Our New Vision

The “Congregational Nurse Project of Northwest Ohio” is now the “Faith Community Health Ministry Program of Northwest Ohio Inc.”  Our new name is our vision. In 1993 Northwest Ohio joined a national movement of integrating mental, physical and spiritual wellness in congregational ministries. Typically a “parish” or “congregational” nurse led this ministry. The number of congregations with parish nurse/health ministry programs has grown in Northwest Ohio from one in 1993 to over 180 today. But the ministry has grown and changed in other ways as well. Many different health professionals and lay leaders have joined the nurses in this service. Congregations offer such diverse programs as transportation and support during medical visits, counseling, health screening, education on the medications a person is taking, parenting classes and prayer groups, typically with the leadership of an interdisciplinary health ministry team. The Congregational Nurse Project has kept up with these changes but our name had lagged behind our work. As the Faith Community Health Ministry Program we will continue to serve as a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary collaborative whose mission it is to promote the health and well being of faith communities by sharing health ministry expertise among new and continuing programs throughout Northwest Ohio. As an incorporated, non-profit organization we are able to design and share health ministry programs and education throughout our region and to seek the funding to make these programs possible. Please join us in celebrating and reinvigorating our health ministry. We need your prayers and support to continue this important work.

Family Violence

·      Educate the faith community and larger community about family violence with sermons, articles, programs and prayers.

·      Educate yourself and staff to be aware of signs of abuse.

·      Offer age appropriate curriculum on healthy relationships and bully prevention.

·      Offer parenting classes and support to families with young children.

·      Invite local family violence organizations and law enforcement  to partner with you to raise awareness of family violence and care for victims in your community.

·      Post contact information for local and national family violence hotlines.

·      Explore resources available through your denomination or religious affiliation. 

·      Discover resources that you can access to assist victims of family violence.

Family Violence is a spiritual crisis as well as a physical and emotional crisis. As faith community nurses we need to be prepared to encourage the whole person to move forward from victim to survivor by making available to them resources in the community that can assist them.  We need to encourage the person to take personal responsibility for themselves and connect them with community resources that support and promote positive change. Are you prepared to walk with and care for the whole person in regard to family violence?