Pre-Conference

Pre-Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, and Education

Half Day Conferences

Monday, June 18, 2001 - 9:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M.

PreC1 - Trauma Healing and Transformation: Awakening a New Heart with Body-Mind-Spirit Practices Patricia M. Cane, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of Capacitar, Inc., Watsonville, CA This 3-hour pre-conference seminar will discuss some current theories on trauma, present research and findings on the use of energy practices with the individuals studied, and will teach several body-mind-spirit practices which can be effectively used by nurses, caregivers, counselors, clergy, health educators, and those working with persons affected by traumatic stress.

PreC2- End of Life Decision Making and Medical Futility Diann B. Uustal, RN, MS, Ed.D., Educational Resources in Healthcare, Inc., Jamestown, RI Dr. Uustal's contributions in the areas of the ethic of care, clinical ethical decision making and ethical issues in health care are widelyrecognized in the nursing and medical professions. Hear this highly sought after speaker and educator as she provides you with information that will enhance your ability to reason ethically and help strengthen your role as a patient advocate.

1:30 P.M.- 4:30 P.M.

PreC3 - Healing Our World- Personal and Communal Transformation with Body-Mind-Spirit Practices Patricia M. Cane, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Capacitar, Inc., Watsonville, CA This 3-hour hands-on pre-conference seminar will teach simple Tai Chi movements, breathing exercises, guided visualization, acupressure points for centering and alleviating pain, and Pal Dan Gum movements for balancing energy flows in the body.

PreC4 - Journaling Your Way through Grief Gail E. Kittleson, BA, MA, Author/Proprietor, The Sometimes Line, Greene, IA Grief and loss are components of much illness; health ministers can learn practical, simple journaling techniques to aid them and their patients in the recovery process. You will analyze individual core beliefs and bereavement experiences by practicing journaling skills which enhance healingís creative process. Basic information regarding the value of journal writing in everyday life will also be presented.

Full Day Pre-Conferences

Monday, June 18, 2001 - 9:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M. (including 90 minute lunch break)

PreC5 - Journey Mapping: Evaluating Health Ministry Programs Barry Kibel, Ph.D., Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, MD This session will provide participants with an in-depth understanding and appreciation for Journey Mapping, an Internet-based management and evaluation tool that has received widespread popularity and acceptance by parish nursing and other community health programs nationwide. Included in this session will be a guided tour of the Internet application with special attention focused on parish nursing, health ministry and other community health programs.

PreC6 - Sacred Spaces, Sacred Lives, Bethann Witcher, Ph.D., Global Health Action, Atlanta, GA Health ministry is not about place; it is about sacred space. This workshop examines multiple meanings of sacred space; the sacred space within each of us, the sacred space of community and the sacred space of place. Participants will identify and assemble symbolic objects into their own personal altar.

PreC7 - The Role of the Congregation in Health, David Hilton, M.D., Ecumenical Health Ministries, Clarkston, GA By linking the definition of health with sacred scriptures, participants will see why the church is the real ìworld health organizationî. Exploring the underlying causes of disease will reveal the urgent need for the faith community to address the non-medical aspects of health. This workshop will help you build a bridge between religious practices and medical knowledge, explore ways that they are symbiotic in bringing health to individuals and communities, and plan healing ministry activities accordingly.

Tuesday, June 19, 2001 - 11:30 A.M.- 12:30 P.M.

Workshop: W1 - Transforming Congregations through Health Ministries- Part 1 Abigail Rian Evans, M. Div., Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ This workshop will equip pastors, lay leaders and health ministers to analyze health needs of their congregations and begin new programs to meet those needs. You will examine the way congregations address health issues, in terms of understanding their own mission and ministry, as well as the styles of pastoral leadership, training of laity for a health ministry and steps to starting new ministries.

Seminars S1 - Contemplative Prayer as Energy Medicine Sharon E. Trekell, Ph.D., MS, Soulwork, Beavercreek, OH This is a seminar for Christians seeking a way to integrate their belief in Jesus Christ with their interest in energy medicine. Using words of Jesus from the Gospel of John, participants will learn a form of centering prayer to bless body, mind, heart and soul. Dr. Trekell has also designed a small strand of Contemplative Christian Centering Beads to be used as ìsacramentalsî (an outward symbol for an inner grace) to assist those learning this new form of centering prayer.

S2 - Expanding the Role of the Laity in Health Ministries W. Daniel Hale, Ph.D., Stetson University, DeLand, FL This seminar will present a model used to train laity to coordinate health education and patient advocacy programs within their congregations. This model, developed with the assistance of faculty form the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has been successfully implemented in diverse congregations and communities. It brings together the resources of local congregations with those of medical professionals and institutions.

