Curtis D. Sharp
Executive Officer for Denominational and Public Relations
214-720-2127
Curt.Sharp@GuideStone.org

GuideStone offers free wellness tools for ministries

March 4, 2010

Dallas, TX – Spurred by a desire to help ministry employers and employees control healthcare costs and to have a positive effect on participants’ health, GuideStone has launched a new wellness website at GuideStone.org/Wellness.

Studies show that wellness programs and support can help control medical costs now and in the future. But GuideStone’s commitment goes beyond controlling costs. “The health of our participants is an issue we take seriously,” says GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins. “Stress, lack of exercise and poor eating habits affect more than their personal health. It impacts their ability to do the work God has called them to do.”

Supporting total wellness is a priority for GuideStone. Recently, the American Heart Association awarded GuideStone “gold-level” recognition for on-site wellness efforts. GuideStone’s approach provides physical activity support, increases healthy eating options and promotes a general culture of wellness.

The new wellness website aims to share some of these resources with Southern Baptist churches and ministry organizations and their employees. Built to equip, inspire and educate, the site includes quarterly challenges based on GuideStone’s internal initiatives, inspirational participant success stories, wellness tools, healthy living articles, employer resources and much more.

The first quarterly challenge, “Go for 10 in ’10,” urges participants to set specific, tangible goals for 2010. A University of Scranton study showed that people who make specific, concrete New Year’s resolutions/goals are ten times more likely to achieve those goals than those who make non-specific goals.

The challenge focuses on physical, mental, spiritual or financial goals and includes tips on setting goals and creating an action plan to achieve them.

“In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that our bodies are the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit.’ We must be good stewards of our health,” says Hawkins. “This wellness website is just one more way for GuideStone to help support our participants and employers in their efforts to practice good stewardship.”

For support materials and more information about how to improve overall wellness for 2010, visit GuideStone.org/Wellness.

Word Version - GuideStone offers free wellness tools for ministries