A Year of Activities for Your Church Health and Wellness Ministry

January

Focus on healthy weight during Healthy Weight week. There are a plethora of activities, information and events that would be appropriate for this topic. You could invite a Registered Dietician in to do some education about dieting fads and trends. You could also do a screening and education session after service where members could find out what their BMI and body fat percentages are.

February

Focus on heart disease during Women's Heart Health Day. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Many women do not know the signs of a heart attack. They especially don't know how their heart attack symptoms are usually very different than those of men. The American Heart Association will be your best resource for this month's activities.

March

Focus on poison prevention during Poison Prevention Week. Contact your local children's hospital and poison control center for educational materials and speakers. Consider doing education about making the house safe for children from "pretty poisons."

April

Focus on education and prevention of sexual assault during Sexual Assault Month. Bring in someone to conduct a self-defense class for anyone interested in your church. You could also ask the local police department to speak to your church about how ways to avoid being the victim of a sexual crime. This would be a good time to involve high school seniors that are about to graduate and go off to college. They would greatly benefit from learning about this type of crime prevention.

May

Focus on mental health and older Americans during the month of May. Consider offering resources and/or education about recognizing the signs of and getting help for mental illness. It is one of the most misunderstood types of illnesses and many of your church members may be suffering silently from it.

The American Red Cross offers a series of classes on senior care giving. This would be greatly beneficial to the seniors in your church as well as their children that have the responsibility of caring for them. One of the best classes in that series is one called, "Caring for the Caregiver." It focuses on adults that are frequently caught between caring for their school-age children and caring for their aging parents.

June

Focus on the men in your church during Men's Health Week. We all know that men can be reluctant about seeking out medical care and taking steps to prevent disease. The wives in the church will probably be excited about June for that very reason. Make sure you choose activity formats that men are likely to participate in and enjoy.