Principles & Practice of Health Evangelism
Chapter 8
Types of Programs
Textbook pages 45-60
This is a review of a few types of programs or settings in which health education is currently practiced within or loosely affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There are a variety of formats and settings with strengths and weaknesses associated with each approach. Each is considered to be evangelistic but not one of them is successfully attracting significant numbers of interests or converts to the Seventh-day Adventist church. These are presented as a gallery of failures begging for a more effective approach to health evangelism.
Local Church-based Programs
Health evangelism programs have occasionally been conducted in the local church. The next chapter deals with the advantages and desirability of working in the local church. The denomination has more churches than any other type of institution. Church buildings stand empty most of the time. This creates an ideal setting for health evangelism.
Church-based programs have included smoking cessation programs, weight management programs, depression recovery, nutrition courses, and cooking schools to mention just a few. The programs do not offer a cure to the sick as much as they minister to the “worried well” who have harmful habits and behaviors that will destroy their health if not corrected.
It was generally accepted that these programs constituted health evangelism and that subsequent attendance at traditional evangelistic services or regular church attendance would naturally flow from conducting health programs in the church. This didn’t happen. The local church is still an ideal candidate site for conducting health evangelism, but a different approach is needed as will be discussed in a future chapter.
Some health programs are not appropriate for a local church setting. Drug rehabilitation should probably not be done in the local church. Drug addicts often need to be institutionalized to kick the habit. Drug addicts need frequent monitoring and support services for an extended period of time. Drug addicts are usually highly manipulative people who lie and steal to support their habits. Church members are not equipped to recognize or handle these behaviors and can be taken in by drug addicts. The local church might hold a prevention or maintenance program for recovering addicts but not a drug detoxification program.
The same is probably true for alcoholism as well. The church might sponsor an Alcoholics Anonymous program but leave acute detoxification to hospitals. If your church does sponsor an AA meeting, I believe it should be a nonsmoking meeting where coffee; tea and caffeine drinks are not provided or allowed.
Some churches have sponsored medical clinics for the medically indigent. I have volunteered at and been involved in organizing several medical clinics for indigent members of the community. Clinics do require a high level of security to protect prescription medication that may be kept on the premises. Clinics require the services of physicians and nurses. Clinical services constitute the practice of medicine and open the local church, Conference, Union, and Division to increased liability. When a successful model of church-based clinics is developed, the spiritual needs of patients will need to be addressed. Clinic patients should have access to spiritual counseling and prayer provided by dedicated Christian staff. There should also be access to spiritual literature, Bible Studies, and invitations to local church services.
Church-based programs have included smoking cessation programs, weight management programs, depression recovery, nutrition courses, and cooking schools to mention just a few. The programs do not offer a cure to the sick as much as they minister to the “worried well” who have harmful habits and behaviors that will destroy their health if not corrected.
It was generally accepted that these programs constituted health evangelism and that subsequent attendance at traditional evangelistic services or regular church attendance would naturally flow from conducting health programs in the church. This didn’t happen. The local church is still an ideal candidate site for conducting health evangelism, but a different approach is needed as will be discussed in a future chapter.
Some health programs are not appropriate for a local church setting. Drug rehabilitation should probably not be done in the local church. Drug addicts often need to be institutionalized to kick the habit. Drug addicts need frequent monitoring and support services for an extended period of time. Drug addicts are usually highly manipulative people who lie and steal to support their habits. Church members are not equipped to recognize or handle these behaviors and can be taken in by drug addicts. The local church might hold a prevention or maintenance program for recovering addicts but not a drug detoxification program.
The same is probably true for alcoholism as well. The church might sponsor an Alcoholics Anonymous program but leave acute detoxification to hospitals. If your church does sponsor an AA meeting, I believe it should be a nonsmoking meeting where coffee; tea and caffeine drinks are not provided or allowed.
Some churches have sponsored medical clinics for the medically indigent. I have volunteered at and been involved in organizing several medical clinics for indigent members of the community. Clinics do require a high level of security to protect prescription medication that may be kept on the premises. Clinics require the services of physicians and nurses. Clinical services constitute the practice of medicine and open the local church, Conference, Union, and Division to increased liability. When a successful model of church-based clinics is developed, the spiritual needs of patients will need to be addressed. Clinic patients should have access to spiritual counseling and prayer provided by dedicated Christian staff. There should also be access to spiritual literature, Bible Studies, and invitations to local church services.
Resources for the Local Church
There are many health education resources available for local churches from the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. These are catalogued at the website http://www.nadhealthministries.org. A variety of programs, books, pamphlets, and supplies on health are available for free or a nominal cost.
