LiveWell at Worship is partnering with 28 congregations to create a culture of health for their members. Each has an established wellness/health minister and committee, and more than 75 individuals participate in quarterly networking sessions and the annual summit.
The Worship workgroup supports congregations to create healthier worship environments through healthy eating and active living initiatives.
Prisma Health Upstate, Bon Secours St. Francis, and LiveWell Greenville are partnering to create a cohort of Hispanic congregations working on healthy policies and environments. Each health system has identified outreach, via congregations within the Hispanic community as a priority intervention. Rather than working in competition, each has agreed to support the LW at Worship model for creating PSE changes with their existing bi-cultural staff acting as the project lead. Currently, three congregations are participating; however, the partners are still actively recruiting congregations.
1) Address inequities and barriers brought about by systemic racism to include how it affects obesity and chronic disease rates. 2) Address hunger and access to healthier foods in faith-based settings. 3) Continue to invite FBOs (English/Spanish) to partner with LiveWell At Worship initiatives.
The congregational setting is considered a safe haven and often serves as the center of community life for Greenville County residents. In hours of need, people often look to their faith family for prayers and support related to sickness, injury or personal crisis. A congregational wellness program can build upon that sense of community and trust to extend valuable health information and support, while nurturing the congregational members. A wellness program provides quality resources for health-related issues. Once the Pastor or Spiritual Leader agrees to the partnership with LiveWell Greenville and a Health Committee/Team is formed, the five-step process is as follows:
Step One: Assess A baseline assessment provides a roadmap of where the faith community is now and what goals should be determined for the first year.
Step Two: Set Goals Identify three to five goals to work on and create a plan for implementation.
Step Three: Implement the Goals During this step, the goals developed will be put into action and implemented.
Step Four: Evaluate the Impact Evaluate successful completion of goals, identification of policy and environmental changes, and any goals that were not completed. From the compiled data, a new plan of action for the next 12-15 months is created.
Step Five: Celebrate! Plan a (healthy) celebration with your faith community. An example is family fun fitness day with fruit and water for refreshments. Share successes and met goals with the congregants.
LiveWell Greenville facilitates and supports local efforts to promote healthy eating and active living by working with ministers, staff and volunteers throughout the worship community.
We are thrilled to recognize the following places of worship for adopting a total of 34 policies impacting approximately 3,000 individuals.
Aldersgate UMC
Allen Temple AME Church
Beech Spring Church
Bethlehem Bapt.
Church without Walls
Community Mission Bapt.
First Christian United Disciples of Christ Church
Fourth Pres.
Holy Cross Hispanic Ministry*
Israel Metro CME
Jesus El Rey*
Joy of the Lord
Kingdom Assembly Restoration
Lincoln Street MBC
Long Branch Baptist Church
Lutheran Church of Our Saviour
Maranatha SDA
Monaghan Espanol*
Mountain View Baptist Church
Nicholtown Bapt.
Nuestro Salvador *
New Life of Excellence Church
Shady Grove Baptist Church
Springfield Baptist Church
St. Matthews BC
Victory Life Christian Center
* Hispanic Cohort
For more information on how to connect with LiveWell at Worship, contact Margaret Stephens at (864) 238.6495 or mstephens@livewellgreenville.org
Furman University
United Way Greenville
Long Branch Baptist Church
Pelham Medical Center
Long Branch Baptist Church
Parroquia Nuestro Salvador
Just Say Something
American Heart Assoc.
Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC)
USC Upstate
SNAP-Ed Clemson University
Bon Secours Hospital
Faith & Health Alliance
Shady Grove Baptist Church
PASOs
Participating Churches listed above
Members of the At Worship workgroup include ministers, staff and community representatives who are committed to fulfilling the goals of the At Worship Community Action Plan. The LWG At Worship Specialist and Evaluation Specialist are available to provide facilitation and technical assistance that measures the overall impact on the community.
The At Worship workgroup offers guidelines for best practices that support healthy eating and active living through various resources available and technical support provided by the At Worship Specialist and Evaluation Specialist.
The At Worship workgroup offers collaborative resources for community health and wellness events held through local houses of worship.
At Worship Toolkit (English)
The LiveWell Greenville At Worship Toolkit is a resource developed to provide houses of worship and congregations with the knowledge, tools, and resources to make healthy physical activity and nutrition changes. Also available in Spanish:
At Worship Toolkit (Spanish)
LiveWell At Worship Resource Matrix
This document has resources organized by policy, systems, environmental and advocacy.
LiveWell At Worship Best Practices
Collection of best practices for Faith Based Wellness Teams to follow in establishing a culture of health in their faith community.
Preaching Better Health
This article features a LiveWell Greenville At Worship success story and highlights Pastor Dogan’s efforts at making the health of his congregates a priority.
Healthy Meeting Toolkit
This toolkit will help your congregation learn best practices for hosting a healthier meeting.
Healthy Snack Resources
Snack suggestions for classrooms, parties or after school programs for children. This guide also includes links to other websites with nutritious snacks and treats.
Healthy Celebration Resources
This useful resource includes practical tips and ideas designed for PTAs, room parents and other volunteers that planning celebrations with children.
Classroom Movement Resources
Schools cannot leave the physical activity requirements up to only the Physical Education teachers. This document includes practical tips for including more movement in the classroom such as brain breaks, active learning or other activities that can be easily incorporated in the classroom. Although discussed as part of a classroom setting, these movement resources can be applied in an out of school setting for after school programs or Sunday-school.
Living Compass
Tools and training for families and congregations for the journey toward wellness and wholeness.
Keep Connected
Support, ideas, activities and experiences to help build strong family relationships to help kids be and become their best selves. . Resource for parents and organizations.
Search Institute
Several free research resources on children and youth and what they need to succeed.
For more information or to become involved in the LiveWell At Worship or its workgroup, please email Margaret Stephens at mstephens@livewellgreenville.org
Join us on June 18, 11am-12pm for a free virtual forum on returning to work with Dr. Christopher Lombardozzi, CMO of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.
Dr. Lombardozzi will share resources and advice to Upstate businesses and organizations on resuming business amid COVID-19 concerns.
Join LWAW on March 12, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM at the University Center Greenville Auditorium. During this forum we will discuss initiatives that can protect and promote employee mental health in the workplace.
Join LiveWell At Work for their Financial Wellness Forum on January 23, 2020!
Participants will learn why financial wellness can have an affect on employee health and productivity, the benefits of offering a financial wellness program, what different types of financial wellness benefit offerings are available, and how to implement these at your workplace.
