HEALTHY CHANGES:
4 Steps Towards Overall Health

Step 1:
Understanding Your "Total Health"

Make the Commitment

Importance of Commitment
How to Stay Committed
Incentives for Clergy

Step 3:
Assessment & Goals

Step 4:
ACTION TOOL RESOURCE CENTER

 

 

Step 2: MAKE THE COMMITMENT

The Importance of Commitment | How to Stay Committed | Incentives for Clergy

The Incentive Process for Arkansas Conference United Methodist Clergy

Holy Healthy UMC was originally visioned as a response to disturbing trends in the overall health and wellness of Protestant clergy. The Arkansas Conference wished to take an active roll in improving our clergy health by providing guidance, resources and incentives. The health and wellness of our clergy affects us all, and every Methodist can be actively involved in supporting and encouraging our clergy to make positive health and lifestyle changes.

Whether you are an individual in a local church or a church leader, you are asked to prayerfully consider how you can provide support and encouragement to your local pastor. If you work with clergy in a Methodist organization or program, or work at the district or conference level, you are asked to provide support for the clergy you work with.

Clergy Incentives for Participation in Holy Healthy UMC

The best support and encouragement comes from those nearest to us. Rewarding and encouraging our clergy by offering creative incentives for participation in Holy Healthy UMC is in the hands of those that work with them. Your support can come in many forms, and should be tailored to meet the needs of the clergy you work with. If your pastor is participating in Holy Healthy UMC, reward them with a gift certificate for a nice dinner out, a new piece of exercise equipment, a gym membership or some extra time away from the office. This is where we need YOU to get creative!

HOW CAN A CHURCH HELP A PASTOR'S HEALTH?

When a pastor first arrives at a church, the congregation makes a special effort to help the pastor and the family feel welcome. Special treats are brought over and individuals stop by just to welcome the family. While everyone is excited about this change in the life of the church, sometimes the honeymoon is over too soon.

Ministry in our time is one of the most stressful jobs in America. Only the truly committed are willing to go through all the hoops of candidacy, seminary, and probation to become an Elder in the United Methodist Church. Research has proven that stress can contribute to a whole host of health problems.

How can a congregation help reduce the stress of the ministry and enable our pastors to be healthier and more effective? Here are just a few suggestions.

• Give an encouraging word or send a card when the pastor has helped you through a difficult time.
• Remember and celebrate milestones such as the anniversary of the pastor’s arrival or birthdays. Taking up a collection for a check for Christmas is a tradition of some churches that is greatly appreciated.
• Allow the pastor to have “quiet time” during the week and respect the need for uninterrupted opportunities for prayer and sermon preparation. Encourage the pastor to take the vacation time they have earned.
• Volunteer. One of the greatest things a congregation can do is to help the church move forward through volunteerism. There are literally hundreds of opportunities to help the church and they can be tailored to your availability, gifts, and graces.
• Organize the Pastor Parish Relations Committee into a pastor’s and pastor’s family support group. The PPR can enable the pastor and lessen stress or the committee can contribute to an already stressful situation. If your pastor is doing well, the members of the committee can fan out into the organizational structure to create a multitude of support efforts on behalf of the pastor.
• Practice random acts of kindness with the pastor and their family. The next time you bake a pie, make two and give one to the pastor. If your garden is bountiful, share with the pastor.
• Think of everyone in the church as a pastor beyond the walls of the church. The Body of Christ can be a caring witness to the world in thousands of ways. Creating a successful, loving, growing, mission-minded church is the job of all the members, not just the pastor. Inviting a friend or neighbor to church, visiting new arrivals in your community or making hospital visits are just a few ways in which you can assist the pastor and create a stronger church.
• When the pastor has a problem such as dependency, depression, or health issues encourage the pastor to seek an appropriate solution.

 

Take The Next Step

INSPIRATION CORNER

Did you know that, according to a 2003 Pulpit and Pew survey, over 76% of Protestant ministers are either overweight or obese (compared to 61% of the general population)? Or that 40% of pastors indicate that they are at times depressed, or worn out “some or most of the time?” The reasons for this trend are debatable. The results, however, are frighteningly clear.

Two major studies found that Protestant clergy had the highest overall work-related stress of religious professionals, and (even more frighteningly), the highest death rates from heart disease of any occupation.

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