The world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist church also operates a website that has an abundance of health promotional materials. This is at http://www.healthministries.com. Here you will find health evangelism programs, books, articles, useful links, newsletters and a schedule of church sponsored health conventions.
All the health materials available at the above sites contain scientifically sound health information. Few of the materials are optimized for soul winning. It will take some of the creativity suggested in this book to change a health program into a health evangelism program when you use these materials.
The world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist church also operates a website that has an abundance of health promotional materials. This is at http://www.healthministries.com. Here you will find health evangelism programs, books, articles, useful links, newsletters and a schedule of church sponsored health conventions.
All the health materials available at the above sites contain scientifically sound health information. Few of the materials are optimized for soul winning. It will take some of the creativity suggested in this book to change a health program into a health evangelism program when you use these materials.
Hospital-based Health Evangelism
Early in the 20th century the quality of medical care was beginning to improve and become more rational and scientific in approach. The Seventh-day Adventist church operated many small and some larger health care institutions which were usually called a Sanitarium.
The Sanitarium was an institution where clients and patients came for an extended period of time. They were fed a healthful diet and educated on how to eat to preserve health. They were exposed to exercise regimens and a variety of baths and hydrotherapy treatments.
The services were health promoting, educational, and provided in a semi-resort setting. Spiritual services were a regular part of the daily routine. Clients were usually wealthy and paid cash for their care. Some beds were reserved for those with more modest means who could not pay.
At the same time those with more serious illnesses were also seen. Surgery, diagnostic laboratory, and X-ray services were developed and provided.
Throughout the past 100 years gradual changes occurred in the Adventist health care model. The sanitarium model was gradually abandoned by the church. Hospitals were modeled after secular institutions. The diet, exercise, educational, and spiritual components died as the sanitarium model was abandoned.
Most hospitals today do not do much in the way of health education or health evangelism. In the past some Adventist operated hospitals conducted smoking cessation programs. The very first 5-Day Plan to Stop Smoking program I ever helped conduct was with Elder A. C. Marple, chaplain of the Washington Adventist Hospital. This was in the late 1960's and smoking cessation clinics in those days were well attended. We had 40-60 participants attending every monthly session in a hospital conference room.
This 5-Day Plan to Stop Smoking at the Washington Adventist Hospital helped the hospital’s reputation in the community. Elder Marple made the program slightly evangelistic by referring to help that was available from God but no specifics or “how to” instructions were given.
The disadvantage of the hospital-based program was that there was no connection with the local church. There were no church members to be buddies with those who were trying to quit. Elder Marple wasn’t a pastor of a congregation. There was no follow-up. In short, there was no way to connect smokers with a local church for continued spiritual growth.
Health education programs in hospitals today are limited to rehabilitation services for specific conditions. There is diabetic education concerning home blood sugar testing and details of the diabetic diet. There is cardiac rehabilitation for those who have had a heart attack. This includes dietary recommendations and a graduated exercise program under controlled and monitored conditions. This helps define the limits within which a cardiac patient can work or exercise.
Some hospitals have pulmonary rehabilitation programs for those with emphysema or chronic bronchitis who have stopped smoking but need continued lung treatments and breathing exercises. Smoking education and cessation advice is also provided by many hospitals.
A few hospitals provide grief recovery for spouses and family members after losing a loved one. All of these activities are especially suited for hospitals. The spiritual dimensions of these health problems are not usually addressed, and the educators are often not members of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Hospitals have conducted a variety of health education programs but in times of tight budgets it is usually the education programs for patients that first get cut. There are many opportunities for health evangelism in the hospital setting but these have not been systematically developed or encouraged.
Occasionally, an Adventist operated hospital has a patient who joins the church and is baptized because of someone’s ministry. An occasional baptism, however, doesn’t justify the church operating a hospital. Hospitals are multimillion-dollar enterprises supported by hundreds or thousands of highly trained people most of whom are not usually Seventh-day Adventist. One or two baptisms a year represents a poor return on investment.
Hospitals are not cost-effective health evangelistic tools. Do not get me wrong, hospitals provide highly technical, medical and surgical services for persons in their immediate community, but a hospital’s evangelistic contribution to the church is quite limited and diminishing.
There is no practical way to insert local churches or church members into the business of a hospital. A couple of hospitals in the Adventist Health System utilize local church members as “community chaplains” to visit and comfort the sick. Many other Adventist operated hospitals are reluctant to have any affiliation with local Seventh-day Adventist churches. They are “community” hospitals that are simply managed by Seventh-day Adventists. In practice, most hospitals effectively keep the church at an arm’s length, away from day-to-day operations.
