Parish Nurse - Health Ministry
Welcome to the webpage of the Congregational Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Council of the Michigan District, LCMS. We are committed to actively encourage, support & develop Congregational Health/Parish Nurse Ministries throughout the Michigan District, LCMS.
Our History | Our Mission | Statement of Philosophy
Functions of the Congregational Ministry | Qualifications of a Parish Nurse
Events & Conferences | Resources | List Serve | Brochure Contact Us
Our History
- 1992 - Seven Parish Nurses in the District were brought together by District Executive for Christian Care, Rev. Jack Angle. After several meetings hosted by Rev. Angle, it was decided to form "The Parish Nurse Council of the Michigan District, LCMS." The Council began with parish nurses from five congregations. They developed a Mission Statement and Statement of Philosophy, which stated that the purpose of the Council was "to actively encourage, support and develop Parish Nurse Ministries throughout the Michigan District."
- 1992-1997 - Support continued under District Executive Rev. David Estes in the form of: Support of our organizational process Attendance at meetings Budget line item under the Board of Christian Care Recognition/visibility at District functions with Displays at District Convention & Pastor's Conferences.
- 1998 - The Michigan District reorganized and all boards were eliminated. The Parish Nurse Council became a Collegial Activity funded under the Mission and Ministry Council.
- 2006 - The Parish Nurse Council is presently under Christian Care at the Michigan District.
Our Mission Statement
The Congregational Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Council of the Michigan District - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is committed to actively encouraging, supporting and developing Congregational Health/Parish Nurse Ministries throughout the Michigan District - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Statement of Philosophy
We Believe...
- God has called us as Christians...to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:2).
- Jesus Christ is the only Savior of all people and the Redeemer of the totality of each person (Luke 7:19-23).
- Christians are called by Christ to exhibit in word and deed His compassion and care for those in need (Luke 6:36, Matt. 14:14, Mark 1:40-41).
- Stewardship of God's creation calls Christians to promote a Lifestyle that cherishes human life and sustains Christian hope (Matt. 12:11-13, Matt. 6:25-34).
- That Christ, the great physician, gave us the model of holistic wellness, and Congregational Health/Parish Nurse Ministries are an ideal avenue for faith communities to reclaim and reaffirm their role of being concerned with the whole person.
- Congregational Health/Parish Nurse Ministries recognize that health is the integration of body, mind, spirit and relationships.
- That by actively encouraging, supporting and developing Congregational Health/Parish Nurse Ministries throughout the Michigan District, LCMS congregations contribute to the Christian care of all people.
Functions of the Congregational Health Ministry
- Education - Promotes, develops, and facilitates educational programs promoting wellness and health for all individuals at all age levels within the congregation.
- Consultation - Consults with church staff, organizations, the church school, community resources, other groups and individuals on health issues that relate to the wellness of the whole person.
- Personal Health Counseling - Counsels on health matters within areas of professional competence, upon personal request or referral by the pastoral or teaching staff.
- Health Resources - Develops a library of health information and health care resources appropriate to the needs of the congregation.
- Advocacy - Facilitates access to adequate health care for all, especially for the medically underinsured or indigent members of the congregation.
- Christian Lifestyle - Defines, models and promotes Christian lifestyle in the membership of the congregation.
- Voluntary Care-giving - Recruits, organizes, trains and places volunteers into care-giving situations.
- Home Health Visitations - Provides home-health visitation upon request to offer support from fellow members of the Body of Christ, to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to encourage compliance with medical regiments and adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors.
- Community Liaison/Referral - Recognizes the healing resources of various health agencies in the community and, as appropriate, refers members to them.
- Corporate Congregational Health - Monitors the physical, mental, emotional and relational health of the congregation and makes suggestions or appropriate referrals where areas of need or improvement are identified.
Qualifications of a Parish Nurse
Essential
- A registered nurse currently licensed in Michigan, functioning under the American Nurses Association Scope and Standards for Parish Nursing Practice.
- A member in good standing of a congregation in the LCMS
- A person of spiritual maturity.
- Two or more years of nursing experience.
- Commitment to wellness of the whole person as understood by the Christian Gospel.
- Ability to speak to groups and conduct educational classes.
