Health Ministries

The most important commandment is this: ‘…Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.’  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’  Mark 12:29-31

Health Message

Our Church recognises individual autonomy and God-given power of choice.  Rather than mandating standards, we call upon each other to live as positive examples of God’s love and care.

Part of that example includes taking care of our health—we believe God calls us to care for our bodies, treating them with the respect a divine creation deserves.   Read more

    Health & Christianity

    The very object of Christianity is embedded in our health message when Christ referred to the greatest commandments (Mark 12:30,31) as:

    • loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength
    • and loving our neighbour as ourselves

    Whole Person Paradigm

    This view has enabled us to develop the different areas of life God has entrusted to mankind. 

    By highlighting these distinct areas and how they do in fact impact each other, we can facilitate the use of evidence-based practices in Lifestyle Medicine to improve emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health… by God’s grace, we empower our churches to share this knowledge with their neighbours

    PHYSICAL HEALTH

    Our PHYSICAL HEALTH is largely determined by our lifestyle practices.

    Healthy practices include eating a simple, wholesome plant-strong diet, moving more and sitting less, drinking adequate amounts of fresh water and getting restful sleep. 

     

     

    MENTAL HEALTH

    Our MENTAL HEALTH is shaped by our thought processes. Some of those thoughts are accurate and others may not be. We actually have the ability to think about our thoughts. We form mental strength when we challenge inaccurate thoughts (cognitive distortions) and correct them to more truthful thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) forms a basis for sustainable personal change.

    EMOTIONAL HEALTH

    Our EMOTIONAL HEALTH is influenced by our ability to identify and manage our emotions, rather than letting them manage us. This, in turn, allows us to more readily identify emotions in others and gives us a steady response when people may react with dysfunctional behavior toward us.

    SPIRITUAL HEALTH

    SPIRITUAL HEALTH is where we come to understand our personal direction in life and how we choose to live. Many people refer to it as one’s personal compass. Your life purpose, values and conscience form from this inner discipline. This develops into a well-rounded character where integrity, love and service to others comes naturally.

    RESOURCES

    Resources below

    The Live More Project brings together scientifically-proven strategies from Neuroscience, Psychology and Lifestyle Medicine into a fun, experiential and life-enhancing program.  The Live More Project is helping people improve their health and happiness around the world

    One in three Australians are depressed.

    Learn a way out with the newly revised Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program.

    Train as an Associate Director or Facilitator and free your community.  Email for more details

    With over 60,000 graduates worldwide, CHIP remains our church’s salient  health program.

    Assist others to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

    Find out more about CHIP program.

    With a supermarket tour, cooking and budgeting sessions, you’ll teach others how to save over $2000 on their food bill and eat healthier at the same time. Contact Andrew Jasper ([email protected] or call 0411 690 136) if you are interested to conduct this program at your church.

    Everyone has a grievance story – yours may be killing you. From the legacy of 9/11 to the man or woman who broke your heart, to divorce, to the boss that holds you back. In a world riveted by conflict perhaps we’ve never learned how or why it’s healthy to forgive. Find out more here!

    ADRA, in partnership with Adventist Health, is committed to saving the lives and limbs of those affected by diabetes which is so prevalent in the South Pacific nations. Find our more in our Facebook page.

    ELIA Kitchen includes 6 sessions run by trained facilitators.
    Learn how to cook healthy dishes with live demonstrations and nutritional information for each recipe. Supporting resources are then available online to provide you with a back-up reference to demonstrations, including 2-minute refresher videos and printable recipe cards.

    De-stress & Thrive is an exciting new resource developed to help you develop emotional intelligence and resilience so you can buffer the stress of life. De-stress & Thrive offers simple solutions for complex problems and shares principles and skills applicable to most stressful situations.

    There are many programs offered by our local churches where some degree of food preparation is involved. Consistent with our health message, we should do all with in our power to ensure that the food we serve is uncontaminated.  Learn more about safe food handling technique.

     

    ABOUT US

    The purpose of Health Ministries is to inspire and invigorate our churches to embrace our health message in a way that connects with the growing needs of their community.

    Pr Andrew Jasper
    Director

    Contact US

    Glenda Locop
    Departmental Assistant