Additionally, there is a trend among some Adventist operated hospitals to join or become affiliated with larger, entirely secular health care systems. Often a 51% or larger share of control is relinquished to the management team of a larger hospital. These arrangements are designed to bring about financial stability and ensure the continued viability of the Adventist operated hospital. When such arrangements are made, the spiritual emphasis unique to Seventh-day Adventists is often relinquished. Such hospitals survive financially but are less useful in the Lord’s work. Again, the “No margin, no mission” philosophy prevails.
The Florida Hospital system is the largest Seventh-day Adventist Hospital on the east coast located in Orlando Florida. The staff has developed a faith-based lifestyle program called CREATION which is an acronym for the eight steps for better health. The curriculum can be taken by an individual or presented to the public through the local church. The materials are scientifically accurate, biblically based, colorfully presented, and available in a variety of formats including a format for Vacation Bible School. A local college is using these materials on their student body to promote healthful choices. These resources can be reviewed and purchased at http://www.creationhealth.com.
The Sanitarium was an institution where clients and patients came for an extended period of time. They were fed a healthful diet and educated on how to eat to preserve health. They were exposed to exercise regimens and a variety of baths and hydrotherapy treatments.
The services were health promoting, educational, and provided in a semi-resort setting. Spiritual services were a regular part of the daily routine. Clients were usually wealthy and paid cash for their care. Some beds were reserved for those with more modest means who could not pay.
At the same time those with more serious illnesses were also seen. Surgery, diagnostic laboratory, and X-ray services were developed and provided.
Throughout the past 100 years gradual changes occurred in the Adventist health care model. The sanitarium model was gradually abandoned by the church. Hospitals were modeled after secular institutions. The diet, exercise, educational, and spiritual components died as the sanitarium model was abandoned.
Most hospitals today do not do much in the way of health education or health evangelism. In the past some Adventist operated hospitals conducted smoking cessation programs. The very first 5-Day Plan to Stop Smoking program I ever helped conduct was with Elder A. C. Marple, chaplain of the Washington Adventist Hospital. This was in the late 1960's and smoking cessation clinics in those days were well attended. We had 40-60 participants attending every monthly session in a hospital conference room.
This 5-Day Plan to Stop Smoking at the Washington Adventist Hospital helped the hospital’s reputation in the community. Elder Marple made the program slightly evangelistic by referring to help that was available from God but no specifics or “how to” instructions were given.
The disadvantage of the hospital-based program was that there was no connection with the local church. There were no church members to be buddies with those who were trying to quit. Elder Marple wasn’t a pastor of a congregation. There was no follow-up. In short, there was no way to connect smokers with a local church for continued spiritual growth.
Health education programs in hospitals today are limited to rehabilitation services for specific conditions. There is diabetic education concerning home blood sugar testing and details of the diabetic diet. There is cardiac rehabilitation for those who have had a heart attack. This includes dietary recommendations and a graduated exercise program under controlled and monitored conditions. This helps define the limits within which a cardiac patient can work or exercise.
Some hospitals have pulmonary rehabilitation programs for those with emphysema or chronic bronchitis who have stopped smoking but need continued lung treatments and breathing exercises. Smoking education and cessation advice is also provided by many hospitals.
A few hospitals provide grief recovery for spouses and family members after losing a loved one. All of these activities are especially suited for hospitals. The spiritual dimensions of these health problems are not usually addressed, and the educators are often not members of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Hospitals have conducted a variety of health education programs but in times of tight budgets it is usually the education programs for patients that first get cut. There are many opportunities for health evangelism in the hospital setting but these have not been systematically developed or encouraged.
Occasionally, an Adventist operated hospital has a patient who joins the church and is baptized because of someone’s ministry. An occasional baptism, however, doesn’t justify the church operating a hospital. Hospitals are multimillion-dollar enterprises supported by hundreds or thousands of highly trained people most of whom are not usually Seventh-day Adventist. One or two baptisms a year represents a poor return on investment.
Hospitals are not cost-effective health evangelistic tools. Do not get me wrong, hospitals provide highly technical, medical and surgical services for persons in their immediate community, but a hospital’s evangelistic contribution to the church is quite limited and diminishing.
There is no practical way to insert local churches or church members into the business of a hospital. A couple of hospitals in the Adventist Health System utilize local church members as “community chaplains” to visit and comfort the sick. Many other Adventist operated hospitals are reluctant to have any affiliation with local Seventh-day Adventist churches. They are “community” hospitals that are simply managed by Seventh-day Adventists. In practice, most hospitals effectively keep the church at an arm’s length, away from day-to-day operations.
