Church Resources Archives - Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support

8 Reasons to Take a Break From Your Illness Support Group

May 29, 2013 By admin 1 Comment

When you first received the diagnosis of your illness, the odds are that many people around you, perhaps even your doctor, recommended a support group. Research has studied the impact support groups have on how well one copes with disease, and it is positive. However, if you have no desire to attend a support group, recognize that it is not uncommon. As with any kind of support group, some support groups you will connect with well and others won't be a good fit. Don't jump to the conclusion that all support groups are the same. But do you really need an illness support group right now? Whether you are looking for an amyloidosis support group or a diabetes online support group, just as there are many changes that happen to our bodies … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, HopeKeepers Resources, Loneliness, Support Group Leader

Small Groups Provide Support Through Illness Journey

February 12, 2013 By admin 2 Comments

HAVE YOU STARTED A CHRONIC ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP? One woman shares how it has blessed to her have taken this plunge and how she loves seeing how God provides for the members of her group, sometimes just through the friendships of one another. #supportgroup #illness

Leading a support group for the chronically ill may be the last thing you have considered taking on. But if you feel the nudge from God, don't ignore it. Laura explains. “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” (Job 8:7) It’s the group no one wants to join but we are all happy to have met. It is comprised of 11 women and two men, ranging in age from mid-30’s to 60’s. We talk, share, nod, listen, pray, eat, and cry. We have one main thing in common--chronic illness. We are a HopeKeepers group which I began recently with a friend at church. I would never have dreamt of started such a small group, but my path has taken this turn and I am excited. I had worked nearly half my life as an elementary … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Church Leader, Devotionals, HopeKeepers Resources, Support Group Leader, What's New?

Awareness Week Preparations Begin For Those with Invisible Illnesses

July 17, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

We have started our summer preparations for Invisible Illness Awareness Week! Hi, Friends! I am excited to be kicking off our summer prep for National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week! Did you know Rest Ministries is behind this awareness week? Rest Ministries began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week (NICIAW "for short" -- I know it's a mouth full!) in 2002 and so we are celebrating 10 years this year! When we first began the awareness week, we had a chatroom for our virtual conference and the term "invisible illness" was rarely even seen online. Through the years, the support of many of you have made this awareness week one of the coolest events online, as thousands join in for the virtual conference (where … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advocacy, Announcements, Attitude, Coping Skills, Events, Explaining Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Illnesses, Invisible Illnesses, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: awareness week, invisible illness awareness week

Why Did Someone Send Me a Get Well Soon Card?

June 15, 2012 By admin 6 Comments

"Get well soon!" people tell us, but when you are chronically ill, that little phrase, get well soon, can start to fester bitterness. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” (Romans 15:5) The other day I opened my mailbox to find a card. I was so excited—it wasn’t a bill, but a card! When I arrived back at my apartment I opened the card and read it. As I read the card, I realized that I could react one of two ways. I could be very frustrated and become discouraged, or I could be glad and be encouraged. On the front of the card it said, “Get Well Soon!” Let’s look at some facts: I’m not “sick," I live with chronic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Need to Know, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Christ Jesus, Chronic pain, God, Jesus, Kindle, Lord, Prayer

“You Are Too Young to Be That Sick!”

June 14, 2012 By admin 16 Comments

"You are too young to be that ill! Oh, you are too young to be dealing with that kind of pain." Why do simple, even well-intentioned words hurt so much? By Lisa Copen At the age of twenty-four, a thousand miles away from my family and living in a new city, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Over a period of four weeks and about eight doctor’s visits, I finally found a physician of internal medicine who listened to me explain my symptoms; in less than two days I had a diagnosis. Despite the terms “chronic” and “forever” I felt relieved to know the label that described my chronic pain. Few of my friends, however, shared my enthusiasm for a diagnosis. The managers at my office were more concerned about the fact that I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Coping Skills, Depression, Explaining Illness, Friend Has Illness, Friendships, Invisible Illnesses, Need to Know, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: Arthritis, Chronic, Conditions and Diseases, Fibromyalgia, Health, hidden disabilities, Illness, invisible disabilities, invisible illness, Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties, lisa copen, Pain, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, San Diego, you are too young, you dont look sick, you look fine

Community Outreach Illness Scenarios Teaching Tool

May 11, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

TEACHING TOOLS FOR CHURCHES ABOUT CHRONIC ILLNESS MEMBERS AND SITUATIONS: If your church is wondering "where are all these ill people coming from and how do we help them?" this is a GREAT article to print out and share. Discuss it at your next meeting and have everyone share what they would recommend or do. If you ARE the ill one reading this, you may just be able to relate a bit "too well" to these fiction scenarios. What do you think?

Community outreach is more than just vacation bible school and Christmas programs. Read through these illness scenarios to see how your church can improve their community outreach and pastoral support for people in the church. By Lisa Copen Community outreach seems to be a common goal of many churches, but it often gets stuck on Christmas programs or vacation bible school. But community outreach, as well as support within our church body, is vital to the lives of so many people. Have you seen the T.V. show, "What Would You Do? With John Quinones"? In it, they have actors set up a situation and then wait to see if anyone gets involved. Do people stand up for the "underdog"? Will adults buy teens beer? Will people stop a drunk parent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advocacy, Articles, Articles - Read, Caregiver, Church Leader, HopeKeepers Resources, Need to Know, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Support Group Leader, What's New?

