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Church Considering Health Clinic for Uninsured
SPRINGFIELD, MA (November 10, 2005) - Members of Highrock Covenant Church left
a recent one-day seminar led by a Covenant professor even more excited
about the possibility of starting a health clinic to serve the uninsured.
"Health is not just an individual thing - it is a community thing," says
Mary Chase-Ziolek, associate professor of health ministries at North
Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. "The health of each of us is
connected to all of us."
Several churches from the East Coast Conference of the Evangelical
Covenant Church as well as staff from the Covenant Village of Cromwell
participated in the daylong seminar at Springfield Covenant Church. The
churches are in various stages of considering different types of health
ministries.
Any church can do something to benefit the wellness of those who live
around them, Chase-Ziolek says. Although most churches think of parish
nursing as the only type of health ministry, offering a sports program
or even small groups enhances the community's health, she told the
attendees.
Although Chase-Ziolek emphasized that most congregations cannot operate
a full-fledged health clinic, planning for that kind of ministry
attracted seven members from Highrock. The church is six years old and
is looking to move soon into its first building, which is an existing
commercial structure. They hope to use part of the building to house a
clinic.
Highrock members say they are pleased that the workshop was conducted at
the Springfield Covenant Church, because it is one of two Covenant
congregations that are operating health clinics. The other is Messiah
Covenant in Detroit, Michigan.
"Actually visiting a church that opened a health clinic less than a year
ago and talking with the people who started it encouraged me to believe
that the clinic is definitely possible and doable for Highrock," says
dentist Joseph Lee. "What's even more encouraging is that founders of
this clinic and resources from our denomination are very willing to help
us to do this."
Medical school student Brian Anderson is one of the members leading the
congregation in exploring the possibility and says the demographics of
Highrock are one indicator that God may be leading the church to start a
clinic.
"When we were putting together the directory, one of the things that
stuck out was that of 175 people, almost 80 of them have some
affiliation with the health profession," Anderson says. The congregation
is attended by physical therapists, medical students, doctors,
optometrists, and other types of medical professionals.
The church has scheduled a one-day trial run on April 19, 2006, and will
focus on providing mental health and dental services, says pastor David
Swaim, who noted that a study of the community revealed services in
these two health care areas constitute the greatest need. Swaim says he
believes it is no coincidence that mental health professionals and
dentists are proportionally among the greatest number of health workers
in the congregation.
The group has been learning that the proposed clinic is more than an
outreach to potential patients. "Even non-Christian physicians get so
excited about this idea, and they want to get involved," Swaim says.
"This is an outreach to physicians."
After the trial run on April 19, the congregation plans to have two more
days available in the summer and then will see whether they still feel
led to open the clinic on a regular basis in the fall.
Members of the congregation say they also are learning to trust God in
the process. Following the workshop, Jee Hyun Song, a counselor at a
substance abuse recovery clinic, said, "Most of all, the most
significant reminder through this conference is the heart of obedience.
When we surrender to God - our time, our gifts and even our visions and
desires - God does wonderful things that we cannot even dream of. This
is perhaps one of the most important aspects of this ministry."
Churches and conferences interested in conducting similar workshops may
contact Chase-Ziolek at 773- 244-5530.
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