Additionally, there is a trend among some Adventist operated hospitals to join or become affiliated with larger, entirely secular health care systems. Often a 51% or larger share of control is relinquished to the management team of a larger hospital. These arrangements are designed to bring about financial stability and ensure the continued viability of the Adventist operated hospital. When such arrangements are made, the spiritual emphasis unique to Seventh-day Adventists is often relinquished. Such hospitals survive financially but are less useful in the Lord’s work. Again, the “No margin, no mission” philosophy prevails.
The Florida Hospital system is the largest Seventh-day Adventist Hospital on the east coast located in Orlando Florida. The staff has developed a faith-based lifestyle program called CREATION which is an acronym for the eight steps for better health. The curriculum can be taken by an individual or presented to the public through the local church. The materials are scientifically accurate, biblically based, colorfully presented, and available in a variety of formats including a format for Vacation Bible School. A local college is using these materials on their student body to promote healthful choices. These resources can be reviewed and purchased at http://www.creationhealth.com.
Mega-Health Events
“Pathway to Health” is an organization that conducts massive two or three-day health screening and treatment events once or twice a year in major cities around the United States. These events are conducted in very large facilities. Services are provided by hundreds of volunteer health professionals. Thousands of patients receive free medical, dental, and ancillary health services. These events are conducted a few days or weeks before major evangelistic meetings are conducted in the city.
The scope of services provided include general medical evaluations, minor surgery services, podiatry, physical therapy, women’s health services, mental health evaluations, dental care, vision assessments, legal counsel, X-ray’s, and clinical laboratory services. Patients receive triage at entry to the facility and are directed to the stations where they most need help.
Results of tests and follow-up activities are often provided at local Seventh-day Adventist churches. The desire is that contact with local churches and church members will prompt participation in local health programs or Bible studies.
Serious health problems have been identified by “Your Pathway to Health” and timely referrals have been made. Lives have been saved. Large events create a high level of visibility for the Seventh-day Adventist church and much positive publicity has been generated by the “Pathway to Health” events.
The overall health impact on an individual attending “Pathway to Health” is about the same as if a person was to receive a onetime free examination and diagnostic testing in an emergency room or doc-in-a-box. For the patient, this free service is simply a single point in time. Referral to specialists and continuing care falls back on the expensive fee-for-service or managed health care system locally available.
The overall evangelistic impact on an individual attending “Pathway to Heath” depends on the spiritual receptivity of the patient and the Christian experience of the provider (many of whom are not Seventh-day Adventists). An additional point of spiritual contact can occur when the patient goes to get results at the local Seventh-day Adventist church. For follow-up, the patient is going to an unfamiliar place to have a onetime meeting with an unfamiliar person. Under such circumstances, it is unlikely that the interaction will progress beyond conventional formalities.
The “Pathway to Health” suffers from growing pains typical of any new organization. Basic organization, training of volunteers, establishing more meaningful follow-up, and clear lines of communication all need to be improved. Significant chaos is always evident when an organization works with local volunteers who have never participated in an effort like this before. A onetime event is always much more about publicity and visibility than it is about enduring relationships or continuity of health care.
The scope of services provided include general medical evaluations, minor surgery services, podiatry, physical therapy, women’s health services, mental health evaluations, dental care, vision assessments, legal counsel, X-ray’s, and clinical laboratory services. Patients receive triage at entry to the facility and are directed to the stations where they most need help.
Results of tests and follow-up activities are often provided at local Seventh-day Adventist churches. The desire is that contact with local churches and church members will prompt participation in local health programs or Bible studies.
Serious health problems have been identified by “Your Pathway to Health” and timely referrals have been made. Lives have been saved. Large events create a high level of visibility for the Seventh-day Adventist church and much positive publicity has been generated by the “Pathway to Health” events.
The overall health impact on an individual attending “Pathway to Health” is about the same as if a person was to receive a onetime free examination and diagnostic testing in an emergency room or doc-in-a-box. For the patient, this free service is simply a single point in time. Referral to specialists and continuing care falls back on the expensive fee-for-service or managed health care system locally available.
The overall evangelistic impact on an individual attending “Pathway to Heath” depends on the spiritual receptivity of the patient and the Christian experience of the provider (many of whom are not Seventh-day Adventists). An additional point of spiritual contact can occur when the patient goes to get results at the local Seventh-day Adventist church. For follow-up, the patient is going to an unfamiliar place to have a onetime meeting with an unfamiliar person. Under such circumstances, it is unlikely that the interaction will progress beyond conventional formalities.
