ways to get connected with the people of the community,” said Nelson.

Crystal manages the church’s Facebook group, which is comprised of more than just members of St. Paul’s congregation. She ensures that the posts are educational and that they cover a variety of health topics each week. Crystal always mentions how much participation is received from the Facebook group when sharing health ministry updates with the REACH team.

Members of the Facebook group enjoy being able to participate in exercise activities and other virtual events that are posted online. Crystal makes sure that activities are recorded and posted online for those who are not able to join in person events. She also incorporates polls and questions that promote interactivity on the page. This way, everyone feels as if they are a part of a group that cares about their health journey.

A Model for Health Ministries During COVID-19

The Facebook group is a model of how support groups are formed in a health ministry. It is a safe and inviting space for those people who need encouragement and maybe even a little guidance as they seek to live a healthier lifestyle. It provides resources such as healthy recipes, health tips, and educational facts to help keep participants on track with their health goals.

St. Paul’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Agnes Lover, is a huge part of the health ministry’s success. Not only is she supportive from the pulpit, but she is also present at health ministry events. “Pastor Lover is a great example for others in the health ministry because of her vulnerability when it comes to sharing her story and her journey to better health,” said Nelson. “The health of St. Paul’s congregation is very important to her and it shows through her supportive actions.”

Health Ministry Growth

Since St. Paul has partnered with REACH, their health ministry has grown. The resources that The Wellness Coalition has provided allows St. Paul to provide free exercise classes with certified trainers. We also encourage St. Paul to be organized and stick to a plan of what activities and events will be held each month. They have also been able to partner with other churches, including Metropolitan United Methodist Church, to distribute fresh produce and packaged food weekly to the community. St. Paul also enjoys connecting with St. Peter A.M.E. and Resurrection, who also offer health ministry programs in connection with The Wellness Coalition.

Diabetes Prevention

St. Paul has a free, virtual diabetes prevention group that takes place on Wednesdays. The class is open to everyone who wants to attend, and it caters to helping participants lose weight and increase physical activity. The class begins with 30 40 minutes of discussion on different topics surrounding diabetes prevention. These topics include:

  • Adopting better eating habits
  • How to grocery shop
  • How to choose healthy options when eating out

The second half of the class consists of about 20-30 minutes of physical activity. A certified trainer leads the exercises using different techniques at a pace that accommodates all participants. The group meets again on Saturdays at 8am and walks around the campus of the church for at least a mile before being led in an aerobics routine by a certified trainer for 30 minutes. This gives the participants at least two opportunities in a week to engage in physical activity.

Healthy Food Policies and Community Outreach

During the first year of St. Paul’s partnership with The Wellness Coalition, the church was required to develop a healthy food policy for congregational meals. Crystal stated that the policy is being used mostly on Thursdays when food is delivered to senior citizens. Pastor Lover does the shopping for the church and keeps in mind the policy standards. The meals are much healthier this year than last and the church’s kitchen appliances have been upgraded as a benefit of their partnership with The Wellness Coalition.

St. Paul has eliminated potluck meals, and all meals must now be prepared in the fellowship hall kitchen to
ensure safe consumption.

St. Paul continues to deliver pre-packaged meals to children in the community to provide them with a week’s worth of meals. They also recently hosted a seminar discussing the safety concerns of the COVID-19 vaccination.

St. Paul invites everyone to join them on Saturdays for a free workout session at their church. There is no better time to get fit and make the choice to live a healthier lifestyle!

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