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A Partnership between Public Health and the Faith Community: Why?

Tennessee has moved from 48th to 47th in state health rankings according to the United Health Foundation www.unitedhealthfoundation.org,  which provides access to health information for you to make informed health decisions for you and your family. The Foundation has data on Tennessee that states we are doing a good job at immunizing our infants and showing improvement in the number of people insured, but challenges remain. We have a high number of people who smoke and heart disease remains our biggest killer. Sadly, we have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Another lifestyle issue is obesity, which has more than doubled since 1990.

What does this health data mean for us as the faith community? Why should the faith community direct some of its resources to health ministries? The Faith-Based Health Initiative works to answer these questions every day. We work to make it plain why a faith community should create partnerships with health providers and address these alarming statistics.

Think on these things:

  • Each of these statistics is a person who may have been a member of your congregation –before their untimely death.
  • You influence families from infancy to old age. Emphasizing the importance of improving their health will save their lives and improve their quality of life.
  • Giving a health message for five minutes every week during your worship or a few words placed in your congregational newsletters will give information that can make a difference in how people live. See the Tennessee Department of Health Web site for educational resources. (tennessee.gov/health)
  • You encourage your community to live in wholeness in their body, minds and spirits. Help them find the path to physical wholeness by providing easy access to educational materials you can receive at no cost from your local health department

You can help Tennessee become one of the healthiest states in the country. Educate your congregation on the importance of caring for themselves physically as well as spiritually and mentally. We are here to help.