I will admit it. I would like this article to motivate you to make healthy lifestyle choices; to move you from thinking about making changes to taking action. What can I say that you haven’t heard and perhaps ignored many times before in print and on TV? Please read on.

 James Struve, MD, in family practice in Minneapolis, wrote an article encouraging churches to take a role in health care. Not to open a clinic or hospital but to fulfill its mission as a primary health place (to teach, preach and heal). Dr. Struve writes, “The hospital, clinic, and skilled nursing facility are for acute, maintenance, and residential care, respectively. The congregation is the place where prayer and care begins and continues for most common preventive, chronic, and end-of-life health concerns.”

Among the many suggestions Dr Struve has for congregations is to develop a covenant to

• Make nutritionally excellent and fun church suppers
• Make walking and physical activities groups integral to our public and private spiritual practices
• Make church once again the most relevant stress-reducing, lifestyle-changing place in the community

Gloria Dei has taken many steps to inform, pray, educate, care and support lifestyle changes, mental and physical health concerns, and end-of-life concerns. I invite you to participate in all aspects of the life of the church from worship, to Adult and Parent Forums, to the many body, mind, spirit classes offered (see below).

To live a more intentional and balanced life allowing us to go deeper in our faith

Offerings:

Stretch and Pray: Mondays at 11:00AM Ongoing (no fee)

Instructor: Mary Jo Hallberg, Parish Nurse

Faithfully Fit Forever: Wednesdays at 5:15PM Ongoing (no fee) Child Care available

Instructor: Beth Ann Ahlers

Yoga Devotion: Tuesdays at 6:00PM and 7:00 PM and Saturdays at 9:00 AM Eight week sessions for $50.00 (Sign up on Parish Nurse bulletin board)

Mindfulness Meditation: Saturdays at 10:15 AM 8 week session beginning February 16, 2008. Fee $125.00 (Sign up on Parish Nurse bulletin board) Instructors: Deadra Dahl and John Rodman

A Lenten Practice: Using the Wholeness Wheel to reflect on our call to care for our whole self, including our spiritual, vocational, intellectual, emotional, physical and social lives. A variety of speakers at the Adult Forums during Lent beginning February 10, 2008.

Self Care: Body, Mind, Spirit   Exploring Tools for a Balanced You Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:00AM -3:00PM $40.00

Registration forms online at www.gloriadeistpaul.org/scc and on Parish Nurse Pamphlet rack.

 “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10