Foot Clinic

This clinic will be provided the first Friday of each month by Kay, Linda & Becca's Nursing Foot Care. For $25.00 care includes:

    Soaking, cutting & filing toe nails

    Massage

    Education & health maintenance

    Foot care nursing assessment

    Referrals to your doctor as needed

10:00 am - 2:00 pm ~ room 204

Please reserve your place by calling Lynnea at 612.312.3413 or email lforness@bethlehem-church.org

Jazzercise

When you love your workout, results come easy. Jazzercise combines elements of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, and more to create truly effective programs for people of every age and fitness level.

Instructor: Susan Korblick

Hours: Mondays 5:30-6:30 pm
Thursdays 5:45-6:45 pm and
Saturdays 9:15-10:15 am

for more info: Jazzercise

Join the fun

Potholders

Potholders are volunteers who make meals for people who need short-term assistance typically due to a medical issue. If you interested in being a potholder or if you are in need of potholder services, please call Lynnea at 612.312.3413 email: lforness@bethlehem-church.org

Dear Potholders,

Thank you so very much for the four delectable meals. They really helped out during my recovery from the two surgeries. Thanks to you I ate extremely well, plus I didn't have to worry about what to make for dinner and could concentrate on recuperating. 

Potholders, 

Thank you so much for the meals you provided during my bed rest at home. Your effort was much appreciated. We had plenty of leftovers and it really saved my husband a lot of time. Your cards were kind as well.

We anxiously await the birth of our second child.

BeFrienders

Who are the people in your faith community who need a BeFriender? Maybe it is a single parent struggling with raising children or a person living with a chronic illness. Perhaps it is an unemployed head of household weary from job hunting or a new mom adjusting to caring for a baby. BeFrienders provide pastoral care for people in all kinds of difficult or transitional situations. They are trained lay volunteers who extend the care of a faith community.

A BeFriender is someone who:

• Listens with compassion.
• Accepts people as they are.
• Respects another's spiritual journey.
• Embodies the caring presence of God.

www.befrienderministry.org

Caring Bridge

Several members and friends in the Bethlehem community have Caring Bridge websites. If you have a Caring Bridge website you'd like published, contact Lynnea 612.312.3413 or lforness@bethlehem-church.org

Please keep these members of our community in your prayers.

Bethlehem member Zach Schlosser is in the hospital. For updates, visit his caring bridge website. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacharyschlosser

Bethlehem member Erin Weness is recovering from heart surgery. To follow her story visit her site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyweness.

Prayer & Healing

Prayer dates back to the beginning of human history: the use of prayer for physical healing appears in the Ebers' Papyrus Scrolls (circa 1500 B.C.E.). Most of the world's religions use some form of prayer, including the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, Hinduism, and some Buddhist traditions.

Today, as in the past, prayer is widely practiced all over the world. While prayer is often considered the cornerstone of religion, it may go beyond specific religions and be an expression of personal spirituality.

Several research studies correlate prayer with improved health and well being. "Patient spirituality and religiosity have been shown to be correlated with reduced morbidity and mortality, better physical and mental health, healthier lifestyles, fewer required health services, improved coping skills, enhanced well-being, reduced stress and illness prevention" (McCord, G. 2004).

It is well documented that hope, belief, and faith positively influence health outcomes (Palmer, R. 2004).

Prayer is rooted in the belief that there is a power greater and larger than oneself that can influence one's life. It is an opening to the sacred, an "urge toward wholeness"(Dossey, L. MD, 1993). 

Prayer, according to Martin Luther, in his Morning and evening Devotions, includes blessing oneself with the sign of the Holy Cross and saying: May the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done! Amen.

Several studies correlate prayer with improved health and well being.  In fact, individuals who regularly attend religious services live longer, healthier lives than those who do not.   

Healing comes in many forms: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Prayer can provide great comfort, strength, and peace amid upheaval, and illness.

The Prayer and Healing services every month at Bethlehem invite one to experience different ways to pray, meditate, enjoy a wide variety of music, healing sermons and hands on healing.  Hands on healing has been practiced since the beginning of recorded history.  Bethlehem also provides prayer teams, spiritual direction.  Prayer and opening to God and inviting Jesus into our lives is the cornerstone of our healing.

Catherine Duncan

(Catherine Duncan is a certified spiritual director, on staff at Bethlehem Lutheran Church).

* For further information on Prayer and Healing, see U of M website, http://www.csh.umn.edu/, Free on line learning, module --Prayer. 

Spiritual Direction

One of the classical disciplines of the Christian faith journey is spiritual direction. Along with prayer, worship, solitude and study, spiritual direction has been used by people of faith as a way of developing a more intimate relationship with God.

