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6 Ways Your Church Can Minister to the Chronically Ill

By: Lisa Copen 1 in 3 people in the U.S. have a chronic condition. If it's not you, it's someone sitting next to you or a friend who has yet to reveal her greatest personal struggle.

Oftentimes a chronic illness, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, or chronic pain like migraines or back pain, is undetectable to those around them. It may surprise you to know that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 96% of the people who have an illness do not use an assistive device, like a cane or a wheelchair. Pain is nearly always invisible. Those that are ill usually do everything that they can to get to church. They want to be part of the church community and they appear to be healthy. Still, just sitting through the service can be extremely difficult.

As someone who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, I remember standing during worship and grasping onto the pew in front of me to balance. My knees both need joint replacements and my feet are somewhat deformed. And then the worship team began singing a song that had the lyrics, "I will stand in spite of pain." I rolled my eyes and my husband said, "It's just an expression." Of course, I knew this, but the timing was ironic.

I was surrounded by people who cared about me, in a church I love, and yet I still felt lonely and as though no one had an idea of what my life was truly like.

It's obvious that churches already have an overwhelming amount of needs that must be fulfilled. Some of these needs are obvious and they often rise to the top of the priority list. So when people don't even verbalize about their pain level or illness symptoms that change their lifestyle, it's hard to understand where a church could begin to help. Pastors ask, "If they aren't speaking up, then doesn't that mean they are coping with it fine? They believe in God and we have a healing service every six months. Isn't that enough?"

Let's look at some stunning statistics:

- Despite what we are led to believe by our media, 60% of the people who suffer with daily pain or illness are between the ages of 18 and 64. - 75 percent of marriages that have at least one person with a chronic illness end in divorce. - Depression has been found to be 15-20% higher for the chronically ill than it is for the average person. - Various studies have discovered that physical illness (not mental illness) or uncontrollable physical pain are major factors in up to 70% of suicides.*

So there is a cause for concern. Whether a pastor or church leadership can see it or not, those church pews are packed with ailing bodies. And the suffering bodies are filled with broken spirits. These are the broken-hearted that Jesus promises blessings for.

But the question is, if people aren't talking about their pain, how do you know how to reach out to them? How can you understand their needs?

(1) First, do a survey in your church to find out what some of the needs are that people may not be talking out loud about. This is particularly important if you are in a large church; this is because a recent Barna group study discovered that larger churches were the least likely to mention congregational care ministries as a priority (Church Priorities for 2005 Vary Considerably). When people don't feel a personal connection to the church staff or others, they are less likely to share their vulnerabilities. Too frequently, they are given a list of healing scriptures and sent on their way.

Ask questions on a survey such as, "If we provided transportation, such as a van ride, would it increase your ability to attend church? If you were too ill to attend church, would you listen to the service on the internet? Do you know who to call at the church if you occasionally need personal assistance (especially when the illness is chronic and not acute)? Are you able to see the worship song lyrics on the overhead, or would having them available on paper also be helpful? Please rate the comfort level of our seats." Sit down with a group of people who live with chronic pain and brainstorm ideas with them about what would increase their church attendance or connection with the church and then prioritize what they say.

(2) Start a small group/Bible study for people who cope with illness. Rest Ministries is the largest Christian organization for the chronically ill and they have a program called HopeKeepers. You can find resource materials, group studies, leader support, and books, CDs and more for training. Though a church may assume their current small groups are meeting this needs, people with illness grow weary of talking and praying about their illness week after week with people who don't understand the daily-ness of illness. When there is a place where everyone can "speak the same language" and even laugh at the same tales can be reviving. Even if just two people show p, it can be life-changing for those two. Be a church that recognizes chronic illness is difficult to live with and provide an oasis from it.

(3) Invite guest speakers who have physical disabilities or live with chronic illness. There are amazing people that speak at churches, sharing their testimony and a wonderful message. By letting them be on stage and reveal what God has done in their lives, despite physical challenges, lets people in your church who are ill see that you do in fact recognize their needs. It reminds them that you care, and perhaps most importantly of all, that you believe that people with physical challenges are still worthy to be used by God (a message few hear from their church). Speakers such as Dave Dravecky, Lisa Copen, Joni Eareckson Tada, Nick Vujicic, and many others, minister to the masses, not just those with disabilities.

(4) Discuss the possibility of adding a parish nurse to your church staff. The number of parish nurses in United States is estimated to be about 6000, according to the Marquette University College of Nursing. If you church has a lot of seniors this may be an obvious need and she will help organize the ministries to this group of people. There are a lot of retired nurses who are discovering this kind of ministry engaging and parish nurse certification can be found at most hospitals. The parish nurse position description includes a variety of duties, depending on your church's needs and goals. For example, the role of the parish nurse may include going to homes of church members to monitor high blood pressure or diabetes, organizing health screenings and fairs, starting walking groups, and even assisting with chronic illness and disability ministries. The parish nurse would network closely with the congregational care pastor.

(5) Have your church library be the source for all materials related to health, illness, caregiving, and Christian ministries. A large percentage of people with chronic illness are on a fixed-income and yet they really want encouragement. So fill up your library with items like books on living with chronic illness such as "Why Can't I Make People Understand?" or "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend," by Lisa Copen or Joni Eareckson Tada's remarkable book on suffering, "When God Weeps." Subscribe to a few magazine subscriptions like "HopeKeepers", "Guideposts" or even "Arthritis Today." Don't forget books on tape, audio presentations and large-print items when they are available. Be a part of creating awareness in the church by posting flyers or having brochures available about chronic illness or disability ministries, such as Joni and Friends "Wheels for the World" program or Rest Ministries' annual outreach, "National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week." A volunteer could also put together a binder of local and national ministry resources.

(6) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, keep in mind that people with illness want to help serve. Not just be served. Proverbs 11:25 says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." For example, if a woman with a chronic illness explains that she must resign from teaching Sunday school, make sure she knows that she is welcome to serve in other ways when she is ready. Though she no longer is physically able to teach four-year-olds, she may discover that she loves writing notes to people who have just been diagnosed with a chronic illness. A man may discover that he prefers mentoring another man with a chronic illness one-on-one, instead of leading a weekly Bible study. Let people know that you value wounded healers and that your church believes that God comforts us "so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:4).

About twice a month someone tells me that they went to their pastor with a request to start a chronic illness HopeKeepers ministry and they were told, "Come back when you are healed and then we will talk. You can't very well minister to others with illness when you aren't even healed yourself." The broken hearts that arise from these comments is unbearable. It's devastating to feel like God is using your illness for His glory and then be told you are no longer useful to the church-or even to God-until you are healed.

In Luke 14:21 Jesus shares a parable of a great banquet. When the host's hospitality is turned down by his friends he responds by commanding, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." This is still a mandate to us today, but we must remember that to provide a place where we offer hospitality, we must first "go out" into our own pews and provide a place of refuge; as we make small changes in our church to create that oasis for people with illness, then these people in our church will naturally be comforted. And then they will go out into the community with open arms of understanding and minister to others along this journey.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Get a free download of 200 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend from "Beyond Casseroles" by Lisa Copen when you subscribe to HopeNotes invisible illness ezine at Rest Ministries. Lisa is the founder of Invisible Illness Week

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