Faith Is Central to Our Mission

We recently started a monthly preaching series in memory of one of our long-time board members, Rev. Jimmy Terry. The primary goal of this series, which consists of 30-minute sermons, is to further our preaching mission. Most people are familiar with our healing mission. That’s an obvious aspect of our work, but preaching also is central to what we do. In fact, I don’t know of a hospital without a chapel or a chaplain. That’s because faith is integral to what we do and contributes to the recovery and well-being of our staff, patients and their families. In fact, many studies have been conducted to establish the connection between spirituality and positive health results. I’ve reviewed many of these, but I didn’t need to see the results to validate what I or other health care professionals already know. Belief in God or a greater purpose helps people cope with challenging situations, face the future and even live their best lives.

The fact of the matter is people experience some of the most intense situations and emotions while in hospitals. While these experiences can be taxing, even crushing, our staff members count it a privilege to be there to support patients physically and emotionally during these times. It’s not uncommon for hospital staff to form long-time bonds or show some extraordinary kindness to patients and their families while in the hospital or after they’ve gone home. It’s a part of who they are but also a way that they minister to patients and their families.

While we’d like to only see you in our hospitals when you’re there to celebrate the birth of new life or the amazing recovery of a seriously ill family member, the reality is we’ll also see you at what could be the most challenging time of your life. It is our hope that our training, expertise, faith and compassion will help you cope and recover.