What is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual direction or guidance is an ongoing, one-on-one relationship for the purpose of becoming more attuned to God’s presence and responding to that presence in all of life. If we believe that God is actively involved in our lives, spiritual direction can help us discern that activity and respond to it.

Is God inviting, challenging, forgiving, healing me? Is God calling me to do something different with my life? Is that really God speaking to me through a dream, a passage of Scripture, a surprising occasion or another’s comments? How can I deepen my prayer life?

The questions you bring to a spiritual director may be limitless, but there is always a central question, How is God present and what is God saying to me? Spiritual direction is not direction in the sense of one person telling another what to do or how to live, nor is it therapy where one seeks a cure for psychic ills. Spiritual direction is more of a companioning where one person walks with another, listens to the ordinary and exceptional events of your life and assists in discovering insights that will deepen your relationship with God.

Who Seeks Spiritual Direction?

Those who seek spiritual direction will have the desire within them to grow spiritually and will want to spend time with God in silence, prayer, worship, study and service. When you start noticing new insights, raising new questions and wondering new thoughts, you may benefit from talking with a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is not for everybody. If you feel a tug in your soul to become more deeply connected with God and sense that God is inviting you to a new level of spiritual growth, a spiritual direction relationship can be very helpful.

How Does Spiritual Direction Work?

 In a typical spiritual direction relationship, you would meet for about an hour once a month. Those seeking direction will not come to solve their problems and then leave. Rather, insights, questions and issues will be shared for prayer and conversation. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the true director for all of us. The human director is there to listen, question and guide. Periodic evaluations will be done to look honestly at how things are going and to decide whether to continue. Bethlehem Health Ministries is pleased to introduce Catherine Duncan, a certified spiritual director. Catherine received her Masters of Arts in Theology and spiritual direction certification at The College of St. Catherine’s.

For more information or an appointment, call Catherine at 612.925.1027.

Care Team Ministry

Care Team Ministry

responds to the non-medical “quality of life” needs of individuals not routinely provided by existing social service programs.

Care teams, staffed by volunteers from Bethlehem, provide respite care for overburdened family members and caregivers, and individualized support and socialization for our elderly.

The program has a very simple structure. It is led by a Bethlehem lay team leader. The leader forms congregational mini-teams, made up of 4-5 people. The mini-teams are commissioned to care for one family or person in need.

Care Teams Provide

• Friendship
• Shopping and Errand Help
• Transportation
• Respite Relief to Caregivers
• Family and Holiday Activities

Anyone Can Do It

The simple structure makes it easy to get involved and easy to stay involved. Because the ministry responds to individuals through a team effort, there is less burden to the individual caregiver and greater security to those being served.

Who Receives Services?

Most care receivers have:

• A loss of hearing, vision or mobility
• A loss of clear thinking or memory
• A loss of relationships and community
• A loss of independence - including the ability to drive
• A loss of purpose
• A loss of control

For more information call:

Delores Randby - 952-945-0717  or Cheryl Holmes - 612-822-5135

Back-to-School Preparation

Prepare for Back-to-School - Let your children know about your plans to take care of them during an emergency. Make sure your children's school has current emergency contact numbers for you, your spouse and for a trusted friend or relative. In addition, a laminated card with contact numbers tucked into your children's school packs could be very useful.

Don't forget to prepare your college age students, too, as they leave home. Do they have current family numbers and contact information? Be sure they know the name, location and phone number of your family's out-of-state emergency contact, so they can report their status during an emergency. That's easy to add to a cell phone directory.

Being prepared means peace of mind in confusing situations.

Flu Season

Flu season is here! 

Hands a re the most exposed part of the body - to germs. Wash them regularly. Cover your cough - not with your hands, but in your sleeve. Dispose of all used tissues and wash your hands. Give us all a helping hand - keep your hands clean and fresh.

Give us all a helping hand - keep your hands clean and fresh

Hand Washing Tips

Helping Hands

Think how important hands are in our society. We extend our hands in greetings. We reach out to touch things that attract us in stores. We say things like "I can hardly wait to get my hands in it", when we're eager to do something.

Hands are the most exposed part of the body - to germs. Grasping handles of shopping carts, doors, even steering wheels can be risky business. Touching the eyes, mouth, nose or food transfers the germs into our bodies - or from our bodies to others'. Frequent hand washing curbs disease. According the Minnesota Department of Health:

• A recent study of 305 students who washed four times a day showed 24% fewer colds and 51% less stomach upsets.
• Minnesota daycare-teachers helped children wash their hands every morning when they arrived and then disinfected all areas that parents may have touched. Result: 50% fewer illnesses at daycare.

How about your hand washing routines? Regular washing with plain soap and water will eliminate most bacteria --- if your hands are soaped for a full 20 seconds. That's about the time it takes to sing the ABC song with a child.