The “Pathway to Health” suffers from growing pains typical of any new organization. Basic organization, training of volunteers, establishing more meaningful follow-up, and clear lines of communication all need to be improved. Significant chaos is always evident when an organization works with local volunteers who have never participated in an effort like this before. A onetime event is always much more about publicity and visibility than it is about enduring relationships or continuity of health care.
Lifestyle Centers
Lifestyle centers are trying to maintain the Sanitarium model of care abandoned by the hospital system during the previous century. Lifestyle centers provide a basic level of diagnosis and treatment of a few medical conditions, but their primary function is health education and rehabilitation. Lifestyle centers focus on modification of risk factors for disease. The inpatient portions of these programs can last from seven to 28 days.
In the United States, every lifestyle center is self-supporting. They are not owned or operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. These institutions are conservative in religious orientation and health practice.
Lifestyle centers provide a vegetarian and often a vegan diet. Meals consist of tastefully prepared but often dishes unfamiliar to their clients. Recipes are shared and food preparation is practiced under the watchful eye of the nutrition staff.
Rigorous exercise regimens are pursued daily. These programs are adjusted for age and medical condition. Great improvements in exercise distance and endurance are accomplished. New habits are formed.
These live-in programs often have a physical therapy component with steam baths, hot and cold contrasting showers, fomentations, and massage therapy. Soreness in the muscles is relieved.
Clients are exposed to strong spiritual influences. Every staff member freely speaks of spiritual things. There are morning and evening worship services. The Sabbath is devoted to preaching, study, and conversations on spiritual topics.
The administrations of these institutions are guided by the Spirit of Prophecy counsel regarding the establishment of Sanitariums. These small institutions are also felt by many to more closely approximate what Seventh-day Adventist health institutions were meant to be, in contrast to the community hospital model. Most of these institutions are members of an umbrella organization called Outpost Centers International. There are over 200 member organizations. These can be accessed at http://www.outpostcenters.org.
In the United States, every lifestyle center is self-supporting. They are not owned or operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. These institutions are conservative in religious orientation and health practice.
Lifestyle centers provide a vegetarian and often a vegan diet. Meals consist of tastefully prepared but often dishes unfamiliar to their clients. Recipes are shared and food preparation is practiced under the watchful eye of the nutrition staff.
Rigorous exercise regimens are pursued daily. These programs are adjusted for age and medical condition. Great improvements in exercise distance and endurance are accomplished. New habits are formed.
These live-in programs often have a physical therapy component with steam baths, hot and cold contrasting showers, fomentations, and massage therapy. Soreness in the muscles is relieved.
Clients are exposed to strong spiritual influences. Every staff member freely speaks of spiritual things. There are morning and evening worship services. The Sabbath is devoted to preaching, study, and conversations on spiritual topics.
The administrations of these institutions are guided by the Spirit of Prophecy counsel regarding the establishment of Sanitariums. These small institutions are also felt by many to more closely approximate what Seventh-day Adventist health institutions were meant to be, in contrast to the community hospital model. Most of these institutions are members of an umbrella organization called Outpost Centers International. There are over 200 member organizations. These can be accessed at http://www.outpostcenters.org.
Lifestyle Centers and the Local Church
There are fundamental problems with lifestyle centers. These independent ministries cannot be faulted for being separate from the administrative structure of the Seventh-day Adventist church, but they are to be faulted for divorcing themselves from local Seventh-day Adventist churches.
The local church is the Christian’s home, not the lifestyle center. Not one of these institutions has designed or implemented a system for creating connections between their clients and the local Seventh-day Adventist church in the home community from which their clients come. In this aspect in particular, lifestyle centers have failed to maximize the evangelistic potential of their health programs.
Lifestyle centers largely ignore local churches. There are some important reasons for this. Local Seventh-day Adventist churches are largely filled with intemperate people who need to know and practice the health message better than they do. Members of the local church would be a bad example to returning clients who have learned healthful living practices at a local lifestyle center. These may be the facts, but do not constitute good enough reasons for leaving the local churches out of the picture.
Certain lifestyle centers are large enough to have a church right on their property. This further isolates the institution from the local community of churches. A church on campus provides a good reason for staff, students, and clients to stay away from other churches since they can worship right on the lifestyle center premises.