Bring a Meal and Make is Special With Free Printable Labels

May 7, 2012 By admin 21 Comments

When one is chronically ill, and a friend wishes to help her, the first thing that comes to mind is to bring a meal. In fact, since the most popular gift to bring is a meal, I wrote the book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend to get people to think beyond food. Sometimes all we can think of is to bring a meal! Why is that? Well, a meal is a gift of comfort. And even though we --who are chronically ill--may be physically able to cook, it takes a burden off of us so that we can use the energy we would have spent cooking doing something else. I have discovered that many people who cook for the chronically ill and offer to bring a meal to them, are actually ill themselves. Though it is easy to understand new … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Beyond Casseroles, Caregiver, Cooking, Free Printables, Friend Has Illness, Invisible Illnesses, Ministry - Personal, Need to Know, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, deacons, free labels for meals, Health, meal delivery, meals for family, meals for recovery, organize meals, organize meals for sick friend, printables, Rest Ministries, take a meal

52 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend

May 2, 2012 By admin 5 Comments

If you are looking for ways to encourage a friend who is living with a chronic illness, dealing with a lot of pain, or even fighting cancer, this article is a great starting point to think creatively! Get the "Beyond Casseroles" book for 505 ways! By Lisa Copen Excerpt from Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend - Please do not reprint without permission or reword a few of the ideas and post as your own article. We've seen quite a few out there and appreciate you linking back to the source here. Thanks! "A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." ~Lois Wyse Ask, "What events in your life are changing and how are you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Beyond Casseroles, Books, Caregiver, Coping Skills, Explaining Illness, Founder's Blog, Friend Has Illness, Friendships, Need to Know, Overwhelmed, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: 50 ways to encourage a chronicall ill friend, 52 ways to help an ill friend, Christian

Loss, Grief and Mourning Books: Christian Resources

April 27, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Are you in a season of grief and mourning? Have you suffered a loss? Here are a list of top Christian books that address these emotions. Grief and mourning, loss. They are such a simple words yet holds sooo-o-o much emotion, don't they? To compile this list of grief and mourning books, I asked a group of Christian women authors of a group I am part of, AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). They eagerly told me what books they recommend to people (many of them are also counselors), and what books they had written of specific areas of grief. Some of these books we have even carried in our Rest Ministries bookstore over the years such as, The Gift of Mourning Glories by Georgia Shaffer about her journey with cancer and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Church Leader, Depression, Friend Has Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Loneliness, Overwhelmed, Person w/ Illness, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: A Grief Observed, advanced writers and speakers association, awsa, books on grief, grief, Grief Loss and Bereavement, grief and mourning, husband, Illness, loss of child, loss of loved one, Pain, resources on grief, Suicide, widowhood, wife

Have You Ever Made a “Mentoring Mistake”? VIDEO

April 25, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

This is a great video of Jennifer Rothschild, founder of womensministry.net (who happens to be a former "cover girl" of our own HopeKeepers magazine that we once had. She is blind and shared some great encouragement with us). Here, with her friend Alicia, they discuss three mentoring mistakes many of us make. There is one tip about choosing to be"Clark Kent" -- not Superman? What is this about? It is a great reminder about not having to show the people we are mentoring us without the scars. Have you ever made a mentoring mistake? Have you delegated too much, or maybe not enough? Have you committed to mentor someone and then were not able to follow through? If you are able to confide in us, we promise not to judge because we have all … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Church Leader, Need to Know, RM Volunteer, Support Group Leader, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: christian women, Clark Kent, encouraging, how to encourage a friend, hurting friend, jennifer rothchild, jennifer rothschild, Mentor, mentoring tips, mentoring women, Mentorship, Ministry, Personal development, sharing, Superman, women mentoring women, women of faith

New Book In Store: Stronger Still: A Woman’s Guide to Turning Your Hurt into Healing for Others

April 18, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

This book, Stronger Still: A Woman's Guide to Turning Your Hurt into Healing for Others (Deeper Still), by Edna Ellison is an amazing workbook to hold in your hand and work your way through if you are trying to figure out how to use the pain in your life to encourage other people. We have it available now at the Rest Ministries shop. I am happy to be able to call Edna a friend through a Christian women writers organization, but even I didn't know all that she had experienced in her life until I read this book. This woman has every right to write about her journey with suffering and how to use it for God's plans. This is an interactive 6-week Bible study that helps guide the reader through her pain and to a point where she can see how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Books, Caregiver, Church Leader, Coping Skills, HopeKeepers Resources, Links, Ministry - Personal, Need to Know, Person w/ Illness, Reflection, RM Volunteer, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: bible study, book, Christian, Chronic, chronic pain support group, God, Healing, Health, illness support group, lead a group, Leadership, Ministry, Pain, personal, Religion and Spirituality, Rest Ministries, small group leader, start a small group, support group resources, women's ministry, women's ministry resources, workbook

Thinking About Suicide Website Offers Hope Through Depression

April 14, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

When you feel like the world is closing in you can actually start thinking about suicide. Lisa shares why she thinks a new Christian web site that addresses suicide is needed. I recently have had the honor of joining a group of Christian women who are writing for a blog ThinkingAboutSuidicide.com. Started by Christian author and speaker, Linda Evans Shepherd, this blog features a daily post on topics related to people who may be thinking about suicide. It is for anyone, those who have recently lost a job, a loved one, health, whatever and offers hope through depression. I recently wrote about this new blog on 3/30/12, New Thinking About Suicide Blog Offers Eternal Hope. Some of you, however, missed this post and then wondered why I was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Announcements, Church Leader, Founder's Blog, Need to Know, Person w/ Illness, Spiritually Struggling, Suicidal Thoughts, Support Group Leader, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Christian, Facebook, hope through depression, is life worth living, Linda Evans Shepherd, lisa copen, Rest Ministries, San Diego, Suicide, thinking about suicide