Give us all a helping hand -keep your hands clean and fresh.

In Case of Emergency

ICE all of your family's cell phones!

ICE stands for "In Case of Emergency." Emergency workers look for the codeword ICE when they find victims' cell phones. Should something happen to you, your child, spouse, or parent, others will know who to contact by checking cell phone directories. Help emergency workers help you! Program your cell phones today.

Examples:          ICE 1-Husband D. Neil, ICE 2-Mother-Madge, etc.

For more emergency preparedness ideas, visit www.faithgroupsprepare.org

Pandemic Preparedness

Pandemic Flu or other Catastrophic Event Planning

Checklist for Individuals & Families

You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.

1. To plan for a pandemic:

• Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on had. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.
• Ask your doctor and insurance company if you can get an extra supply of your regular prescription drugs.
• Have nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
• Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
• Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
• Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.

2. To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:

• Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water, and model the current behavior.
• Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be sure to model that behavior.
• Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick. Stay home from work and/or school if sick.

3. Items to have on hand for an extended stay at home:

Examples of food and non-perishables	Examples of medical, health, and emergency supplies
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups Protein or fruit bars Dry cereal or granola Peanut butter or nuts Dried Fruit Crackers Canned juices Bottled water Canned or jarred baby food & formula Pet food Other nonperishable foods	Prescribed medial supplies, such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment Soap and water, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen Thermometer Anti-diarrheal medication Vitamins Fluids with electrolytes Cleansing agent/soap Flashlight Batteries Portable radio Manual can opener Garbage bags Tissues, toilet paper, disposable diapers

information provided by CDC at www.pandemicflu.gov

For more information go to these links

Government sites:
www.pandemicflu.gov
www.cdc.gov
www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/faithcomchecklist.html
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/avian/index.html

Faith-Based Sites:
www.christianemergencynetwork.org
www.elca.org

Health Organization Sites:
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html

Shelter in Place

Shelter in Place

Snowstorms - when businesses close, schools close we're all supposed to "hunker down" in the safety of our homes. Here in Minnesota, we understand the potential dangers of snowstorms. But instead of "snow days" we shift into "play days." They're an excuse to get out and about with skis, snow boards, sleds and snow mobiles. What fun. But in other parts of the country those same storms bring paralyzing ice, huge drifts, or other violent weather. People are stranded for days on end. No TV, computers or even telephone service. How would you deal with that? What if you and your family were forced to shelter in place for days or even weeks? What if you had to live without electricity or heat? How about food? Are you ready?

For more information check out www.ready.gov or the health ministries' page on www.bethlehem-church.org.

A Word from Social Services Advocate

As Social Services Advocate at Bethlehem, a part-time staff member of the Health Ministry team, my main role is to connect people to the many resources available in our metropolitan community.

Here are a few of the services I provide:

• Attend care conferences for/with family members
• Provide short term counseling
• Referrals to Befriender/Care Ministry programs
• Meet with families regarding parenting concerns
• Referrals to various medical resources (insurance, specialty clinics, home health, etc.)
• Referrals to community resources (housing, mental health services, chore services, assisted living and nursing care, household donations, etc.)

You can reach me at 612.312.3414. Even though my office hours vary from week to week, I check my voice mail daily so please leave me a message.

I look forward to serving you.

Diane Daehlin, Social Services Advocate

Diabetes - Body & Soul Program

Diabetes is preventable and most of us don’t have any idea who is at risk and how to prevent it. So says Dr. Francine Kaufman, past president of the American Diabetes Association. In 1999, the National Institute of Health spent 230 million dollars to demonstrate something profoundly simple and unspectacular. If a person at risk for diabetes loses 7% of his/her weight over the course of 1-3 years and becomes more active by walking at least 150 minutes a week, that person has a 58% chance of not contracting the disease.

As your parish nurse, this news is exciting. As one involved in faith based health care, a believer, and one who has always known the church has a role in health care, I get even more excited. What we do to the body affects the soul.

Bethlehem is participating in a diabetic prevention program with the City South Cluster (of Lutheran Churches), Fairview, CoAm, and Wheat Ridge Ministries.

The Body and Soul Diabetes Prevention Program evaluates how a person’s place of faith may be instrumental in preventing diabetes.

WHAT IS DIABETES? - It means your blood glucose (sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because the body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. Too much glucose in the blood is not good for your health and can cause many health problems.

WHO IS AT RISK FOR DIABETES? - Diabetes is more common in Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders. However, the risk for diabetes is increasing in our society as a whole, as people get older, gain too much weight, or do not stay physically active.

Risk factors include:

• Having high blood pressure
• Having a family history of diabetes Having diabetes during pregnancy or having a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth.

COULD YOU HAVE DIABETES? Because diabetes is a silent disease, you could have it for years and never know it. During this time, your eyes, nerves, and kidneys may have been harmed by too much sugar in your blood.

