Article Advise

submitted: Aug 19th 2008 | by: LisaCopen | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 1761 | |

Over 100 million people in the USA, about 1 in 2, have a chronic illness. That means, if you are not the one suffering from chronic pain, chances are someone you care about is dealing with it silently.

Too often, a chronic illness, such as fibromyalgia, or a chronic condition like back pain from a car accident, is invisible. Surprisingly, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 96% of the people who have an illness do not use an assistive device, for example, a wheelchair or cane. Pain is invisible and those who live with chronic illnesses do everything they can to look presentable, get to church, and sit through the service.

As someone who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, I remember standing during worship and grasping onto the pew in front of me to balance. My knees both need joint replacements and my feet are somewhat deformed. And then the worship team began singing a song that had the lyrics, "I will stand in spite of pain." I rolled my eyes and my husband said, "It's just an expression." Of course, I knew this, but the timing was ironic.

I was surrounded by people who cared about me, in a church I love, and yet I still felt lonely and as though no one had an idea of what my life was truly like.

Churches already feel pushed to the brink, trying to fulfill all the needs that are obvious. Even large churches lack the amount of volunteers they need to rock babies in the nurseries or visit the elderly who are unable to attend the weekly service. So, if the people who have a chronic illness aren't even speaking up about their needs, then that must evidently mean that they are having all of them met, right? Pastors often ask, "If they don't ask for what they need, how can we even know what it is? It sounds to me as though they must be coping perfectly fine if they aren't calling us or asking for more prayer. They have their faith and that should be enough during the dark moments to carry them through."

Let's take a glimpse at some astonishing statistics:

- We usually assume the chronically ill are the elderly, but 60% of people who live with illness or daily chronic pain are between the ages of 18 and64. - 75% of marriages where one of the spouses have a chronic illness end in divorce - When you are chronically ill, depression is 15-20% higher than it is for the average person - Many studies have found that physical illness or uncontrollable physical pain are major factors in up to 70% of suicides.*

There is cause for great concern. Despite whether you can see the illnesses that are impacting people's lives or not, your church body has many ailing bodies. And those who are hurting physically are often hurting emotionally and spiritually too. When Jesus speaks of the broken-hearted, I believe the chronically ill are a great portion of those who have fragile spirits.

So the question remains, if people don't talk about their pain, but they still have a need to learn how to cope with it and find hope, how does a church reach out to them most effectively?

(1) Perform a survey about what people may desire that they are not mentioning to the church leadership. This is especially vital if you belong to a large church. People are less likely to ask for help when they don't know the church staff intimately and reluctant to mention their illness. They are afraid they will be bombarded with all the scriptures about healing. A recent Barna group study discovered that larger churches were the least likely to have congregational care ministries listed as a priority (Church Priorities for 2005 Vary Considerably).

Ask questions on a survey such as, "If we provided transportation, such as a van ride, would it increase your ability to attend church? If you were too ill to attend church, would you listen to the service on the internet? Do you know who to call at the church if you occasionally need personal assistance (especially when the illness is chronic and not acute)? Are you able to see the worship song lyrics on the overhead, or would having them available on paper also be helpful? Please rate the comfort level of our seats." Sit down with a group of people who live with chronic pain and brainstorm ideas with them about what would increase their church attendance or connection with the church and then prioritize what they say.

(2) Organize a care group, similar to other small groups your church has, for the chronically ill. For example, Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization for those who live with chronic illness, has a small group program, HopeKeepers. They have a great selection of resource materials, Bible studies and support for group leaders. A group like this can be a turning point for people who really need the hands on support and understanding. Talking and praying about one's illness week after week in a regular small group can feel like you are a burden to others. But having a small group environment that is a "safe place" where everyone "speaks the same language" and even laughs at the same silly stories can be refreshing. The group doesn't need to be large. Even just having the chance to hand out with one other person can be life-changing. Be a church that recognizes the struggles of chronic illness and provide an oasis for people.

(3) Invite guest speakers who have physical disabilities or live with chronic illness. There are amazing people that speak at churches, sharing their testimony and a wonderful message. By letting them be on stage and reveal what God has done in their lives, despite physical challenges, lets people in your church who are ill see that you do in fact recognize their needs. It reminds them that you care, and perhaps most importantly of all, that you believe that people with physical challenges are still worthy to be used by God (a message few hear from their church). Speakers such as Dave Dravecky, Lisa Copen, Joni Eareckson Tada, Nick Vujicic, and many others, minister to the masses, not just those with disabilities.

(4) Discuss the possibility of adding a parish nurse to your church staff. The number of parish nurses in United States is estimated to be about 6000, according to the Marquette University College of Nursing. If you church has a lot of seniors this may be an obvious need and she will help organize the ministries to this group of people. There are a lot of retired nurses who are discovering this kind of ministry engaging and parish nurse certification can be found at most hospitals. The parish nurse position description includes a variety of duties, depending on your church's needs and goals. For example, the role of the parish nurse may include going to homes of church members to monitor high blood pressure or diabetes, organizing health screenings and fairs, starting walking groups, and even assisting with chronic illness and disability ministries. The parish nurse would network closely with the congregational care pastor.

(5) Have your church library be the source for all materials related to health, illness, caregiving, and Christian ministries. A large percentage of people with chronic illness are on a fixed-income and yet they really want encouragement. So fill up your library with items like books on living with chronic illness such as "Why Can't I Make People Understand?" or "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend," by Lisa Copen or Joni Eareckson Tada's remarkable book on suffering, "When God Weeps." Subscribe to a few magazine subscriptions like "HopeKeepers", "Guideposts" or even "Arthritis Today." Don't forget books on tape, audio presentations and large-print items when they are available. Be a part of creating awareness in the church by posting flyers or having brochures available about chronic illness or disability ministries, such as Joni and Friends "Wheels for the World" program or Rest Ministries' annual outreach, "National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week." A volunteer could also put together a binder of local and national ministry resources.

(6) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, keep in mind that people with illness want to help serve. Not just be served. Proverbs 11:25 says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." For example, if a woman with a chronic illness explains that she must resign from teaching Sunday school, make sure she knows that she is welcome to serve in other ways when she is ready. Though she no longer is physically able to teach four-year-olds, she may discover that she loves writing notes to people who have just been diagnosed with a chronic illness. A man may discover that he prefers mentoring another man with a chronic illness one-on-one, instead of leading a weekly Bible study. Let people know that you value wounded healers and that your church believes that God comforts us "so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:4).

About twice a month someone tells me that they went to their pastor with a request to start a chronic illness HopeKeepers ministry and they were told, "Come back when you are healed and then we will talk. You can't very well minister to others with illness when you aren't even healed yourself." The broken hearts that arise from these comments is unbearable. It's devastating to feel like God is using your illness for His glory and then be told you are no longer useful to the church-or even to God-until you are healed.

In the parable Jesus shares in Luke 14:21, a man asks his friends to come to a great banquet he has prepared. But his friends turn him down. Upset with their lack of graciousness he orders, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." This is still a directive to us today. Too few of our churches have recognized the needs of the chronically ill in their own church, much less their community. We must focus on providing a place where we offer unconditional hospitality. We need to "go out" into our own pews and ask the chronically ill to help us provide a place of refuge. And then these people will become the comforters, who, with the support of their church, will be able to go out into the community and offer to walk alongside the hurting with understanding.

About the Author

Get a free download of 200 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend from "Beyond Casseroles" by Lisa Copen, just signup for to HopeNotes invisible illness ezine at Rest Ministries. Lisa founded of Invisible Illness Week

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