Lifestyle centers should assume the responsibility for reforming the lives of church members and help bring up the quality of life in the local church. At a minimum, lifestyle centers should identify key members, in every church, who are living the health message. These key members would make wonderful contacts for the clients of lifestyle centers who return home and need someone at the local level to help them maintain their newfound health behaviors.
Let me propose a mechanism for accomplishing this goal. Lifestyle centers should insert a local church in the process of enrolling new clients. They could refer all inquiries to the closest local Seventh-day Adventist church in the prospective client’s home community.
A friendly church member, living in the town where prospective clients live, can come over to their house and explain the various programs available at the lifestyle center. The church member can complete the enrollment forms. These forms can be faxed or mailed to the central office of the lifestyle center. The local church member can then communicate a confirmed appointment back to the prospective client.
When the local church is inserted into the program of the lifestyle center in this way, prospective clients have taken some very important evangelistic steps. They have met someone in their own hometown who goes to the Seventh-day Adventist church. They have made a friend. This friend will help them get into the lifestyle center. This friend will be there when they come home from the lifestyle center.
The local Seventh-day Adventist church member can also help clients adhere to the newly acquired health habits. The church member is only a call away and should be available 24 hours a day to offer practical, moral and spiritual support.
The local Seventh-day Adventist church member can also be available to conduct periodic follow-up surveys for the lifestyle center. This will provide the lifestyle center with much needed, long term effectiveness data that will justify the work it does. Additionally, some of the administrative burden is cast onto a volunteer system saving the lifestyle center some money.
The local church is the Christian’s home, not the lifestyle center. Not one of these institutions has designed or implemented a system for creating connections between their clients and the local Seventh-day Adventist church in the home community from which their clients come. In this aspect in particular, lifestyle centers have failed to maximize the evangelistic potential of their health programs.
Lifestyle centers largely ignore local churches. There are some important reasons for this. Local Seventh-day Adventist churches are largely filled with intemperate people who need to know and practice the health message better than they do. Members of the local church would be a bad example to returning clients who have learned healthful living practices at a local lifestyle center. These may be the facts, but do not constitute good enough reasons for leaving the local churches out of the picture.
Certain lifestyle centers are large enough to have a church right on their property. This further isolates the institution from the local community of churches. A church on campus provides a good reason for staff, students, and clients to stay away from other churches since they can worship right on the lifestyle center premises.
Lifestyle centers should assume the responsibility for reforming the lives of church members and help bring up the quality of life in the local church. At a minimum, lifestyle centers should identify key members, in every church, who are living the health message. These key members would make wonderful contacts for the clients of lifestyle centers who return home and need someone at the local level to help them maintain their newfound health behaviors.
Let me propose a mechanism for accomplishing this goal. Lifestyle centers should insert a local church in the process of enrolling new clients. They could refer all inquiries to the closest local Seventh-day Adventist church in the prospective client’s home community.
A friendly church member, living in the town where prospective clients live, can come over to their house and explain the various programs available at the lifestyle center. The church member can complete the enrollment forms. These forms can be faxed or mailed to the central office of the lifestyle center. The local church member can then communicate a confirmed appointment back to the prospective client.
When the local church is inserted into the program of the lifestyle center in this way, prospective clients have taken some very important evangelistic steps. They have met someone in their own hometown who goes to the Seventh-day Adventist church. They have made a friend. This friend will help them get into the lifestyle center. This friend will be there when they come home from the lifestyle center.
The local Seventh-day Adventist church member can also help clients adhere to the newly acquired health habits. The church member is only a call away and should be available 24 hours a day to offer practical, moral and spiritual support.
The local Seventh-day Adventist church member can also be available to conduct periodic follow-up surveys for the lifestyle center. This will provide the lifestyle center with much needed, long term effectiveness data that will justify the work it does. Additionally, some of the administrative burden is cast onto a volunteer system saving the lifestyle center some money.
Setting up Local Church Affiliations
Lifestyle centers should promote their services in local Seventh-day Adventist churches. Every weekend they should be in some church promoting healthful living. Jesus is returning to take to heaven a church that is free from every spot and wrinkle. We have too many spots and wrinkles, too much indulgence of appetite, too much indolence and lack of physical activity.
Every Seventh-day Adventist church within driving distance of a lifestyle center should be regularly visited by someone from the center. Health programs should be conducted in local churches. At the same time church members can be identified who may be willing to be affiliated with the lifestyle center. Review the lifestyle of church members who volunteer for service. If found acceptable, give them a credential -- perhaps a badge, a laminated card, a plaque, or a letter. Give them promotional materials, and application forms for the lifestyle center.