Don't Wait for the Signs

Most people with diabetes do not notice symptoms. However if you should have any of these symptoms, call your health provider. Very Thirsty Frequent urination Losing weight without trying

WHAT CAN YOU DO to lower your risk for Diabetes?

• Keep your weight down
• Eat low fat meals that are high in fruits, vegetables & whole grains
• Stay active most days of the week

Learn More. Get Involved

If you believe that you or people you care about may have any of the listed symptoms, you should learn more and get involved. Contact your health care provider, your parish nurse 612.312.3405, or call the diabetes hotline at 1.800.342.2383 for free information. Click here for more information: http://www.diabetes.org/home

Dietary Guidelines

The standards for exercise and nutrition have changed. The following is a list of those changes. Dietary Guidelines for Americans is published jointly every 5 years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.

The Guidelines provide science-based advice to promote health and to reduce risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity. Major causes of disease and mortality in the United States are related to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Some specific diseases linked to poor diet and physical inactivity include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Poor diet and physical inactivity, are the most important factors contributing to the increase in overweight and obesity in this country.

Recommendations are grouped under nine inter-related focus areas. It is important to remember that these are integrated messages that should be implemented as a whole. Taken together, they encourage most people to eat fewer calories, be more active, and make wiser food choices. All recommendations should be used together in the context of planning an overall healthful diet. However, even following just some of the recommendations can have health benefits. Here are some highlights of the newly revised guidelines.

CALORIES - Balance calories between the amount you eat and the amount of energy you burn.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week is the minimum. The new recommendations for losing weight is 60-90 minutes per day. Include cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.

NUTRITION - Eat a variety of foods that are high in nutrients and low in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars and salt.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES - Eat at least 4 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables a day.

FATS - Keep trans fat as low as possible. Get no more than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fat and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily.

CARBOHYDRATES - Eat fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often. Eat and drink little added sugar and caloric sweetener.

SALT - Limit salt to about 1 teaspoon per day.

ALCOHOL - If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, about one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

FOOD SAFETY - Clean hands, food contact surfaces, and fruits and vegetables. Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing foods.

If you have any questions, please call Diane Waarvik 612.312.3405.

News - July 2007

On Tuesday July 10, 2007, the Wellness Connection of Minnesota (WCMN), an outreach ministry of Bethlehem's Health Ministries, was presented with a $5000 check from Park Nicollet Foundation at their annual foundation retreat. 

The $5000 will be used to train our staff in the health realization model of working with clients who are refugees and/or immigrants.  Mental illness related to post traumatic stress, loss of family, depression, grief, etc. is a major concern in the Somali and other refugee communities. This money will be used to address this growing need in the population we serve at the Wellness Connection of Minnesota.

WCMN Update:

• Dave Wething, a Bethlehem member, assisted in the incorporation process which was effective in July, a step to becoming a non profit organization.

• We received a grant from Minnesota Department of Health to assist women in receiving the screening and treatment for breast and cervical cancer. Our workers will recruit women who have no insurance or large co-pays and assist them in getting the screenings completed.

• We received a Fairview Foundation grant for Bethlehem Lutheran to work with Messiah Lutheran in meeting health needs of the community. One of the WCMN community health workers will assist Messiah, supervised by Diane Waarvik, Director of Health Ministries.

Everyone at Wellness Connection of Minnesota is thankful for all the support and encouragement from members of Bethlehem.  Thank you....

Refugee Camp Experience in September

 

Imagine you have just minutes to flee your home. What few items can you carry? How will you find food, shelter, and water? These are just a few of the many thoughts that race through the minds of an estimated 33 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge because of war and conflict. For three years, Bethlehem has been working with Somali refugees at the Wellness Connection of Minnesota. Many of you have been touched by their stories. We invite you to a refugee camp experience.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières hopes to bring an understanding of the refugee experience to the people of Minneapolis. "A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City," a free exhibit, will take place at Loring Park, Thursday, September 27 through Sunday, September 30 from 9 am - 5:30 pm daily.

Doctors Without Borders aid workers guide visitors through the camp exhibit, explaining the challenges of building shelter, finding food and clean water, and handling waste disposal-all basic elements of survival for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

In the nutrition tent, visitors learn about the special therapeutic foods used to combat malnutrition. Tours of the health clinic, vaccination tent, and cholera treatment center demonstrate how the organization provides basic health care and controls epidemics in refugee settings.

The exhibit is made up of actual materials used by Doctors Without Borders in its medical humanitarian work around the world. The exhibit will highlight the plight of the millions of people currently displaced by conflict in places like Sudan, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Thailand (the Hmong refugees) and Somalia-where the majority of Minnesota's refugees originate.