- Ability to identify and use resources, develop programs, and train volunteers.
- Competency in clinical nursing.
- Completion of a recognized parish nurse preparation program.
Preferred
- Experience in community health.
- Knowledge of organization and function of the parish.
Primary Responsibility
- To promote health.
- The Parish Nurse does not dispense or administer medications.
- The Parish Nurse does not perform invasive procedures (i.e. dressing changes, injections, catheterization, tube feedings).
- The Parish Nurse does not duplicate existing home health care services and community health programs.
- The Parish Nurse seeks to collaborate with those resources so that clients may obtain appropriate health and social services.
Events & Conferences
LCMS Thumb Region Parish Nurse Group - Meets in the fall and spring. Speaker for each meeting and time for sharing. For more information contact Judy Eick at eick@stpaul-lapeer.org or Connie Reinert at creinert@chartermi.net or 989.652.8537.
Parish Nurse/Faith Community Nurse Preparation Courses
Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI
Contact: Carol A. Lueders Bolwerk, Program Director - Parish Nurse Ministries
carol.lueders.bolwerk@cuw.edu
Phone: 262.243.4233
Henry Ford Hospital-Macomb in Clinton Twp
Contact: Mary Ann Stockwell, Faith Community Nurse Coordinator
stockwem@hfhs.org
Phone: 586.263.2117
Calvin College, Grand Rapids
Contact: Bethany Gordon, Instructor
bg22@calvin.edu
Phone: 616.633.5006
Resources
Parish Nurse Newsletter This is a quarterly newsletter created by LCMS World Relief and Human Care for Parish Nurses. To Register to receive the e-newsletter please visit www.lcms.org/enews. Enter your address, a password, then select "Carling for Others" folder to find the Parish Nurse Newsletter. To receive a printed letter, please send your request along with your current address to: LCMS World Relief and Human Care; Attn: Parish Nurse Newsletter; 1333 South Kirkwood Road; St. Louis, MI 63122 Websites:
- International Parish Nurse resource Center, St. Louis, MO, www.parishnurses.org
- St. Joseph’s Healthcare Faith Community Nursing Network, Clinton Twp, MI www.sjmparishnursing.org
- Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Congregational health Ministry /Parish Nursing www.lcms.org
- Walk to Jerusalem or Bethlehem - An idea for a walking program. www.stjohn.org/walktojerusalem
Books: Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice 2005 ISBN 978-1-55810-228-6 American Nurses Association 8515 Georgia Avenue , Suite 400 Silver spring, Maryland 20910 1-800-274-4262 www.nursingworld.org “The Essential Parish Nurse-ABC’s for Congregational Health Ministry”, by Deborah L. Patterson, Pilgrim Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8298-1571-6, Excellent for those beginning parish nursing, how-to do the basics book. “Nursing in the Church”, Judith Allen Shelly, Editor, NCF Press, 2002. ISBN 0-9723123-0-7. Compilation of articles regarding parish nursing on specific topics such as spiritual care, models of parish nursing.
List Serve
The Michigan District has a list serve available to parish nurses of our district. This list serve enables nurses to share resources and information with others here in the district. If you would like to subscribe to this list serve please send an email to seth.hinz@michigandistrict.org In the Subject line type subscribe mdnurse In the body of the message please include your name, email address, and congregation and city in which you serve. If you have any problems or questions please contact Seth Hinz at the District Office.
Contact Us
To find out more about Parish Nursing:
Catherine Lick, Parish Nurse, Synodical Parish Nurse Representative
Faith, Troy
click@faithtroy.org
Phone: 248.689.4713, ext 217
Mary Lou Temple, Parish Nurse
Cross of Christ, Bloomfield Hills
Mltemple7@yahoo.com
Phone: 248.626.4076
Kathy Hanke, Parish Nurse
Immanuel, Bridgman, MI
khankex4@aol.com
Phone: 574.274.3821
Judy Eick, Parish Nurse
St. Paul, Lapeer
eick@stpaul-lapeer.org
Phone: 810.664.6653
JoAnne Iseler, Parish Nurse
Our Savior, Grand Rapids
iselerea@comcast.net
Phone: 616.460.5751
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