S3 - Lifetime Imprints of Perinatal Loss Alana Roush, RNC, TriHealth, Cincinnati, OH Perinatal loss deeply affects parents, siblings, and extended family, not just at the time of loss but for years to come. They begin a grief journey that is generally not understood and often not acknowledged. Learn how perinatal loss affects parents and other family members, and the current concepts of care.

S4 - Make Aging a Plus: Improving the Health of Older Adults through Health Ministry Karen Shelnutt, RN, BSN, El Dorado County Federated Church, Placerville, CA Make Aging a Plus is a program that addresses the spiritual, emotional, physical and environmental needs of older adults through health ministry. This seminar will provide for discussion of factors that determine ìsuccessful agingî, and look at creative programs and approaches that can improve the journey of aging for members of congregations and communities.

S5 - Mind-Body Approaches for Co-Development of Faith and Health Marie A. Sutton, Ph.D., MB, B.Chir., CHTP, Integrated Being, Cincinnati, OH Mind-body techniques offer a flexible, effective approach to health ministries for individual and group health skill development and for broader faith exploration and associated health benefits. This experiential session will provide attendees with a broad view of such techniques, with emphasis placed on mind-body-spirit aspects and the impact of faith, beliefs and prayer on health and healing.

S6 - Documentation- ³The Dark Side² William (Rick) Parker, MSN, St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood, KY Dee Lorenz, RN, St. Thomas Parish, Fort Thomas, KY From a humorous viewpoint, Rick will present nursing documentation and explain the reasons why parish nurses and health ministers need to document. Dee will walk you through the development process of her churchís health ministry program and the evolution of their computerized documentation. Both Rick and Dee will discuss ways to garner support and grow your health ministry.

Papers P1 - Reiki- Connecting with the Spirit Margaret Boehmer, Reiki Master and Teacher, Original Equilibrium, Ft. Wright, KY Reiki is an ancient form of healing touch that enables us to surrender buried emotions that block our energy centers so that we can live joyful, vital, healthy lives with love and with freedom from anxiety, worry and fear. This presentation on Reiki will cover the history and principles of Reiki, an explanation of what Reiki is and how it is conducted, the relationship of energy with the cells of our body, and an exercise in experiencing the energy in our bodies.

Education P2-Using Music in Your Health Ministry Tami Briggs, Therapeutic Harpist, Musical Reflections, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN According to the medical professionís own survey, one out of three Americans is seeking alternative healing methods. Millions of people are tired of invasive, costly, potentially harmful treatments in which the remedy is often worse than the disease. This session will discuss the use of music as a complementary care healing modality in your health ministry.

Tuesday, June 19, 2001, 3:00- 4:00 P.M. Workshop:

W2 - Transforming Congregations through Health Ministries- Part 2 Abigail Rian Evans, M.Div., Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ This is the second hour of a 2-hour workshop. Please see description of W1 for details.

Seminars S7 - Called to Heal with Hands and Heart Linda L. Smith, RN, MS, HNC, CHTP, CHTI, Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry Program, Arvada, CO This seminar will explore the flow of healing energy (Godís grace) when we touch with a clear intention of the heart to be an instrument of Godís healing for another. The ancient form of the laying-on of hands found in all spiritual paths is finding its way back into our modern life. Participants will experience together the flow of healing energy through this simple form of touching with intention.

S8 - Empowering Women in Childbirth: A Theological Approach Peg Conway, MS, Art of Birthing Center of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH The experience of giving birth is a profound rite of passage in a womanís life, physically, emotionally and spiritually. But in our technological culture, birth is considered strictly a medical event and frequently is discussed only in terms of the procedures or interventions that are used or avoided. This session will provide participants with a practical, theological framework for speaking of childbirth, especially the pain of labor, and suggest an approach to childbirth preparation that is truly holistic.

S9 - Homebound and Refusing Help: Caring for the Spiritual, Emotional and Physical Needs of Elderly Isolated Parishioners Kathleen C. Blanchfield, Ph.D., RN, St. Michael Parish/Advocate Health Care, Orland Park, IL Every congregation has frail, elderly individuals who can become isolated in their homes. Breaking this isolation can be very difficult for family, friends and neighbors, especially if shame and pride are involved. Emphasis in this seminar will be placed on exploring spiritual care as a vital element in addressing the needs of isolated elderly parishioners and on strategies for demonstrating the relationship between faith and health while reaching out to isolated individuals.

S10 - Theology of Care John Trokan, D. Min., College of Mt. St. Joseph, Cincinnati, OH Care is the basic constitutive element of our humanity and of health ministry. This seminar will examine the underlying Theology of Care operative in health ministries and will explore the spiritual dimensions of care, including the role of community/congregation in the healing process.

S11 - Stressbusting for the Faith Community Jeani Pienkoski, M.Ed., MATS, BS, RN, Novant Health, Charlotte, NC The stressors of life play a significant role in our health and well-being. Stress comes in all shapes and sizes and so does its treatment. Methods of putting our faith beliefs to work in coping with the stress of life are learned in this interactive session.

