Healing Ministry

Programs of the Healing Ministry

Healing Touch and Meditation:

2nd and 4th Thursdays 10 am - 12 noon

offered by Ministry staff and trained volunteers

Qi Gong:

a gentle exercise to restore energy and promote health Tuesdays 10 am - 11 am

Healing & Meditation Worship Service

last Sunday of the month 7 pm

Prayers, meditation, healing rituals, candlelighting, singing

Hospital visiting

Mondays and Thursdays by the Parish Nurse

Goals of the Healing Ministry

• To promote a Holistic Health Philosophy which includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
• To raise the profile of Parish Nursing in the congregation and the community.
• To develop programs and services to meet identified needs.
• To link members with other available community resources.
• To assist individuals in understanding their health conditions, treatment options, and to hear what this means to them.
• To function as a client advocate when required.

The Parish Nurse

Philosophy of Parish Nursing

Parish Nursing is an emerging area of specialized professional nursing practice distinguished by the following characteristics:

• The Parish Nurse role balances knowledge and skill; the sciences, theology and humanities; service and worship; and nursing care with pastoral care functions.
• The focus of practice is the faith community and its ministry. The Parish Nurse in collaboration with the pastoral staff and members participates in the ongoing transformation of the faith community into a source of health and healing. Through partnership with other community health resources, parish nursing fosters new and creative responses to health concerns.
• The Parish Nurse understands health to be a dynamic process which embodies the physical, spiritual and social dimensions of the person. Parish nursing services will build on the ability of individuals, families and congregations to care for one another in light of their relationship with God.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Parish Nurse

The Parish Nurse does not take the place of existing health care services, but complements a holistic approach to health within our congregation.

The Parish Nurse

Kathy Matusiak is the Parish Nurse for First United Church in White Rock. She has received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and her diploma in Parish Nursing from Trinity Western University. Her nursing background includes extended care; cardiac intensive care; pediatrics; community health prevention program for maternal and child health; and most recently home palliative care. Kathy was brought up in the United Church and has attended First United since 1990, teaching Sunday School and taking the Healing Pathway workshops from Naramata. Recently, Kathy has completed the Lay Volunteer chaplain course at Peace Arch Hospital.

Kathy is available:
Office hours Mon. - Thurs.
9:30 am - 2:30 pm

Phone 604-536-2043

Scriptural Basis for Healing Ministries

If you are having trouble, you should pray. And if you are feeling good you should sing praises. If you are sick, ask the church leaders to come and pray for you. Ask them to put olive oil on you in the name of the Lord. If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them. If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed. The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot. (James 5:13-16)

Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:19)