Where will we find a church that heals?

How did we develop the focus groups? The focus groups were designed to help people think about health and the church's response. In developing focus groups we included parishes, diverse community partners, and individuals from the broader community.

How did we facilitate the discussion?

1. Describe the current understanding of health-- When you hear “good health”, what comes to mind?
2. Define the desired situation-A Church That Heals
   • Definition of health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
3. Brainstorm the driving and restraining forces in relation to achieving good health-- In your community, what are key things that support good health? In your community, what are the key things that work against good health?
4. Develop a strategy for a solution by determining which of the driving forces to strengthen and which of the restraining forces to weaken: How can we strengthen those supports? How can we reduce those things that work against good health?
5. Check the strategy to see if it will move the group towards its goal: What should be the churches response to these?

How did we analyze the comments?
We used a planning tool called force-field analysis which highlights both the assets and liabilities people have for reaching a goal. This easy to use process helps with recording the information we heard, categorizing the data and making realistic plans. A force-field analysis can also highlight why progress is not being made.

Force-Field Analysis

Goal -> Good Health
"A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

What did we hear in the focus groups?
The stories heard in the focus groups became the lifeblood of the pastoral letter. After listening to the groups and recording their stories on the force-field analysis chart, we sifted through the data to notice themes that emerged and then categorized the data to see the greatest concerns voiced by the people.

Patterns began to emerge and we grouped most of the responses into these categories.

• Personal Spirituality/Religion
• Health Education/Screening/Community Wellness/Support
• Advocacy/Legislation
• Fitness/Physical Activity
• Lifestyle/Personal Responsibility
• Social Connections
• Nutrition
• Environment
• School/Education/Literacy
• Elderly Needs
• Medical Services/Accessibility
• Substance Abuse
• Consistent Ethic of Life
• Insurance
• Culture
• Personal Finance
• Transportation
• Local Economy
• Family Life
  

What other sources of information did you use?

Public health information, the U.S. census bureau, Link2Lead.com are sources of data that describe the health of the community in which you live.

Kids Count
www.wvkidscountfund.org

US Census Bureau
www.census.gov

Community demographics for churches
www.Link2Lead.com

West Virginia Behavior Risk Factor Survey Report
http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/BRFSS_2003/

A Healthier Future for West Virginia—Healthy People 2010
www.healthywv.com/

How do we develop and implement the plan?

1. Begin with a discerning spirit. This is, first of all, God’s work. We are entering into God’s work of creation for all people. Designate time for prayer, formation and study! The Gospel of Luke and the pastoral letter, “A Church That Heals” is a great starting point for study. We must understand the issues before rushing to response.
   
2. Many of the hopes and dreams for implementation will most likely involve helping the poor and vulnerable; the marginalized and alienated. Social justice work requires consultation with those in the wider community that the parish hopes to aid. Often persons not in material need or victimized by pariticular injustices have a very different perception of how to meet those needs or alter the unjust situation than do the persons suffering the effects. It is vitally important to listen and learn from those we seek to assist, and to avoid being judgmental. They are the ones who know their circumstances best.
   
   Omitting this step can result in the project’s failure, despite the best planning and intentions. Work for social justice strives both to meet people’s immediate needs (service), and to change the structures of sin that continue to result in injustice (advocacy). Such structures are persistent and tenacious, and chipping away at them can challenge us to be less oriented toward immediate success that we tend to be in our daily lives. Thomas Merton suggested that one cannot do justice work with an eye to results, for they may not be visible within one’s lifetime. One does this work because God wants it to be done.
   
3. A plan that reflects “A Church That Heals” will be grounded in the vision of health as articulated by Bishop Bransfield: “A Church that heals will move out of isolation and single-mindedness in solving problems and develop strong partnerships with community members. We will need to move from being a consumer of medical services for treating ailments to being witnesses of healthy living and wholeness. We will be less satisfied with the mere absence of disease and work toward the integration of mind, body and spirit. A healthy way of life for our communities will not be a matter of patching an old way of life with some new habits.”
   
4. The patterns that develop through the focus groups should illuminate strategic connections and should be intentionally developed. Implementation should not be limited to the planning group or the health committee. In order to build up the Church That Heals for its mission, every baptized member’s unique charism needs to be acknowledged, developed, and effectively utilized in the implementation of the plan.
   
5. There is a diversity among the parishes of the Diocese and the regions of the state; therefore, the mission of Jesus Christ must be translated into pastoral plans adapted to the circumstances of each community. Our focus groups are living-proof of this. The needs and priorities of the people in McDowell County are far different than the people of Morgantown or the Hispanic people in the Eastern Panhandle.