Health Ministries Page

High Blood Pressure Awareness

According to the Mayo Clinic, you can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Do you know your numbers? The normal ranges for blood pressure are:

Systolic - 120mmHG or less
Diastolic - 80mmHG or less

There are two types of hypertension: Primary (Essential Hypertension) and Secondary Hypertension. For more information on the causes of Primary and Secondary Hypertension, click here to visit the Mayo Clinic website.

Health Ministries Resolution Approved at General Convention of Episcopal Church

Resolution: A077
Proposer: Standing Commission on Health

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention urges the congregations of The Episcopal Church, which have not already done so, to explore and implement health ministry as an organizing concept or vital component of outreach and pastoral care of the congregations by 2012; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourages congregations to raise awareness of health ministries and promote the understanding that health includes body, mind and spirit.

EXPLANATION

Health ministries play a unique and critical role in facilitating the overall health of clergy, staff and congregation. Health ministry looks different from congregation to congregation, reflecting the unique needs, interests and resources of the faith community.

National Episcopal Health Ministries (NEHM) educates leaders for Episcopal health ministry and parish nursing, supports those engaged in health ministry in Episcopal congregations and provides resources to local congregations, dioceses and provinces. NEHM is a valuable resource for those seeking assistance in the development of faith ministries.

Increased Risk at Communion? No.

There is no proven connection between Communion cups and the spread of illness. In 1998, the Center for Disease Control made a statement declaring their official, two-decades-old position regarding the risk of infectious disease transmission from a common communion cup:

Within the CDC, the consensus is that a theoretic risk of transmitting infectious diseases by using a common communion cup exists, but the risk is too small to be detectable. The CDC has not been called on to investigate any outbreaks of infectious diseases that allegedly have been linked to the use of a common communion cup. In summary, the risk for infectious disease transmission by a common communion cup is very low, and appropriate safeguards -- that is, wiping the interior and exterior rim between communicants, use of care to rotate the cloth during use, and use of a clean cloth for each service -- would further diminish this risk. In addition, sharing the communion cup is discouraged if a person has an active respiratory infection, or moist or open sores on their lips.

Reception of the chalice is a personal choice.

The Church has long recognized that reception of either the bread or wine conveys all of the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Everyone is encouraged to make their own decision on whether to take part in these practices.

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