Nearly 1 in 2 people in the U.S. have a chronic condition. If
it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s someone sitting next to you.

Too often, a chronic illness, such as fibromyalgia, or a
chronic condition like back pain from a car accident, is
invisible. Those who live with chronic illnesses do
everything they can to look presentable, get to church, and
sit through the service. But as someone with rheumatoid
arthritis, as I stood during worship and grasped onto the
pew in front of me to balance my knees that need joint
replacements, I nearly laughed as the worship song said, ¡°I
will stand in spite of pain.¡± Surrounded by a church I loved,
I still felt lonely and misunderstood.

Churches have an overwhelming amount of needs that
must be fulfilled where the need is obvious. So if people
aren¡¯t saying anything about their pain, doesn¡¯t that mean
they are coping with it fine? Their faith and the ability to
pray for strength should be enough, right?

Let¡¯s look at some staggering statistics:

? Despite what we may assume, 60% of those who live
with daily illness or pain are between the ages of 18 and
64.
? The divorce rate among the chronically ill is over 75
percent.
? Depression is 15-20% higher for the chronically ill than
for the average person.
? Various studies have reported that physical illness or
uncontrollable physical pain is major factors in up to 70%
of suicides.*

There is cause for concern. Whether you see it or not, your
church body has many ailing bodies, and they are often
accompanied by broken spirits. So, if people aren¡¯t talking
about their pain, how do you know how to reach out to
them?

(1) Conduct a survey on the needs people may have that
they are not speaking out about, especially if you are a
large church where people may be more reluctant to talk
about their needs. In a recent Barna group study, it was
found that larger churches were the leas likely to mention
congregational care ministries as a priority (Church
Priorities for 2005 Vary Considerably). Ask, ¡°if a van is
provided, will you be able to get to church more easily?
Would you listen to church on the internet if you were too ill
to attend? Do you feel you can call and ask for occasional
personal assistance (especially if the illness is chronic and
not acute)? Would you like the worship song lyrics in the
bulletin and not just on an overhead? Are the seats
comfortable or would you prefer a few rows be saved for
you with cushions?¡± Brainstorm with a group of people
who have a chronic illness and ask them for a wish list.
Then sit down and prioritize.

(2) Provide a small group/Bible study setting for those with
illness. For example, Rest Ministries has a small group
program called HopeKeepers which provides a wide
variety of materials and Bible studies for this purpose. You
may find that although people enjoy the small groups they
are in, they feel that talking and praying about their illness
week after week is a burden. Having a place where they
can ¡°speak the same language¡± and even laugh at the
same jokes can be invigorating. And if only a few people
come, that¡¯s okay. It brings people comfort to know the
church has this oasis when they need it.

(3) Have special guest speakers. There are dozens of
people who have physical disabilities that go to churches
and share their testimony. Allowing them to be at the pulpit
and share what God has done in their lives despite
physical challenges, sends a message to those that are ill
that you recognize their needs, you care, and most of all,
that you believe they are still worthy to be used by God.
People such as Dave Dravecky, Renee Bondi and Joni
Eareckson Tada, and many others, minister to the masses,
not just those with disabilities.

(4) Consider adding a parish nurse to your staff, especially
if your church body has a lot of seniors. Many retired
nurses are finding this area of ministry appealing and most
hospitals now offer training. Parish nurses have a variety of
duties, depending on your church¡¯s needs and goals, for
example, they may go to homes to monitor diabetes or
high blood pressure of church members, organize health
fairs and screenings, help provide walking groups, etc.
This position may be more applicable for the size of your
church than a specific disabilities coordinator, yet s/he
would cover these responsibilities, working closely with the
congregational care pastor.

(5) Provide helpful resources that are available for
borrowing. Many people with chronic illness are on a fixed-
income and yet they need encouragement. Stock your
church library with books on living with chronic illness such
as ¡°Why Can¡¯t I Make People Understand?¡± by Lisa Copen
or ¡°When God Weeps¡± by Joni Eareckson Tada. Buy a few
subscriptions to magazines such as ¡°HopeKeepers¡±,
¡°Guideposts¡± and even ¡°Arthritis Today.¡± Remember to
have books on tape, audio presentations and large-print
whenever they are available. Post flyers or have brochures
available about chronic illness or disability ministries, such
as Joni¡¯s ¡°Wheels for the World¡± program or Rest
Ministries¡¯ annual outreach, ¡°Invisible Illness Week.¡± A
parish nurse may also want to collect lists of local
resources and national ministries and put them in binder;
lists of organizations, magazines and newsletters on topics
for Christian seniors, those with disabilities, caregivers,
and assisted living to name a few.

(6) Lastly, and most importantly, remember people with
illness want to serve¡ªnot just be served. ¡°He who
refreshes others will himself be refreshed¡± (Proverbs
11:25). For example, when someone tells you she is
resigning from teaching Sunday school, let her know that
she is welcome to serve in other ways when she is ready.
She may find she enjoys writing notes to others who have
illnesses to encourage them. A man may find he can
mentor another man with a chronic illness one-on-one
rather than leading a Bible study. Let them know that you
value wounded healers and believe 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,
¡°you can minister to others until you are healed.¡± I¡¯ve seen
too many broken hearts because people are told they are
no longer useful to the church or even to God when they
live with illness.

In Luke 14:21 Jesus shares a parable of a great banquet.
When the man¡¯s friends all turned down his hospitality he
commanded, ¡°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 mandate to us today, but we must
remember that to provide a place where we offer
hospitality, we must first ¡°go out¡± into our own pews and
provide a place of refuge; then these people who have
experienced the comfort in your church will be there to
walk alongside the rest of the community with open arms
of understanding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sources:
- Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge, a
study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.),
- National Health Interview Survey
- Rifkin, A. "Depression in Physically Ill Patients,"
Postgraduate Medicine (9-92) 147-154.
- Mackenzie TB, Popkin MK: "Suicide in the medical
patient." Intl J Psych in Med 17:3-22, 1987


Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries, serving the chronically ill, and editor of HopeKeepers Magazine. http://www.restministries.org . She is the author of various books and church resources that serve the chronically ill community, and founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. People in your church are hurting! Discover 505 ways to encourage a chronically ill friend in Lisa Copen's 94-page book, Beyond Casseroles. Get 3 copies for just $10! http://www.comfortzonebooks.com