Find a Need and Fill It

Dr. Charles Arn, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

Health and wellness are important at any age. But for persons over 55, these issues become particularly important. The growing interest in health and wellness can be seen in health related newsletters and magazine articles, nutritional guides and health oriented diets. Health centers for older adults are growing, while community senior centers are declining.

The church should also be concerned with wellness. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. However, physical wellness is only one of our concerns. There is spiritual wellness, emotional wellness, relational wellness … all ingredients in a holistic approach to life.

Here’s an imaginative idea to begin a new outreach ministry in your church to older adults … a Wellness Center!  As a start it might be as simple as a desk in the church office staffed by a knowledgeable leader who schedules health walks, helps those who desire to monitor their blood pressure and calorie and fat intake, coordinates various support groups, and encourages proper nutrition at church meals. This (or perhaps a different) staff person could also be concerned with spiritual wellness, including Bible studies and prayer cells. They would provide videos and print resources for spiritual health. Emotional wellness could include counseling for those senior adults facing grief, depression, dependency or other emotional concerns.

In time, a full-blown Wellness Center could include a gym, pool, exercise machines, health food center, daily aerobics, a fulltime director, dues and membership paid by participants. It is becoming increasingly common to find a nurse as a part time church staff… a valuable addition to any Wellness Center program. The Wellness Center could be directed by a current staff member or a qualified senior adult volunteer.


What might be the benefits of a Wellness Center in your church?

First and most obvious is its contribution to the lives of participants.

The church will demonstrate to the senior adult church and community members that it understands seniors’ needs … and cares.

A Wellness Center will provide a new door of entry into the church for unchurched adults.

A Wellness Center will facilitate relationships among members and nonmembers.

A Wellness Center will help pay for itself through additional income, much like day schools and other paid activities.