This should be a voluntary system. Perhaps some incentives could be built in. The church member might be able to spend a weekend now and then or participate in a short course at the lifestyle center.
What a blessing to the local church would result from this affiliation with a lifestyle center. Church members would learn to live better lives and would relate to community people who attended the live-in programs. Church members would have a reason to call on graduates of these programs. They would regularly meet with them and help them live healthfully. The local church can provide Bible studies to those who are interested. New church members will come from this affiliation. The local church is the Christian’s home -- not the lifestyle center.
Lifestyle centers should think about good health, but they should think first and foremost as to how to get people into the kingdom of God and become members of some local Seventh-day Adventist church.
Every Seventh-day Adventist church within driving distance of a lifestyle center should be regularly visited by someone from the center. Health programs should be conducted in local churches. At the same time church members can be identified who may be willing to be affiliated with the lifestyle center. Review the lifestyle of church members who volunteer for service. If found acceptable, give them a credential -- perhaps a badge, a laminated card, a plaque, or a letter. Give them promotional materials, and application forms for the lifestyle center.
This should be a voluntary system. Perhaps some incentives could be built in. The church member might be able to spend a weekend now and then or participate in a short course at the lifestyle center.
What a blessing to the local church would result from this affiliation with a lifestyle center. Church members would learn to live better lives and would relate to community people who attended the live-in programs. Church members would have a reason to call on graduates of these programs. They would regularly meet with them and help them live healthfully. The local church can provide Bible studies to those who are interested. New church members will come from this affiliation. The local church is the Christian’s home -- not the lifestyle center.
Lifestyle centers should think about good health, but they should think first and foremost as to how to get people into the kingdom of God and become members of some local Seventh-day Adventist church.
Boarding Schools and Health Evangelism
Some of the lifestyle centers have schools attached to them. Weimar Institute has a university. Hartland Institute in Virginia has a school program as do some other institutions. In some cases, these schools are recognized by the state or church but in most instances, there is no official accreditation. This is not especially bad. The students receive a basic education with an emphasis on healthful living and Christian principles. Much of what I have said about the local church applies to these schools as well. Many of these students have come apart from local churches that are lukewarm and lacking in evangelistic activity. These students should turn around and embrace the churches they just left and help make them evangelistic centers in their local communities.
Vegetarian Restaurants
There have been some successful vegetarian restaurants operated by Seventh-day Adventist individuals or self-supporting institutions. These restaurants provide healthful food attractively prepared. These restaurants often have an educational component with literature on healthful living and classes to help people learn how to prepare healthful vegetarian meals.
Ways should be explored to make these institutions more evangelistic. There should be ways to tie a restaurant to a local church. Programs sponsored by the restaurant should not only be conducted at the restaurant but at a local Seventh-day Adventist church as well. The goal of the restaurant should be to win souls for the kingdom of God and get people to worship in a local Seventh-day Adventist church.
Ways should be explored to make these institutions more evangelistic. There should be ways to tie a restaurant to a local church. Programs sponsored by the restaurant should not only be conducted at the restaurant but at a local Seventh-day Adventist church as well. The goal of the restaurant should be to win souls for the kingdom of God and get people to worship in a local Seventh-day Adventist church.
Adventist Community Services
Adventist Community Services (ACS) is an organization dedicated to disaster relief. When there is a tornado, flood or other natural disaster, the ACS vans are there, and local church members help with distribution of clothes, blankets, and food. ACS is useful, but the evangelistic potential of these activities is quite small. Local church members are not encouraged to maintain any meaningful and potentially evangelistic contact with those they help.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Adventist Development and Relief Agency, (ADRA) receives some financial support from the church but most of the budget comes from direct grants from various foundations and governments around the world. ADRA handles huge amounts of money, food, clothing, and relief supplies. ADRA is involved with thousands of different projects in hundreds of countries. ADRA is wonderful.
However, ADRA is not overtly evangelistic. The credit for the work ADRA does is often given to the donor organization or nation. The name Seventh-day Adventist is often not identified in the work ADRA does. By downplaying ADRA’s affiliation with the church they have gained support of the world. If your analysis of the success of ADRA is measured by effort, it is simply wonderful. If analysis of success is measured by progress toward the goals of the church, the success would be considerably less.
The church should not be involved in doing the world’s relief work; particularly if the church’s name is withheld in the effort. There are almost no mechanisms for connecting recipients of ADRA’s help with local Seventh-day Adventist churches.
The most available, most important, and least utilized institution for health ministries within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is the local church. It stands empty; its members are occupied with the cares of the world and idle with respect to health evangelism.
