The Parish Nurse Ministry
- Principal function – Support and promote Christ-centered health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit through congregational health ministry of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
- Principal responsibilities – Promote the parish nurse ministry, provide resources and consultation to pastors, congregations, and nurses who desire a health ministry program, and interface with District officials.
Parish nursing is a specialty practice that combines professional nursing and spiritual caregiving to help people in a congregation and community achieve and maintain optimal health. Parish nurses provide a range of services, including:
- Health counseling: Advising people on health issues and concerns, such as diabetes
- Home visits: Checking on the nutrition of elderly members of the faith community, discussing follow-up appointments, and advising on fall prevention
- Connecting people to resources: Referring people to career training, counseling centers, subsidized housing programs, food pantries, and dentists with sliding-scale payment options
- Mobilizing volunteers: Recruiting members of the faith community to visit the sick or elderly in their homes or in hospitals
- Coordinating community events: Organizing health screenings
Parish nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who have received specialized training in parish nursing. They are part of the ministerial team and work with the health ministry committee or health cabinet.
Parish nursing programs can operate in a variety of ways, including:
- The church employs the nurse
- The ministry contracts with a hospital for nursing services
- The nurse serves the faith community as a volunteer
- A group of faith-based communities pays the nurse
Many parishes prefer nurses with a bachelor’s degree, but faith communities generally prefer or require nurses with at least an associate degree
April 2025
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. -Psalms 143:10
Organ Donation: The Gift of Life
- Nationwide, more than 100,000 men, women and children currently await life saving/enhancing transplants.
- Transplants rely on the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors, and there are not enough donors to meet the need. You can help.
30 Days To Help Save A Life: What To Do In April
National Donate Life Month was established in 2003. Every day in April, people across the U.S. make a special effort to celebrate the tremendous generosity of those who have saved lives by becoming organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donors and to encourage more Americans to follow their fine example.
Make It Known: I Want To Be A Donor
- Register with your State Donor Registry, if available.
- Say YES to donation on your driver’s license.
- Tell your family, friends, physician, and faith leader that you want to be a donor.
- Fill out and sign a donor card, have it witnessed, carry it with you.
Tell someone: The Need Is Great and Growing!!
Linda Stotler RN; BSN…SEK District Parish Nurse…lstotler@sbcglobal.net…620-249-1648