S12 - The Parish Nurse: A Regional Profile Ann Farley, MS, RNC, Holy Redeemer Health System, Meadowbrook, PA Louise Beebe-Thornton, RN, BSN, MSN, Merck and Co., Whitehouse Station, NJ The relationship between faith and health forms the foundation for parish nurse ministry. Health ministry for the parish nurse is a marriage of ministry and professional nursing. This presentation will examine the survey data from a small sample of parish nurses and clergy and place it in the context of professional education and practice within the faith community.

Papers P3 - Facing Forward: Spiritual Strategies to Develop a Healthy Lifestyle Lynn Faria, BA, MA, Health Ministry Partnership, Meriden, CT Participants will learn how to develop a spiritually mindful program, including elements of self-care and problems of stress. Topics include, but are not limited to, use of the Relaxation Response, visualization, guided meditation, exercise and choosing food for the body, mind and spirit.

P4 - Stories to Encourage You to Listen to Your Heart Nancy Rafter, RN, Parish Nurse, St. Mary's Church, Franklin, MA As parish nurses we are called to be there to care for others, to be present for others. As we go forth to minister to those in need, we must listen to the Spirit and let it guide us to both planned and unplanned activities of the day. By listening to the Spirit, we are guided to meet people's needs which are known to God but are unknown to us. The Spirit guides us through our days of caring and our lives of ministry.

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 - 9:00 A.M.- 10:00 A.M. Workshop

W3 - Starting a Health Ministry Program with Parish Nursing- Part 1 Kathy Scott, RN, MA, Bay Area Health Ministries, Los Gatos, CA Lois Peacock, RN, BSN, San Francisco, CA This workshop will examine health ministry and parish nursing for those beginning a program or those who wish to enhance an existing program. Participants will explore the various roles of the parish nurse, as well as the different models of parish nursing/health ministry, and will write a plan for the first steps of developing a health ministry in their own congregation.

Seminars
S13 - Awakening to the Call of Family Caregivers Eugene McClory, MA, Catholic Social Services of Southwestern Ohio, Cincinnati, OH Rod Huber, MSW, LISW, Catholic Social Services of Southwestern Ohio, Cincinnati, OH This seminar will outline the conception, development and implementation of an area-wide program of integrated free services for primarily aging family caregivers. The presenters will highlight replicable aspects of the relatively low-cost program established by a not-for-profit agency with trained volunteer service providers and limited paid staff.

S14 - Keeping Souls in Motion: Parish Nurse as Spiritual Kinesiologist Donna L. Teper, RN, BS, Provena Wellness Center, Elgin, IL This presentation will explore methods of spiritual exercise to encourage spiritual growth with a focus on rituals, interdependency, ìchair exerciseî, using an assessment wheel as a tool to identify spiritual distress, the nurseís role in spiritual care and joy journaling. Participants will gain skill in developing individualized spiritual exercise programs for all adults.

S15 - Make a Joyfilled Noise Unto God Joy Ruth Cohen, Ph.D., RN, CNM, CNAA, CCHT, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT Carol R. Darcy, MSN, RN, Canton, Ohio In this seminar, ³healing² will be defined and explored through scriptures. The relationship between healing and eastern and western approaches to health care, cultural considerations, and allopathic and complementary modalities of care will be discovered as the group appreciates the theological basis of health ministry.

S16 - Journaling Your Way Through Grief Gail E. Kittleson, BA, MA, The Sometimes Line, Greene, IA Even professionals are often surprised and overwhelmed by the intensity of pain and anguish in peoplesí responses to loss. This interactive seminar will provide tools for caregivers to use in processing their own losses as well as helping those they serve deal with pain and loss.

S17 - Promoting the Faith-Health Connection within the Family Virginia M. Wepfer, MSN, RN,C, Wendan Health Ministries Resource Center, Lake Milton, OH The family of origin is the first place of spiritual formation for individuals. Most individuals are unaware that their attitudes toward faith, health and illness were developed within the context of their family. Examining the development of these attitudes helps the health minister/parish nurse to understand their own beliefs, as well as those of the parishioners they serve.

S18 - Remembering Who and Whose I Am Jerry D. Wright, D. Min., Indianapolis, IN This seminar will teach participants to discern fear as a significant component in any crisis situation, to name fear in its various guises and to remember to neutralize fearful appearances using affirmative prayer. The presenter will explain and demonstrate the process of affirmative, healing prayer and participants will have the opportunity to practice applying this prayer strategy to a situation.

Papers P5 - Why Do We Volunteer? A Reflection on Volunteer Parish Nurses Faith Bresnan Roberts, BSN, CRRN, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL Do volunteer parish nurses differ from those who are paid? This presentation will focus on the many nurses who choose to practice parish nursing on a volunteer basis. Participants will also explore a model of cooperation between a health care institution and community congregations which allows a true partnership to emerge between pastor and parish nurse without any perceived intrusion by the health care entity.

