Parish Nurse

We want everyone to be included fully in the spiritual and social life of our church.

We have provided ramps for ease of access.-There is a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Wheelchair friendly pews provide a choice of where to sit.-The Altar rail is accessible for wheelchair users.

Three lightweight wheelchairs are available for public use.- We have the loop induction system and an excellent sound system.

Services are audio taped and can be borrowed .- There is a disabled parking bay close to the church entrance.

Holy Communion is taken to the homes of those unable to attend.

Large print hymn books and service books are provided.--Font size can be adjusted to suit need if notice is given.

Parish Nursing

Health, wholeness and faith have long been promoted in churches, but in recent years there has been a distancing of health care and faith. Parish Nurses hope to help mobilise the "Church" to embrace more fully it's healing function.

A Parish Nurse is a registered nurse who acknowledges the basic need for a relationship with Jesus Christ and has had some theological training. The concept was developed 20 years ago in America and is taking off in Canada, Australia and New Zealand and now in the UK. The 50 U.K. Parish Nurses come from varied Christian denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, URC, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Salvation Army and the Free Churches.

So what does Parish Nursing mean for us at St. Saviour's?
We assess the health needs of the people of the Parish both inside and outside the Church's walls. The services developed are complementary to other Health Agencies and Church Ministries and here are few examples of the role of a Parish Nurse:

Health education: Providing teaching about specific aspects of health for instance, safe drinking levels, first aid courses, displays and articles in the magazine on topical health issues.

To offer personal health advice and support: To give information relating to various illnesses, medications or treatments. To offer basic health screening on a weekly basis.

To refer people to various health agencies: Disabled Living Centre, Self Help Groups, GP's and Social Services.

To train and co-ordinate volunteers: For example, to identify people willing to accompany someone to hospital or to provide home care in an emergency

An important aspect of Parish Nursing is to encourage and assist people to integrate their faith and health, for example, how having an unforgiving spirit impedes on a persons' relationship with others, with their community and most importantly, with God. The effects of an unforgiving spirit on ones' health is well documented in medical research.

For Parish Nursing to be successful at St. Saviour's Church and nationally, we have to develop a "Whole Church ministry" towards health, with all of us exercising our gifts for the benefit of others. My hope is that we can reach out to others in our community where there is so much need that is not being met by the NHS. Parish Nursing is not a "cheap" version of the NHS services but a health ministry where the Christian ethos of care is of paramount importance to include body, mind and spirit.

One of the founders of Parish Nursing Ministries UK (www.parishnursing.co.uk) the Reverend Helen Wordsworth is "Convinced of the enormous potential that Parish Nursing offers the Churches, a means of building bridges in our local communities with those searching for meaning and wholeness in their lives."

St. Saviour's has a passion for the Healing Ministry of our Lord and I pray that Parish Nursing is another step towards fulfilling our mission statement:

'Passion for Christ compassion for all'

Madeleine