However, ADRA is not overtly evangelistic. The credit for the work ADRA does is often given to the donor organization or nation. The name Seventh-day Adventist is often not identified in the work ADRA does. By downplaying ADRA’s affiliation with the church they have gained support of the world. If your analysis of the success of ADRA is measured by effort, it is simply wonderful. If analysis of success is measured by progress toward the goals of the church, the success would be considerably less.
The church should not be involved in doing the world’s relief work; particularly if the church’s name is withheld in the effort. There are almost no mechanisms for connecting recipients of ADRA’s help with local Seventh-day Adventist churches.
The most available, most important, and least utilized institution for health ministries within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is the local church. It stands empty; its members are occupied with the cares of the world and idle with respect to health evangelism.
Private Entrepreneurs
Life Long Health
A few Seventh-day Adventists have become very successful capitalizing on Seventh-day Adventist health principles. One such example is Don Hall of Life Long Health (previous known as WellSource). He has developed health assessment tools that are widely used in industry. He has developed and marketed a variety of health education programs including “Eight Weeks to Wellness,” “Weight Management for Life,” and “Fitness for Life.” His materials are available at http://www.myllh.org.
The scientific information in Don Hall’s material is scientifically sound and attractively presented but is entirely secular in approach. Considerable adaptation would be necessary for his programs to become health evangelism programs. There are no links to Seventh-day Adventist websites on his lengthy page of links to health information sites.
The scientific information in Don Hall’s material is scientifically sound and attractively presented but is entirely secular in approach. Considerable adaptation would be necessary for his programs to become health evangelism programs. There are no links to Seventh-day Adventist websites on his lengthy page of links to health information sites.
The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP)
Another example of a privately developed program is the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP) developed by Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN. CHIP is an intense program that runs four nights a week for a month and relies on a series of video presentations. It is often conducted in Seventh-day Adventist churches. The cost is several hundred dollars per participant. The health information provided is accurate and up to date. Lives are changed for the better.
CHIP was sold to Seventh-day Adventist sanitarium/hospital system in Australia and The CHIP now stands for The Complete Health Improvement Program. This program is essentially secular in nature. There is no reference to scripture, no interface with church members, no prayer, and no information on how God changes behavior.
CHIP was sold to Seventh-day Adventist sanitarium/hospital system in Australia and The CHIP now stands for The Complete Health Improvement Program. This program is essentially secular in nature. There is no reference to scripture, no interface with church members, no prayer, and no information on how God changes behavior.
Health Expo
Another privately developed program that has gained a global reputation is the Health Expo Program. This is a screening program to identify habits adverse to good health. It has a simple health age appraisal tool. Guests then rotate through stations where counseling can be given on how to improve health. There are colorful banners placed at each station. This program is presented to the public in public places and at times at a local Seventh-day Adventist church. The program is finished in one day. Evangelistic potential is limited. The attractive materials are available at http://www.healthexporesources.com.
These are three examples of health education materials developed by private Seventh-day Adventist entrepreneurs. There are dozens more not listed here. The problem as I see it is that the information provided, though excellent, is generally available online and in dozens of formats. There is nothing unique or special about the information provided in these programs.
The fact that a Seventh-day Adventist developed a health program doesn’t make it evangelistic or particularly useful for the church. Secular programs conducted in the church are still secular programs. If people come to your church and don’t learn about the Creator of the universe who can reach down and change their life, you have wasted their time, and they are less likely to return.
We must be intentional in our outreach. We must understand what health evangelism is. It is more than useful health information.
The fact that a Seventh-day Adventist developed a health program doesn’t make it evangelistic or particularly useful for the church. Secular programs conducted in the church are still secular programs. If people come to your church and don’t learn about the Creator of the universe who can reach down and change their life, you have wasted their time, and they are less likely to return.
We must be intentional in our outreach. We must understand what health evangelism is. It is more than useful health information.
Adventist Medical Evangelism Network
Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN) is a professional organization composed primarily of Seventh-day Adventist physicians, dentists, and optometrists whose mission is to team with pastors and church members, uniting the church to restore Christ’s ministry of healing to the world. The focus is on training Seventh-day Adventist health professionals to be effective medical evangelists. AMEN primarily works to apply practical, spiritual approaches in a clinical practice context not in a local church setting.
AMEN is an independent ministry that supports the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; however, it is not part of, affiliated with, or endorsed by the Seventh-day Adventist church.
AMEN is an independent ministry that supports the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; however, it is not part of, affiliated with, or endorsed by the Seventh-day Adventist church.