P6 - A Personal Medical Information Notebook for Use in Congregations Gail B. Holcombe, RN, MS, Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines, Des Moines, IA Assisting individuals to organize their medical records can be a very important aspect of health ministries within a faith community. Each participant in this paper presentation will receive a copy of the medical information notebook and a teaching guide that can be copied or adapted for use in a congregational setting.

10:30 A.M.- 11:30 A.M. Workshop

W4 - Starting a Health Ministry Program with Parish Nursing- Part 2 Kathy Scott, RN, MA and Lois Peacock, RN, BS This is the second hour of a two-hour workshop. Please see description of W3 for details.

Seminars S19 - A Sacred Journey: Health Ministry to Adult Children Struggling to Care for Elderly Parents Kathleen C. Blanchfield, Ph.D., RN, Advocate Health Care, Orland Park, IL Providing care for your parents can present one of lifeís greatest challenges and rewards. Adult children need to care for themselves if they are going to be able to care for their elderly parents. This seminar will identify and discuss health ministry strategies for integrating reverence for the sacred journey of adult child caregivers, while ministering to their need for practical help.

S20 - Answering the Call to Health Ministry with the Deaf Deborah Greener, Ph.D., RN, Towson University, Towson, MD This seminar will provide information about barriers to health literacy and health care access, the use of interpreters, community resources, health education adaptations and spirituality. The importance of American Sign Language will be discussed, and participants will learn several phrases and prayers in ASL. This seminar is important for all health ministers who are committed to serving the needs of all Godís children.

S21 - Awakening to the Call to Include Bereavement Follow-Up in Parish Nursing/Health Ministry Practice Sarah E. Giffen, MSN, CNM, RN, Gahanna, OH Grief is a universal experience during which persons frequently seek out support from their faith communities. The parish nurse is in a unique position to provide information, counseling and support during this time. This seminar will present strategies to assist the parish nurse in following bereaved parishioners. A survey of central Ohio parish nurses will describe the current involvement of parish nurses.

S22 - Bringing Prayer and Presence Together: Be Still and Know That I Am God Faith Bresnan Roberts, BSN, CRRN, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL Parish nurses are asked to model a healthy body-mind-spirit connection to their faith congregations. This can only happen if the nurse is able to make this same connection in his/her own life. This seminar will ask parish nurses to take a moment from their busy lives to reflect on Godís presence in their souls.

S23 - Health Ministry as a Sacred Journey: Connecting Parish Nurse Tasks, Spiritual Journey and Community Context Jacki Belile, M.Div., and Jan McCabe, M.Div., Advocate Ravenswood Hospital, Chicago, IL This seminar will explore the development of an educational and spiritual support system for parish nurses, which actively encourages the formation of collegial support, ministerial identity and confident broad utilization of community-wide resources. Attendees will gain the resources to articulate more clearly where their own support systems can be enhanced, and will receive the tools and encouragement to deepen their understanding of their health ministry as a sacred journey.

S24 - Spirituality through Art Therapy: Mandala- Discovering the Source Anne Rettig, CHTP, MA, Expressive Arts Therapist, Loveland, OH Jung described a mandala as containing ìthe innermost godlike essence of man.î It stands for the deity as well as the self since it reflects the image of the godhead in the unfolded creation in nature and man. Participants will be given a variety of art materials with which to create an image of a mandala which will be symbolic of their inner and outer sources of strength.

Papers P7 - Community Based Support for Health Ministry Katora P. Campbell, RN, MSN, MPH, Partners for a Healthy Community, Anderson, SC Partners for a Healthy Community: Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Program is a model that can be replicated in other communities. Coordination of health ministries is the linking of faith and health entities on three levels: community, congregational, and individual. Attendees will be able to describe a process for formation of community based health ministry coordination and state the advantages of a community based health ministry coordination.

P8 - An Educational Program for the Congregational Health Minister Virginia Wepfer, MSN, RN,C, Wendan Health Ministries Resources Center, Lake Milton, OH Lay persons who provide health ministry to parishioners need to be educated in the concepts of health ministry and the roles of health minister and parish nurse. This paper presentation will describe the content of a basic program to educate congregational health ministers. Additional types of programs and resources for such programs will also be presented.

A Tuesday Evening Event: "Back to the Future" Join your fellow Parish Nurses and Health Ministers for an evening event revisiting the 1950's. Dig out your lettersweaters, saddle oxfords, and poodle skirts and get ready to rock-n-roll! This fantastic evening is for conference attendees and will be the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with old friends and meet some new ones. This event is the perfect place to share your favorite stories, enjoy fine dining, dance or relax. Get ready to have fun!